LUCY'S GUIDE TO
The Pearl of Dorset can make a great fun-filled day trip or a very relaxing week away.
Keep an eye on what the tides are up to and plan your adventures at low tide. To the west, venture out to the incredible Ammonite Graveyard. To the east, try a spot of 'biddlenobing' on Back Beach – also known as searching for little fish in the rock pools of Broad Ledge.
The home of Mary Anning inspires many young fossilers to head to East Cliff Beach, Black Ven, Monmouth Beach or over to Charmouth to investigate. The brilliant Lyme Regis Museum offers fossil walks and amazing exhibits to delight all ages.
Broad Street, leading down to the sea, has a mix of independent shops (Ryder & Hope, Kinship Artmongers and Ginger Beer), delicious treats (Cibo Deli, The Whole Hog and Ammonite Fine Foods) and authentic local watering holes, including The Volunteer Inn.
The Town Mill on the River Lym is home to the artisan quarter of Lyme, where you'll find Molesworth & Bird Seaweed Art alongside ever-so-tasty treats from Millside, The Strawberry Tree and Lyme Regis Brewery. Leaving the mill yard to get back onto Coombe Street, you'll continue to be spoilt with Kathrens Rare Knitwear, Paper Bird and the Town Mill Bakery.
The Cobb is the Grade I listed harbour. Here you can visit the Marine Aquarium, showcasing local sea creatures. Feeding the mullet by hand and holding a starfish are highlights. The brave can climb Granny's Teeth steps, made famous in Jane Austen's Persuasion. More family fun can be had crabbing off the harbour wall.
Above Marine Parade are Langmoor and Lister Gardens, where you'll find an 18-hole mini golf course with the most incredible views.
Lyme is wonderfully welcoming for our four-legged friends, with the fabulous Pug & Puffin on Broad Street catering to any of their needs. East Beach, Church Cliff and Monmouth Beach are dog friendly all year round, while Sandy Beach and Pebble Beach welcome dogs between 1 October and 30 April.
Nearby expeditions worth mentioning include Forde Abbey, a beautiful historic home with stunning gardens, and Eggardon Hill, an Iron Age hill fort with wonderful views over Marshwood Vale that is the perfect place to see the skylarks in flight. Abbotsbury is a picture-perfect village with the Swannery to visit and leads on to the stunning coast road with views of breathtaking Chesil Beach.
