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  1. The iconic Cobb harbour in Lyme Regis © James Loveridge
    The iconic Cobb harbour in Lyme Regis © James Loveridge

You are here: Explore > Areas To Visit > Lyme Regis

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Highlights

Quaint pink cottage behind iconic thatched cottages on seafront with garden overlooking Lyme Bay.

Cliff Cottage

With its superb position on the seafront of Lyme this delightful two-bedroom cottage offers…

Woodman's Treehouse, Crafty Camping

Crafty Camping

The Woodsman's treehouse & five luxury Glamping tents set in a beautiful Woodland setting alongside…

Lyme Bay Holidays

Lyme Bay Holidays

Everything about a Lyme Bay Holiday is special. Lyme Bay Holidays (QAA) know what's really…

Kersbrook Hotel Lyme Regis

Kersbrook

The Kersbrook is a beautiful thatched, eighteenth century Grade II listed building (1780) set in…

Lucerne B&B

Lucerne is close to the heart of Lyme Regis and its seafront. Rear rooms have excellent views of…

Wisteria Cottage

Tranquil location with stunning countryside views. Comfortable well equipped rooms. Friendly…

Lucerne Apartment

A comfortable one-bedroom spacious apartment with excellant sea views.about 5 minutes from town and…

Toad Hall Cottages

Toad Hall Cottages are a leading provider of holiday cottages throughout the South West, call now…

Berehayes Holiday Cottages

AA 4 star. 16th Century converted farm cottages in the beautiful Marshwood Vale. Eight cottages in…

PrevPrev
  • 1Cliff Cottage
  • 2Crafty Camping
  • 3Lyme Bay Holidays
  • 4Kersbrook
  • 5Lucerne B&B
  • 6Wisteria Cottage
  • 7Lucerne Apartment
  • 8Toad Hall Cottages
  • 9Berehayes Holiday Cottages
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Home to famous Georgian fossil collector and palaeontologist Mary Anning, Lyme Regis is well known as one the best places on the Jurassic Coast to hunt for fossils.

This quaint and stylish seaside town is also gaining a reputation as a foodie’s paradise with numerous seafood bars, bistros and restaurants to choose from.

With a safe and sandy beach, fabulous coastal walks, independent shopping and a calendar full of events to entertain one and all, Lyme Regis is not short of interesting things to see and do!

Family friendly beaches

Lyme Regis offers a variety of beaches to suit everyone’s tastes!

Why not pack up your bucket and spade and head to Lyme Regis' sandtastic Town Beach.  Let the kids (and grown-ups!) get creative building and creating magnificent sandcastles and sea creatures.  Take time out from the busy building and splash around in the sea or play a game or two of bat and ball or you could just sit back, relax and feel the sand between your toes!! There’s nothing like a bit of beach therapy and Lyme Regis offers it in bucket loads!

Head over to Monmouth Beach and hunt for some fossils and marvel at the layer of limestone called the ammonite graveyard or the ammonite pavement due to the large number of ammonites it contains.  Why not follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning and try and uncover your very own Ichthyosaur!

Mary Anning - an unsung hero

Mary Anning was born into a very poor family in 1799 at Lyme Regis. Her father was an amateur fossil collector and by the age of 5 or 6, Mary would go out fossil collecting with him - which at the time was a very unusual thing for Georgian girls to do.

Her father taught Mary how to look for and clean the fossils they found on the beach, and often displayed and sold them from his shop.

At the age of 12, Mary, along with her brother, discovered the first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton and another 12 years later was the first to discover a complete Plesiosaur. Her fossils were some of the most significant geological finds of the time and her ichthyosaur, plesiosaur and pterosaur are showcased at London's Natural History Museum.

Sadly, Mary died at the age of 47 and was still in financial difficulties despite a lifetime of extraordinary scientific discoveries.

You can find out more about Mary at the Lyme Regis Museum which is built on the site of her home and fossil shop.

The Cobb, Lyme Regis

A trip to Lyme Regis wouldn’t be complete without a stroll around the iconic Cobb harbour. On a clear day and you will be rewarded with some of the finest views along the coast. If it’s a bit grey and murky outside then don’t despair as this is when The Cobb is full of atmosphere!

Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons brought fame to the area in the 1980 film adaptation of The French Lieutenant’s Woman - local author John Fowles wrote the original novel and Streep was featured standing motionless at the end of the Cobb. Jane Austen’s novel, Persuasion, was also written and part set here.

Full of history, romance and scenery, The Cobb is a beautiful place just to sit, watch and dream.

Eating Out and Takeaways

There are some fabulous restaurants, cafes and pubs in Lyme Regis.

Enjoy a meal overlooking the Bay as the sun sets, grab traditional fish and chips to enjoy on the beach or a decadent afternoon tea as a treat.

Many support our local farmers and fishermen by using Dorset's local produce and fresh fish caught that day in their dishes.

Shopping

You'll find a great range of small, independent shops as well as high street brands in this quaint, coastal town.

Shop for clothing, jewellery and gifts or pick some delicious Dorset local produce to enjoy at the beach or in the gardens.

Being a town famous for fossil hunting, you'll find shops selling fossils and gem stones in jewellery, artwork or homeware.

Just a few minutes’ walk from the seafront you will find Town Mill - a unique mix of a working watermill, art galleries and creative artisanal businesses. The Mill itself produces excellent flour and is surrounded by Courtyard Cafe, Lyme Regis Brewery, Town Mill Pottery, Ad Lucem Jewellery, Lyme Stone stonemasonry and Sew La Di Da Vintage.

Things to Do in Lyme Regis

Where do we start?? Rib rides, walks, museums, aqauriums, crabbing, fossil hunting…..the list goes on!  There’s plenty for you to see and do in Lyme Regis, the question is are you going to have enough time to fit it all in??

Whatever the weather we're sure that you'll find plenty to fill your days and more in Lyme Regis!

What’s On in Lyme Regis

Now, where do we start!  If there’s a charming seaside town that pulls out all the stops to put on an amazing events programme then its Lyme Regis!

Delight at desplays and parades, take in a show, chill out to some jazz and blues or grab your guitar and head down to the beach to join in a record-breaking attempt to become Britain’s biggest band!  There are loads of festivals to enjoy throughout the year celebrating food, art and even fossils!

Why not stay a while?

All sound good?  Then why not book a break to Lyme Regis and take some time to truly relax and make the most of this beautiful seaside town! 

Whether you’re looking for a hotel or B&B so that you can be waited on hand or foot, fancy a little seaside cottage as a retreat or are looking for a taste of the outdoors on a camping or caravan holiday, there’s plenty of choice!

For more information visit the Lyme Regis Tourism website or download our Lyme Regis Visitor Guide (please contact us for an accessible version of this Guide).

In This Section

  1. Double bedroom at Dorset House B&B in Lyme Regis
    Hotels & guest houses
    Stay in one of the lovely hotels or guest houses in Lyme Regis and enjoy a short break or longer holiday.
  2. Outside tables and chairs with sun umbrella at a Lyme Bay Holidays cottage in Dorset
    Self catering & holiday cottages
    Lyme Regis boasts an array of amazing holiday cottages and self catering properties, the perfect base from which to enjoy your holiday.
  3. Monkton Wyld Camping and Caravanning site in Dorset
    Caravan parks & camping sites
    Enjoy a night under canvas in Lyme Regis or if you fancy something a bit more sophisticated then try glamping or hire a static caravan.
  4. Father and son rockpooling in Lyme Regis
    Days out
    There's plenty of things to do to keep all ages entertained in Lyme Regis.
  5. Tasty Italian meal
    Eating out & takeaways
  6. Town Mill, Lyme Regis
    Shopping
  7. Firework display over Lyme Regis harbour
    Festivals & events
    There's never a dull moment in Lyme Regis with a fantastic events calendar to keep everyone entertained.
  8. Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan in the feature film, Ammonite
    Ammonite - the movie about Mary Anning
    Lyme Regis stars in Mary Anning film 'Ammonite'
  9. Collection of ammonites
    Top 10 things to do
    Read our top 10 things to do in Lyme Regis blog to help you plan your time in this beautiful town
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Know Before You Go - Covid-19 information
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