The area around Lyme Regis and Charmouth sits on the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast in west Dorset, a landscape of steep cliffs, pebble beaches and some of the country’s most fossil-rich strata. Its dramatic shoreline features the famous harbour wall known as The Cobb at Lyme Regis and the fossil-hunting bays served by the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, and it’s closely associated with the pioneering fossil collector Mary Anning.
Locally the economy and social life revolve around tourism, small-scale fishing, galleries, independent shops and a steady stream of visitors hunting for fossils; there’s also a strong literary and smuggling heritage, with scenes from John Fowles and Jane Austen linked to the area. The communities are small and seasonal, prized for their character by residents and holidaymakers alike, but they also face familiar pressures from holiday homes and a changing local economy.
DT7 3PE, DT7 3BZ, DT6 6QJ, DT7 3QA, DT7 3BN, DT7 3HB, DT7 3LN, DT7 3NL, DT6 6QL … See all