A beach town with more than just sand, sea and fish ’n’ chips.
Nestled on the Jurassic Coast near the border of Devon and West Dorset is Lyme Regis – a town famous for geology and a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is, geologically, the oldest place in Dorset. The Blue Lias rock on which the city is located was formed almost 200 million years ago, while the bedrock at the other end of Jurassic Coast is over a hundred million years younger!
We came upon this popular beach town quite by accident while driving around in South-West England. It is a picturesque place with colorful cottages and tastefully styled seafront villas.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN LYME REGIS
The sea front is a large stretch of pebble & sand beach with the popular Cobb and Aquarium at one end and an interesting cliff-side walk with fossils at the other end. Two narrow streets, lined with nice eateries and interesting shops, connect the two ends. Mind, there are some steep slopes here and there!
THE COBB
This is the curving harbour wall that has protected boats from the worst of the storms since as far back as 1328. Today it also houses a small marina.
The Cobb offers a very nice walk, ending in a visit to the Marine Aquarium as well. The view is lovely on a sunny day when you can see hundreds of boats nodding their masts to the blue sea. You can have a very pleasant time just sitting on one of the many benches facing the sea.
The Cobb features in John Fowles’ novel “The French Lieutenant’s Women” as well as in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” – where the character Louisa jumps off the steps and falls, both of which were later filmed on location.
This was also the filming location for the latest two movies Ammonite (Kate Winslet) and Willy Wonka.
!If you want to take a dip in the sea, you could rent one of the colourful little sea huts, complete with chairs and a mini kitchen, which line the path next to the beach.
The Church Cliff Walk
A 1,200 ft sea wall, said to be a very innovative engineering feat, has been recently built to protect the eastern cliffs from landslides and erosion. It gives access to the fossil beach from a nearby car park.
The famous geologist and fossil hunter, Mary Anning, used to scour the fossil beach and cliff-side for ammonites. (Google it – it’s interesting!). A large ammonite has been etched into the wall at the end of the walkway.
The Blue Lias Rock in this part of Lyme Regis shows alternating mudstone-limestone rhythms!
LYME REGIS MARINE AQUARIUM
Don’t miss the aquarium on the Cobb in the summer, especially if you like seeing gigantic lobsters!
The aquarium here is a family-run attraction and has interactive features like hand feeding the mullet and holding the starfish.
LYME REGIS MUSEUM
Sited in a classic seafront location, this Museum has great views of the Lyme Bay. It has an interactive geology gallery with loads of fossils and a learning centre filled with information especially on Mary Anning. The Museum is built on the site of her former home. Beautiful fossil ammonite designs decorate the pavement outside the museum.
The guided fossil walks are particularly interesting for students and other visitors.
MARINE THEATRE
On the eastern end of the seafront is the Marine Theatre dating back to the 1800s.
Take some photos and admire the views of the sea and Lyme bay. You may see bands, films, plays and more events depending on the season. An evening experience would be enjoyable with a drink at the upstairs bar.
GO ON BOAT TRIPS, WALKS AND TRAILS
You can hire boats, kayaks and paddle boards, or bring your own and enjoy boat trips.
Lyme Regis is literally the walker’s paradise. It has a walks suited for everyone with varying degree of difficulty. In fact, since the town itself is full of slopes, it is a good workout to walk along Marine Parade, church cliff walk, ending at the cafes and pubs on the Cobb. Or you could go fossil hunting on the pebbled part of the seafront in the east cliff.
We spent a delightful couple of days at this ‘Pearl of Dorset’ – as it is aptly nicknamed.
Do stop here for a day or two if you are touring Dorset and Devon.
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What a lovely, quaint place! I would be out on the Church Cliff Walk for sure. I hadn’t heard of Lyme Regis. Pinned your post for future travel planning!
Wow, I’ve never visited Lyme Regis before but it looks like such a charming seaside town! I’d love to take a fossil walk and learn more about them, what a fascinating sight! Thanks for the great guide!
Wow, these views are amazing! I had no idea bout this place, but I’m going to save this article for my future travel!
I never connected fossils with England, but that’s totally amazing! Love the ammonite walk. My husband and boys would be all over this town.
This is such a nice area! I’d love to go on one of the guided fossil walks (it’s always soooo cool to find them, but I am terrible at it!!) That pavement outside the museum is incredible!
I hope the Cobb protected the boats from the crazy winds this week! It must have been really blowing!
I actually had no idea about this town, so it’s great to know for future trip planning. It looks like somewhere I would love to explore.
I have visited Lyme Regis on my first trip to Britain more than 30 years ago and have very fond memories. The weather back then was quite bad and we could not go on a guided fossil walk (yes, they were offered already 30 years ago). I always wanted to return for another visit in summer with hopefully better weather.
I love that Lyme Regis has so much to offer besides the beach! The fossils and ammonites are so interesting. And I would love to see a band play The Marine Theater.
I would love to visit anywhere there is a Jane Austen connection. I know that part very well where Louisa jumps. I would bring one of my many copies and sit and read while listening to the sound of the ocean roll in. My ideal way to spend the day.
I would like to go here and hunting for ammonites. It’s my favorite fossil! And the town looks nice. I will enjoy my visit here.
It seems that Lyme Regis is so much more than a picturesque little beach town. The Lyme Regis Museum featuring these fossil walks looks very interesting and so does the Marine Theater. I’d love to visit it someday. The fact that Lyme Regis was used as a filming location makes me even more curious.
What a lovely quiet place Lyme Regis looks to be. Beaches are my favorites but do tend to avoid the crowded ones. This is just perfect although I would love to indulge in fish and chips as well. Church Cliff Walk would be lovely as well. Thanks for this insight for our next trip to UK.
I love the unique names of town in the UK! Lynne Regis is my favorite kind of place to visit — small and quaint, historic and by the sea. Perfect!
This is a fascinating article. If I visited here, I would go fossil hunting, take a stroll down the Marine Parade, or simply relax and enjoy my time on the bench. I’d also like to take a boat ride while taking in the captivating scenery.
What an adorable town! I love visiting anywhere with cliff walks, and the one you shared looked gorgeous! The Cobb harbor area also looks really nice.
The Church Cliff Walk looks gorgeous! I love the nautical feel of the entire town. Thanks for sharing!
I live in near the sugar white beaches of the Emerald Coast in the Florida Panhandle. It amazes me how different the beaches are by region. I would love to visit any of places and soak up the history and charm of each place. Thank you for sharing.
Lyme Regis sounds like a wonderful place to explore. I would love to take a lot of walks around town and see the beautiful sea there.
Wow! I did not realize there is so much to see and do in Lyme. We’d love to explore the marine aquarium. Happy to know that it’s family/ kid-friendly.
Lyme Regis sounds interesting. I did visit Dorset, but missed Lyme Regis, so thanks for this detailed write up. Interesting to know that this spot is the oldest in the Dorset. Too bad I missed it. The Cobb looks impressive and it is awesome that they built it in 14th C. No wonder it has been a Hollywood filming location. I’m gonna google about Mary Anning, I’m intrigued. My little toddler would definitely love to see the lobsters at the aquarium.
Lovely photos!!
Just the name Jurassic Coast would cause me to visit this part of England. We might initially be drawn by great sand beaches and fish and chips. But we would definitely want to enjoy the small town of Lyme Regis. Strolling along the Cobb would give us a great view of this water town. And we would not miss the giant lobsters in the aquarium. The fossils though look like a major draw. I love the pattern created in the walkway.
I’m so London-fixated when I visit the UK, it’s a shame. I really need to explore more of the countryside since those quaint little towns like Lyme Regis seem sooo charming. The fossils are absolutely gorgeous, but so seems the entire coastline. An interesting addition to my bucket list 😉
Lyme Regis sounds like a lovely little town. I’m intrigued by the ammonite stuff and the coastal architecture
Wow this takes me back to my childhood. I visited here when I was much younger. I’m glad to see they haven’t built it up and maintained its charmed. I need to go back again.
Lyme Regis as a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site is on my list, as I had no time to visit this place during my last trip to the UK. So I will use this itinerary while I will back there. I love cliffs and old churches and stone architecture.