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Lyme Regis

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Weekending with dinosaurs

For such a friendly little seaside resort, historic Lyme Regis is chock-full of juicy anecdotes. Whether it’s the image of a wind-swept Meryl Streep (or apparently, her stunt double) in a huge cloak in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, the dramatic falling of Louisa Musgrove in Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the creation of Turner’s beautiful painting of the harbour, the founding of the UK’s most famous fossil museum, the town’s heyday as one of Britain’s busiest ports, or simply memories of childhood caravanning extravaganzas, Lyme Regis has been an Aladdin’s Cave of cultural, historical and natural references. Today though, it’s a refreshingly old-fashioned seaside resort that is guaranteed to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling whatever the weather.

Potter about in town, enjoying fish n’ chips at the end of the famous Cobb or venture out along Dorset’s fascinating Jurassic Coast. Wandering the lovely beaches, you’re more likely to find a fossil than Richard Attenborough running from velociraptors, but it’s all pretty marvellous nonetheless.

What to see?

Lyme Regis itself is an intimate little place that could be covered in an hour or so, but deserves a lot longer. Kick back and explore the narrow streets of the old town, lined with higgledy-piggledy Georgian buildings and leading down to the harbour, where a colourful fleet of fishing boats still do their thing alongside Lyme’s great sandy beach. The historic harbour wall, the Cobb, stretches out into the sea - perfect for a stroll with great views back to the town - while the promenade is lined with little shops, cafes, and some great opportunities for fish and chips. Take a boat trip along the coast on the gorgeous little Cornish crabber Frances Jane, skippered by smiley Doug ‘The Hat’ (he wears a hat...), or visit the award-winning Lyme Regis museum to really get to know the place.

For such a small town, there’s a blossoming cultural scene, as artists, writers and photographers from all over the UK follow in the footsteps of Turner, Whistler, Henry Fielding, Jane Austen and plenty of others who found seaside inspiration in Lyme. The Town Mill, a working Victorian watermill on the banks of the River Lim, is just one place to go to see local art and take part in arty workshops if you want to get stuck in yourself. For art in another form, head to the town’s lovely Art Deco cinema, The Regent. There may only be one screen, but it’s a very romantic place to hide when it’s cold and wet outside.

You can’t escape the fossils in Lyme (and no, we don’t mean the Saga set, although they’re pretty unavoidable too...) and as part of the Jurassic Coast, a ninety five mile-long stretch of rocky coastline and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town is a mecca for anyone wanting to find some. If you fancy yourself as a fossil hunter, pop into Dinosaurland Fossil Museum for some inspiration - it’s not quite Disneyland, but you’ll never need to see another ammonite again.

For real-life dinosaur hunting, head to Lyme’s lovely beaches. The best fossils can be found at pebbly Charmouth Beach to the east of Lyme Regis, where the cliffs are constantly crumbling and slipping into the sea, revealing new treasures from 180 million years ago.

Or why not try?

Around and about

Travel east from Lyme Regis for some more great seaside action, with plenty of long sandy beaches to enjoy close by. Lovely Budleigh Salterton, birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh and a favourite spot for refined Brits seeking sea air, is 20 miles from Lyme Regis, and a beautiful place for a potter amongst antiques shops and tearooms, followed by a brisk stroll along the seashore. But it’s the pretty fishing village of Beer, 9 miles from Lyme, that is the best place for a romantic visit to the sea. Once a hotspot for smugglers, the sheltered bay at Beer is home to one of the loveliest (but steepest) little beaches in Devon. It’s also where you can find the famous Beer Quarry Caves, a vast underground network of man-made caves created by quarry workers from as far back as Roman times. The stone from Beer has been used in countless famous British buildings, including Exeter cathedral. Proper walking fans will also be in their element, with the South West Coast Path offering some great routes in the area. The two-mile cliff-top walk from Beer westwards towards Branscombe, in particular, is fantastic, and will more than satisfy any cravings for fresh air. End a round trip at the cosy Anchor Inn for some great local fish and chips and a pint of real ale.

For something a bit different, travel to the seaside town of Seaton, eight miles from Lyme, and catch the Seaton Tramway for a beautiful trip up the River Axe Valley. Amazing vintage trams - some of them open-topped - ply their way through green, rolling countryside to the very pretty town of Colyton, where you can wander aimlessly through tiny streets and enjoy a Devon cream tea before catching the tram back to the sea.

Five miles inland from Lyme Regis is the market town of Axminster, most famous for its carpets. These days, however, it’s arguably equally as famous as the home of River Cottage, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s foodie honeypot. Combine your stay in Lyme with a one-day course at the River Cottage cookery school, or simply enjoy the eating at their canteen in Axminster town centre.

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