Florid Victorian "Curb your dog" sign in Lynton, Devon?

May 8, 2008 10:37 AM

Back in 1996, Heather and I visited our friend Jason in Bourne End, northwest of London, and spent a few days in Lynton, in Devon. There was a funicular from Lynton to Lynmouth, and we used to take the train from Lynton down into town and wander around in search of scrumpy. As we got off the railway, at the mouth of the Lyn, we found ourselves on the west bank of the Lyn, and IIRC there was a building right about there with the best ever Victorian-latinate-lingo "please curb your dog" sign I've ever seen.

Back then, we were in our "experience life, don't take pictures of it" phase, and so I don't have pictures. But I'd love a pic, if there's any way possible - but I don't know anyone in Devon at all, and various flickr and google searches have failed me. Any hope that you know, or know someone who knows, someone from Lynton or Lynmouth or thereabouts, or who knows what I'm talking about? IIRC, we were about here. thanks, hive mind! (nod to jessamyn)

posted by schampeo to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

I believe that they're asking for a picture of the "best ever Victorian-latinate-lingo "please curb your dog" sign I've ever seen".
posted by mrbill at 11:10 AM on May 8 [1 favorite]

Devon? For some reason that Google Maps link goes to the intersection of Molenstraat and Singel , in the town of Westdorpe, on the Belgium/Netherlands border. This is Lynmouth, and the funicular of which you speak is more properly the Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Panoramio has pics which might help you to identify the building upon which you saw the best-ever sign.
posted by mumkin at 11:22 AM on May 8

Yeah, not sure what happened to the link. This is where we were. You're right, it was Lynmouth, and if I recall correctly, it was the first building on the right as you disembark from the railway, as you face the mouth of the river.
posted by schampeo at 2:36 PM on May 8

Ah, looks like what happened was that somehow a negative became positive, shifting us across the meridian onto mainland Europe. At any rate, perhaps you might email the railway folks and ask if they'd mind stepping around the corner and snapping a picture of the sign in question for you. Or you could try the tourist information office (though don't ask them about anything to do with The Goats).

Failing that, according to the metafilter.kml file, the closest mefites are unfortunately across the Bristol Channel in Wales, and denizens of the Blue don't seem to be exactly thick on the ground in the West Country. Of course, that's just the ones who have provided geo coords in the profile, but it's the best one can do. I'll MeMail you the identities of those nearest Lynmouth, just in case they happen to pass through on occasion.

I really want to see this best-ever sign now.
posted by mumkin at 5:44 PM on May 9

Thanks, mumkin - the cliff railway people have been emailed, if I get a picture I'll post it for all to see. Hopefully it's still there and still as florid as I remember it.
posted by schampeo at 12:51 PM on May 12