Lyme Regis is just over the Devon-Dorset border on the Jurassic Coast, twenty-five minutes by car from Hole Mill. It is the only nearby town that is genuinely a national-name destination — fossil hunting, the curving Cobb harbour wall, Jane Austen's Persuasion, John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman, the most extensive Jurassic geology on the south coast of England. Most of our guests visit Lyme at least once during a week's stay. Plan a full day; it deserves it.

A short orientation

Lyme sits in a wide bay where the small River Lim meets the sea. The town runs in three layers: the harbour and the Cobb at sea level; the shopping streets climbing inland from the seafront; and the clifftop walks at the top in either direction. It is steep — Broad Street is one of the steepest high streets in England — so wear comfortable shoes.

The town is split between Devon and Dorset along the river — most of Lyme is in Dorset, the western edge in Devon. Confusing for tourists but the locals all know.

What to do in Lyme Regis

Walk the Cobb. The curving stone harbour wall, built in the 13th century, rebuilt many times since, and the single most photographed thing in west Dorset. The most famous spot is the steps near the lighthouse — the location for Meryl Streep's standoff scene in The French Lieutenant's Woman. On a calm day, walk the whole length; on a rough day, stand at the inner end and watch the spray. Free.

Fossil hunting. Lyme Regis is the western end of the Charmouth-to-Lyme fossil-rich coastline. The best fossil-hunting beaches are at Charmouth (a fifteen-minute drive east) and Monmouth Beach immediately west of the Cobb. After winter storms or low spring tides, ammonites the size of a dinner plate wash up on the dark grey shingle. For a guided walk — strongly recommended for your first time — book through the Lyme Regis Museum or the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. Around £10 a head for two hours; you keep what you legally find.

The Lyme Regis Museum. A small, smart museum in a striking Victorian building near the seafront. Mary Anning, the great early-19th-century fossil hunter, lived on the site — the museum is built on her house. Excellent fossil collection, plus social and maritime history. Allow 90 minutes.

Dinosaurland Fossil Museum. A different museum, in a former Independent Chapel near the seafront. Privately run, smaller, but with one of the best private fossil collections in the country. Aimed firmly at families with children. Allow 60-90 minutes. Worth doing as well as the Lyme Regis Museum, not instead of.

The Town Mill. A working watermill in the middle of town, restored in the 1990s and now grinding flour again. Free entry to the mill; the surrounding craft yard has a brewery, pottery, and a galleries. Cheese shop here is one of the best in the south-west.

Walk to the Cobb and west to Monmouth Beach. From the Cobb, walk west along the shore at low tide to Monmouth Beach for the famous Ammonite Pavement — fossilised ammonites lying flat in the rock at sea level. Genuinely amazing. Check tides — the walk is only safe a few hours either side of low water.

Where to eat in Lyme Regis

Hix Oyster & Fish House above the Cobb is a favourite — proper fresh seafood, simple cooking, terrific views from the dining room. The Mill Bistro at the Town Mill does a smart sit-down lunch. Town Mill Bakery does the best bread and pizza in town, plus excellent pastries; a community-feel café where you sit on benches at communal tables. For fish and chips, Lyme Bay Bake does the best in town. The Pilot Boat (an old pub, recently rebuilt) does a good gastropub lunch with sea views.

For a coffee, Vibrant Otter on Broad Street is a long-standing independent café.

Practical information

Distance from Hole Mill: approximately 14 miles by road, 25–30 minutes by car.

Parking: Holmbush car park (long stay, just outside the centre, pay-and-display), or the seafront car park (short stay, very busy in summer). Both fill up by 11 am on summer weekends — arrive early or come on a quieter day. There are park-and-ride services in peak season; check current arrangements when you visit.

Dogs: banned on Lyme's main beach 1 May to 30 September; allowed on Monmouth Beach (west of the Cobb) all year.

When to go

For fossil hunting: after winter storms (December-March) or at low spring tides, year-round. For a beach day: June or September. The town is busiest in late July and August — outside those weeks it is enjoyable but not crowded. The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in early May is excellent if you happen to be staying that week.

Lyme Regis is twenty-five minutes from Hole Mill and one of the must-visit destinations of any East Devon stay. Combine the Cobb, the Lyme Regis Museum, lunch at Hix and an afternoon fossil walk for a brilliant full day. Check our availability or read our fossil hunting guide for tips on what to look for.