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Coastal town in Dorset, England
Photo: Martinvl, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
They were come too late in the year for any amusement or variety which Lyme, as a public place, might offer. The rooms were shut up, the lodgers almost all gone, scarcely any family but of the residents left; and, as there is nothing to admire in the buildings themselves, the remarkable situation of the town, the principal street almost hurrying into the water, the walk to the Cobb, skirting round the pleasant little bay, which, in the season, is animated with bathing machines and company; the Cobb itself, its old wonders and new improvements, with the very beautiful line of cliffs stretching out to the east of the town, are what the stranger’s eye will seek; and a very strange stranger it must be, who does not see charms in the immediate environs of Lyme, to make him wish to know it better.
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A large harbour wall, that has featured in novels by Jane Austen (who lived for a time in Lyme Regis) and in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman, based on the book of the same name by local writer John Fowles.
A fully working watermill, restored and re-opened in 2001; tours available. The site is also occupied by galleries, craft workshops, cafe and micro-brewery. Email via contact form on the website.
Built on the site of Mary Anning’s home. Includes collections of fossils, maritime and domestic objects, paintings, prints and photographs. The town’s literary connections, from Jane Austen to John Fowles and Tracy Chevalier, are illustrated in the Writers’ Gallery.
A traditional museum, with more than 12,000 specimens on permanent display.
In front of the cliffs by the beach. There are lots of fossilised ammonites in the sediment layers in the cliffs, and as weathering occurs, the cliffs are eroded and the fossils are left on the beach. The best time to go hunting is in Spring, when the winter's storms have exposed many fossils. Most are small, some are the size of your palm, and one or two are surprisingly large — up to a metre in diameter!
Where you get fantastic views of England's first natural World Heritage Site – the Jurassic Coast.
Varied programme of theatre, music, comedy, films and other events. For booking information, check the website.
Fresh, 100% homemade vegetarian and vegan food to eat in or take away, with a strong Mediterranean influence using the best local, seasonal and organic produce in West Dorset and East Devon. Deli also stocks organic vegetables, a large range of vegetarian wholefoods and hard-to-find ingredients.
Artisan bakery cafe. Open for breakfast, brunch and lunch.
Family-friendly Italian restaurant. Takeaways also available.
Informal seafood restaurant on the beachfront.
Chic seafood restaurant above the harbour.
Fine dining part-sourced from wild food.
Next to the harbour, three nice and clean rooms, modern bathroom
Large elegant Georgian House with stunning views of the sea and Dorset coastline. Private car park.
17th-century coaching inn
Built 1735 and a hotel since 1901, set in lush private gardens overlooking the Cobb and Lyme Bay. Open Feb-Dec.
Charming B&B in Regency building. No dogs.
By bus
In addition to the X51 and X53, services include the 9A Seaton to Lyme Regis
Parking
One very good way to get around is to walk. Lyme Regis is on the South West Coast path and there are many circular routes from and around Lyme Regis - the area is very steep in places.
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Exeter, Devon · Regional · EXT
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