Town Beach
The most westerly town in Dorset, Lyme Regis has been nicknamed 'the Pearl of Dorset'. The narrow, cobbled streets of the historic town culminate in a new, wider promenade which gives way to a part-shingle, part-sand beach that is popular with swimmers in summer and storms in winter.
The world-famous Cobb harbour, which featured in the film The French Lieutenant’s Woman, starring Meryl Streep, dates from the time of Edward I, while the town itself was first mentioned in the 7th century. George Somers, a former mayor of Lyme Regis, went on to found the Somers Islands, now Bermuda, and the town is twinned with the Bermudan town of St George’s.
Bordering the Jurassic Coast, Lyme Regis is also well known for its fossils. Sadly they are nigh on impossible to find these days, but the town's fossil heritage dates back to the 1800s when Mary Anning found a plesiosaur fossil here.