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Pictures of Lyme Regis

in the county of Dorset

Lyme Regis in Dorset

About Lyme Regis

Almost the first thing you notice about this pleasant seaside resort, is the spaciousness of the town. The second, and nothing can prepare you for this, is the sheer scale of Lyme Bay with its splendid views towards the rugged sandstone cliffs west of Eype Mouth. This is the dramatic Jurassic coast in all its glory.

The history of this bright seaside resort goes back to the 8th-century when monks panned salt from the sea. Lyme Regis has played its part in every period of English history to touch the town, and annually the Sealed Knot celebrates the Siege of Lyme which took place in 1644.

Visitors to the town enthuse over its elegant buildings, and enjoy its beautiful gardens - Langmoor and Lister gardens, look out over the Cobb ( which was first constructed in the 13th-century), and show a wealth of year round colour. On a clear day from Lister gardens there are fine views across the bay to Portland harbour.

A quaint feature on the beach is the re-emergence of beach huts. For many years these tiny places where considered 'naff' by almost everyone, now their benefits have been rediscovered and just about everybody wants one, including the rich and famous!
Beach huts have a mixed blessings, they shelter you from the heat of the sun, offer warmth from blustery winds, and a place to enjoy a picnic. Some still think of them as being unsightly but many enjoy their lovely splash of colour.

The ambience and atmosphere of the town is such that over the years it has drawn noted artists to its shores. One of the most famous being the American painter James Whistler who visited in the summer of 1895. Two of the portraits he painted while here, hang in the Boston Museum of Fine Art, one entitled "The Little Rose of Lyme Regis" ranks as one of his most celebrated works.
Beatrix Potter based some of her illustrations around the town, scenes for the BBC drama Persuasion were filmed here during the 1990's, and parts of Lyme Regis provided the backdrop for scenes of The French Lieutenant's Woman - a novel by John Fowls a local author written in 1969, and later turned into a film.

The beach and the sea provide endless scope for pleasure. Leisure pursuits offered include fine walks along lovely coastal paths with beach and ocean views. Paths that run through the town are the South West Coastal Path, the Ridgeway Path and the Liberty Trail. There is a Maritime Museum, and the Philpot Museum recalls stories of the people of Lyme Regis, the history of Fossils, tells of the town at the time of the Civil War, and of Pathologist, Mary Anning, there is also a shop where visitors can purchase souvenirs. An RNLI lifeboat station lies on the coast. Boats can be hired and sea-fishing trips can be arranged. In the heart of the town there is a restored mill where you can enjoy demonstrations of milling, an on site picture gallery, pottery and crafts. Here too, you will find a shop, cafe and a tranquil walled garden first established in the 17th-century. Lyme Regis offers a year long programme of events, including a Fossil Festival.

Set amid the harmony of a splendid Georgian square you will find the beautiful church dedicated to St. Michael. The church has a most attractive exterior, whilst inside visitors can explore a wealth of church treasures. In the quite churchyard there are many graves, including that of Mary Anning.

Lyme Regis offers an all year round destination, it is particularly beautiful in autumn and quite stunning during the Christmas period when the whole town and sea front are illuminated with thousands of lights


Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium(0.1 miles, 0.2 km)Pictures
Dinosaurland(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)Pictures
Lyme Regis Museum(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)Pictures
Golden Cap(4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction E)Pictures
Motoring Memories(5.5 miles, 8.8 km, direction W)Pictures
Loughwood Meeting House(6.8 miles, 11.0 km, direction NW)Pictures
Pecorama(7.5 miles, 12.0 km, direction W)Pictures
Forde Abbey(8.1 miles, 13.1 km, direction N)Pictures
Blackbury Castle(9.5 miles, 15.3 km, direction W)Pictures
Farway Country Park(9.7 miles, 15.5 km, direction W)Pictures
The Wildlife Park at Cricket St. Thomas(10.4 miles, 16.8 km, direction N)Pictures
Cricket St Thomas House(10.4 miles, 16.8 km, direction N)Pictures
The Donkey Sanctuary(11.2 miles, 18.0 km, direction W)Pictures
Abbotsbury Gardens(14.2 miles, 22.8 km, direction E)Pictures
Dillington House(14.7 miles, 23.6 km, direction N)Pictures

All attractions in Lyme Regis
All attractions in Dorset
Complete A to Z of attractions in England

Recommended towns near Lyme Regis

Charmouth, in the county of Dorset (1.7 miles, 2.8 km, direction NE)
This pretty resort grew up in a gap of cliffs overlooking picturesque Lyme Bay. In the days prior to the motor car it was a...
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Axminster, in the county of Devon (4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction NW)
Famous for its carpets often likened to Turkish, Axminster was one of the first West Saxon settlements formed along the River Axe in Devon.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Axmouth, in the county of Devon (5.1 miles, 8.1 km, direction W)
This quiet resort of colourwashed cottages sitting at the edge of the River Axe was once an important south Devon port.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Seatown, in the county of Dorset (5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction E)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Seaton, in the county of Devon (6.0 miles, 9.7 km, direction W)
The town is mostly Victorian and Edwardian in character, you only have to cast your eyes above today's modern shop fronts to see handsome overhanging bay windows which belong firmly to another era.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Pilsdon, in the county of Dorset (6.7 miles, 10.8 km, direction NE)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Dalwood, in the county of Devon (7.7 miles, 12.3 km, direction NW)
Charming village in the Devonshire countryside with a wonderful old thatched pub serving excellent food and a fantastic church....
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Bridport, in the county of Dorset (7.9 miles, 12.6 km, direction E)
Bridport can be classed as having everything to please the holiday maker, it has a strong nautical atmosphere born of its long association with the sea, and its history as a flourishing rope making town during the great age of sailing ships.
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West Bay, in the county of Dorset (7.9 miles, 12.7 km, direction E)
West Bay nestles at the western end of spectacular Chesil Beach whose billions of pebbles have been a constant source of fascination for centuries.
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Netherbury, in the county of Dorset (9.2 miles, 14.8 km, direction NE)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Burton Bradstock, a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset (9.5 miles, 15.2 km, direction E)
This in one of the most enchanting villages to be found along the sweeping Dorset coast. It has gorgeous little lanes where...
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Beaminster, in the county of Dorset (10.3 miles, 16.5 km, direction NE)
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Powerstock, in the county of Dorset (11.2 miles, 18.0 km, direction E)
The village is completely pastoral and appears to be protected by a maze of deep lanes which once negotiated, reveal a gracious collection of orchards, gardens and enchanting cottages set at angles on a series of knolls.
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Ilminster, in the county of Somerset (14.0 miles, 22.6 km, direction N)
Charmingly set in the favoured Somerset countryside is the pleasant little town of Ilminster.
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Abbotsbury, a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset (15.3 miles, 24.6 km, direction E)
Abbotsbury is a small picturesque and historic village in the county of Dorset.
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All towns in Dorset
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Nearby travel help

Axminster Station(4.7 miles, 7.6 km, direction NW)
Honiton Station(11.9 miles, 19.2 km, direction NW)
M5 Junction 26(20.2 miles, 32.6 km, direction NW)
M5 Junction 25(21.0 miles, 33.8 km, direction N)
Exeter Airport(21.3 miles, 34.2 km, direction W)
Bristol International Airport(46.6 miles, 74.9 km, direction N)
Lyme Regis to London(133.7 miles, 215.2 km, direction NE)

Hotels & Accommodation in Lyme Regis

Hotel NameApproximate distance from Lyme Regis center
Fairwater Head Hotel(4.7 miles, 7.5 km, direction N)
Eype's Mouth Country Hotel(6.8 miles, 10.9 km, direction E)
The Lordleaze Hotel And Restaurant(10.0 miles, 16.1 km, direction N)
Bellplot House Hotel(10.3 miles, 16.6 km, direction N)
Bridge House, Beaminster(10.5 miles, 16.8 km, direction NE)
Marquis Of Lorne(11.3 miles, 18.1 km, direction E)
The Haymaker Inn(11.6 miles, 18.6 km, direction N)
The Belfry Country Hotel(11.6 miles, 18.7 km, direction NW)
Sid Valley Country House Hotel(12.2 miles, 19.7 km, direction W)
The Manor Arms(12.3 miles, 19.8 km, direction NE)
All hotels in Lyme Regis

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