When I was a child growing up in Somerset, we would make the hour-long trip from our home in Taunton to Lyme Regis every summer. It seemed like a complete no-brainer to pack up the car and hit the A35. It is simply the best beach in the area, and it still holds that old-fashioned charm today.
A study earlier this year named Lyme Regis the seventh-best staycation destination in the UK, with St Ives in Cornwall the only spot in the south west placed higher. And it is not hard to see why Lyme Regis has received such positive attention.
The town is almost a throwback. It doesn’t have huge arcades and mega-promenades like many other British seaside towns.
Visiting gives tourists and locals alike an incredible juxtaposition of golden sand, calm swimming, ice cream shops and fish and chips by the water, yards away from atmospheric cliffs where you can hunt for 200-million-year-old dinosaur fossils on the Jurassic Coast.
There are many other beaches in close proximity that have their positives – Seaton and Sidmouth in Devon, Weymouth further along the Dorset coast.
But unlike Dorset’s open beaches, many of Somerset’s face the Severn Estuary, renowned for its high tidal range. So it always made perfect sense to head over the border into Dorset, and where better than Lyme Regis?
The town is two and a half hours away from London on the train, with regular services from Clapham Junction.
If you agree that Lyme Regis is the UK’s best seaside town, you can vote for it in this poll.
Food and drink
As you would expect, Lyme Regis is awash with traditional fish and chip shops – some offering truly excellent fare. Herbie’s takeaway kiosk is situated right on the promenade, offering simple grub with generous portions. Just watch out for the seagulls.
If you’re looking for something a little fancier, check out the sit-down restaurant Rockfish Lyme Regis.
The Royal Standard pub has been operating for 400 years and features a lovely beer garden and an excellent selection of real ales.
And a trip to the seaside would not be complete without an ice cream – Baboo Gelato is an excellent kiosk positioned right on Marine Parade.
The beach
This is simply the main reason to visit Lyme Regis, dubbed ‘the pearl of Dorset’. The beach is second to none. It is actually a hybrid, with sand and pebbles sitting side by side on the main Front Beach, which is found by the harbour.
Church Cliff Beach and East Cliff Beach are also a mixture, while the nearby Monmouth Beach is filled with pebbles.
But it is Front Beach where the action takes place. It does get crowded, but it is an excellent venue for playing games and building sandcastles. The water is very pleasant to swim in as The Cobb, the historic stone breakwater, helps keep the waves sheltered compared to open beaches.
Things to see and do
Lyme Regis does not possess a pier in the manner of some big seaside towns. Instead, it has The Cobb, which offers incredible views across the harbor.
While it has arcades, the town shies away from the mega arcades seen in places like Weston-super-Mare or Weymouth.
Many of the activities are centred around Lyme Regis’ incredible location on the Jurassic Coast. The area is renowned for its rich fossil finds, many of which can be found at the Lyme Regis Museum. Additionally, Dinosaurland Fossil Museum features an impressive 12,000 specimens.
What does it cost?
It’s a fact that a trip to the seaside isn’t the cheap excursion it used to be. A pint at a traditional pub like The Royal Standard is likely to set you back £4.50 to £5,50, with local Dorset real ales like Palmers on tap.
A 99 is, sadly, no longer 99p with a soft serve Mr Whippy costing at least £3.50 these days. A classic takeaway box from somewhere like Herbies will cost £11, while if you opt for a sit-down experience, it is likely to set you back a bit more.
Hotel rooms are where your wallet will really feel the pinch. Accommodation rockets in July and August, with simple rooms setting you back around £150 a night, with some venues having a minimum stay restriction at weekends.
