If you are looking for a short break in Dorset, you will be spoilt for choice with the incredible mishmash of seaside towns, chocolate box villages, bustling cities and rural retreats.
Lyme Regis is the perfect seaside destination for a weekend break, come rain or shine. Almost bordering on Devon, Lyme Regis is tucked away on the edge of Dorset, along the Jurassic Coast and has lots to do, whether you’re an active family, or a quiet couple.
Grab a sneak peek of the bay from classic's Lyme Regis Webcam.
The high street boasts a wealth of individual shops from jewellery shops to patisseries, offering unique gifts and mouth-watering treats. You can’t go wrong with a hot pasty or traditional fish and chips as you take in the sea air, but don’t feed the seagulls! Tucked away on the high street and looking as though the building might be sinking, The Whole Hog offers a roast dinner, in a takeaway sandwich, giving you the best of both worlds.
If you are a literature lover, then Lyme Regis is the place for you, with its rustic old cobb having been featured in John Fowles’ The French Lieutanant’s Woman. The cobb is a beautiful place to walk and watch the waves crash up against the rocks beneath your feet, and just at the end you will find a wonderful quaint little aquarium in which you can hold a starfish.
The cobb is also the perfect place to try your hand at crabbing if you feel so inclined, and see who of you in your party can catch the most crabs during the course of the day.
If you want something a little more traditional for a seaside weekend, then there are of course the arcades along the seafront, where you can get rid of some of your coppers in the 2p slot machines and while away the hours trying to win a cuddly toy.
One of my personal favourite places in the town is the secondhand bookshop, which is almost like stepping into a time capsule with its endless rows of books old and new, as well as various antique objects scattered around the floor and shelves.
Lyme Regis Museum is also a must, as it provides a great history of the town and also features some costumes and writings by Jane Austen, as the town was a favourite holiday destination of her and her family.
Lyme Regis is also famous for Mary Anning, who was a palaeontologist and fossil collector who made incredible discoveries here in the 1800s, and about whom you can learn more in the museum. Her discoveries included the first ichthyosaur skeleton correctly identified and the first two more complete plesiosaur skeletons found. Follow in Mary’s footsteps as you trawl the rocky edges of the beach for fossils and see what you might be able to discover. If however you are unsuccessful in your fossiling pursuits, there are several amazing fossil shops where you can purchase ammonites and other fossils to take home with you.
To end your break here, there are many pubs in which to sup the finest ales and enjoy historical tales of the coast from some of the locals. If you’re looking for a not so swift pint in comfortable surroundings, then The Royal Standard is the place to go for a traditional ale and a cosy setting.
