Lyme Regis Tourist Information Jurassic Heritage Coast Gateway Town Dorset Coast Geology

Tourist Information Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis is the first Jurassic Coast Gateway Town you'll come to in West Dorset. It's a traditional seaside town on Lyme Bay with its harbour, sheltered by The Cobb, having been a major port in the thirteenth century. It was here that the Duke of Monmouth landed in 1685 which saw the start of the Monmouth Rebellion against the bullying King James II.

The seafront has a wide prom for seaside walks or relaxing in deck chairs where you'll also find the Lyme Regis Philpot Museum. From here you can book onto two hour guided fossil walks with the museum geologist. Your walk ticket gives you free access to the museum where you can see rare fossils that have been discovered on the beach.

Lyme Regis town still retains much of its historic character with independent shops, tearooms and cafes for you to stop in. There are well tended gardens looking out over the bay for you to explore and the town even has its own small cinema and seaside theatre. You'll find the Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre useful for picking up maps and leaflets of walks in the area, as well as leaflets on Fossil Hunting nearby.

Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre, Guildhall Cottage, Church Street, Lyme Regis DT7 3BS. Tel: 01297 442138. Email: lymeregis.tic@westdorset-dc.gov.uk. Opening hours: Apr-Oct: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. Nov-Mar, Mon- Sat10am-3pm.

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The Cobb Lyme Regis The French Lieutenant's Woman Jane Austen Persuasion

Lyme Regis and particularly the sea wall of The Cobb, has been often referred to in literature such as Persuasion by Jane Austen for which she used Lyme Regis as inspiration during her stay in 1803; and who could forget that memorable windswept scene of Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's Woman. The film was adapted from the book written by local author John Fowles.

Taking a stroll along the Cobb Wall is well worth it and families might find Lyme Regis Aquarium with displays showing some of the local marine wildlife a useful endpoint. The Aquarium also has photographs and information about The Cobb's history including pictures of the filming of The French Lieutenant's Woman.

The Aquarium is open between March-October from 10am-5pm. It is also open in the February half term period. Tel: 07825985120 or 01297 444230. Email info@lymeregismarineaquarium.co.uk

You can pick up boat trips from the harbour for sea fishing trips or to see the Dorset Coast from sea level. Check out The Jurassic Coast Lyme Regis pages, weblink right, for contact details of boat operators.

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Lyme Regis Philpot Museum Mary Anning

Lyme Regis' Museum is a striking early twentieth century building on the seafront named after Thomas Philpot who built it. It has been restored and is run by volunteers. Its collections cover all aspects of Lyme Regis' natural and people's history. Famous former residents whose story is explored in the Museum include Mary Anning who was born on the site of the museum and whose discoveries and imagination pioneered the understanding of geology.

The Museum is a great introduction to the town and the history that is inextricably linked to the Dorset coastline. The Museum regularly organises talks relating to the town and its history, and if you want to find out more about the natural history of the area, book yourself onto one of the Fossil Walks led by the Museum's Geologist.

Opening Times: Easter to 31 October: Mon-Sat 10 am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm. 1 November- Easter Weds-Sun 11am-4pm (and daily in school holidays).

Lyme Regis Philpot Museum - Lyme Regis - DT7 3QA. Tel: 01297 443370. Email: info@lymeregismuseum.co.uk

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Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve

The Undercliffs between Axmouth and Lyme Regis were one of the sites made a National Nature Reserve in the 1950s. These show the transition from Triassic-Jurassic with Cretaceous rocks overlying them. The Undercliffs have been created by successive landslips including a huge one that occurred on Christmas Eve 1839 at Bindon Cliffs where cultivated land slipped to the foot of the cliffs and consequently attracted thousands of visitors. The understanding of geology was little known at this time but it was the first landslide to be described in scientific terms. The landslide block is now known as Goat Island and where turnip and wheatfields once stood it is covered in flower rich chalk grassland. On other slopes native woodland has colonised the rock where you'll find lime, beech, sycamore, ash trees.

You can pick up part of the South West Coast Path where it follows a clifftop walk from Lyme Regis to Haven Cliffs at Axmouth in Devon. The best time to visit the site is during spring, for flowers and nesting birds.

More information is available from the NNR link right including a downloadable leaflet on the site.

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Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Every year Lyme Regis holds a Fossil Festival. The two day event includes activities, exhibitions and walks aimed at helping people to discover more about the Jurassic Coast, its geology and how it's shaped our knowledge of the Earth.

Fossil experts are on hand to identify any finds budding fossil hunters may uncover, and local fossil hunters display some of their finds and are on hand to answer questions.

Check the link right for up-to-date information on Lyme Regis' Fossil Festival.

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