Owner issues update on historic North Devon beach following cliff fall last year

Public access to the famous Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe might not be possible for several years due to the amount of work needed to stabilise dangerous cliffs.

The ‘ladies beach’ at the popular Victorian era attraction was closed to the public in April 2025 following a dangerous landslide and incidents of large falling rocks that would have been deadly to anyone underneath them.

The adjoining ‘gentlemen’s beach’ is used exclusively as part of the Tunnels wedding venue business and was not affected by the rock falls above the ladies beach.

READ MORE: Ilfracombe’s Tunnels Beaches closed to public visitors for 2025 due to rock falls

Tunnels director Jamie McLintock has provided an update on the situation following a query from Ilfracombe Town Council and the issue was discussed at the council’s meeting on Monday (January 12).

Mr McLintock has also shared the information he provided to the council with the North Devon Gazette and spoke to us about the ongoing closure.

It has been estimated it could cost as much as £1million at the most to make the unstable cliff safe, which the owners say is simply not financially viable at this time.

Above: The wedding venue part of Tunnels Beaches is not affected by the cliff falls. Credit: Lewis Clarke

In his email to the council, Mr McLintock said: “As I’m sure you’re aware we have a very big redevelopment project taking place, which we have been committed to for several years - many years’ worth of weddings have been booked on the basis that it will be completed ready for the 2026 season.

“In terms of the safe access to the ladies beach, this has not changed since we last spoke [in August]. We have continued to experience rock falls in the area directly above the slipway to that beach and the professional geotechnical advice we have received supports our decision to close the area.”

He went on to say engineers had advised it would be necessary to net and bolt the entire cliff side, which he said apart from not looking very attractive, would not be financially viable.

He added: “We have been told this suggested solution would not actually prevent small fragments falling, which could still cause injury. Indeed the engineers have doubted whether it would have prevented the scale of slippage that occurred last April.

“We therefore have no other choice than to keep the beaches closed to the general public for the foreseeable future… as an indication I would think this would be several years at least.”

At the council meeting, a member of the public voiced frustration over the indefinite closure.

They said: “I'm concerned that Ilfracombe has quietly lost one of its leading tourist attractions. The beaches have been open to the public since the tunnels were cut and are currently listed by TripAdvisor as an essential place to visit.”

The speaker also raised concerns about the site’s unique safety accreditation and questioned whether Tunnels Beaches Ltd, which has invested heavily in its wedding venue facilities, could afford to reopen the beach for wider public use.

Councillor Paul Crabb responded and said: “It’s not quite as simple as what you say. A big chunk of rock came down and when they went down to open the following day, there were two pieces of rock, each approximately the size of a wheelbarrow where people could and would have been sitting.”

Above: Access to Tunnels Beaches is via several tunnels, carved in the 1820s. Credit: Rob Farrow

Town clerk Laura Donovan confirmed the site is privately owned and that access was at the discretion of the owners. She said the last update, received in August, put the estimated cost of works between £750,000 and £1million.

Speaking to the Gazette, Mr McLintock stressed once again the wedding venue side of the business and access to the gentlemen’s beach was entirely separate to the ladies beach and not affected by the unstable cliff.

He added: “We haven’t given up on the situation and we know how important the beaches are to the people of Ilfracombe, but putting it right just isn’t viable in the immediate future.”

Jamie and his wife Zoe took over Tunnels 26 years ago and have invested a great deal into the site to create a popular beach wedding venue, as well as improve facilities for the public.

The Victorians created Tunnels Beaches by literally tunnelling through the rock to gain access to the shore and create the two tidal swimming pools on the gentlemen’s and ladies beaches.

Victorian modesty prohibited men and women from bathing together and so two entirely separate beach locations were created to keep them apart.