Pictures of Lyme Regis

in the county of Dorset

Lyme Regis Pictures Lyme Regis Hotels Nearby Towns Nearby Attractions Lyme Regis Facts Lyme Regis Forum Lyme Regis Map Sponsor Registration Add Pictures Add town to favourites

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 to Lyme Regis?
Please support the Pictures of England website by booking your Lyme Regis hotels & accommodation through this site.

Add town to favourites

History of Lyme Regis

Recommended towns & villages near Lyme Regis

	Charmouth (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 fashionable coaching stop. One illustrious visitor of..... Information | Pictures (49) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Axminster (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... Information | Pictures (51) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Axmouth (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... Information | Pictures (8) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Seaton (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... Information | Pictures (175) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	West Bay (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... Information | Pictures (114) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages

Recommended attractions near Lyme Regis

	Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium (0.1 miles, 0.2 km) Where better to see and learn about the creatures of the deep than in an aquarium suite set tantalizingly beside the sea. Well,..... Information | Pictures (1) | Hotels
	Dinosaurland (0.2 miles, 0.3 km) .. Information | Hotels
	Lyme Regis Museum (0.2 miles, 0.3 km) .. Information | Pictures (2) | Hotels
	Golden Cap (4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction E) Part of the Jurassic Coast, Dorset's Golden Cap is the highest point on the south-coast of the British Isles. The 626 ft (191..... Information | Pictures (1) | Hotels
	Loughwood Meeting House (6.8 miles, 11.0 km, direction NW) 17th-century thatched Baptist meeting house, constructed approx 1653... Information | Pictures (13) | Hotels

Hotels & Accommodation in Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis Hotels  Lyme Regis Cottages  Lyme Regis Bed & Breakfast

	The Royal Lion Hotel Lyme Regis, Dorset, England (0.1 miles, 0.2 km) In the centre of Lyme Regis, just 150 metres from the beach, the Royal Lion Hotel has a pool, sauna and games room. Some rooms have sea views and balconies. All rooms have a colour TV, radio and mode... More info and book online..  Price from £65.00
	The Bay Lyme Regis, Dorset, England (0.2 miles, 0.3 km) Just metres from the sand and pebble beach of Lyme Regis, The Bay Hotel offers sweeping views across Lyme Bay. Stylish, spacious suites include a kitchenette and private shower room.... More info and book online..  Price from £80.00
	Fernhill Hotel Charmouth, Dorset, England (1.4 miles, 2.2 km, direction NE) This charming Edwardian country house is located just outside Charmouth and Lyme Regis. This award-winning accommodation features stunning Dorset Countryside views.... More info and book online..  Price from £90.00
	Dower House Hotel Lyme Regis, Dorset, England (2.9 miles, 4.7 km, direction W) Set in a red-bricked 19th-century building in the small village of Rousdon, the Dower House Hotel is less than 2 miles from the World Heritage Site of the Jurassic Coast.... More info and book online..  Price from £120.00
	Netherleigh B&B Lyme Regis, Dorset, England (3.1 miles, 4.9 km, direction N) Set in the beautiful Axe valley, only 5 minutes by car from River Cottage headquarters, Netherleigh B&B offers spacious, well-equipped rooms and cooked breakfasts, including the resident hens’ own e... More info and book online..  Price from £45.00

Nearby travel help