Lyme Regis

The east Devon & Dorset stretch of coast has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its rock formations, which give an insight into 185 million years of the earth’s history. As the sea continually pounds the rock face more and more fossils are discovered, which is why earth sciences have been studied along this ‘Jurassic’ coast for over 300 years.

Lyme Regis was a medieval port of some significance, which acquired its regal tag after King Edward I used the harbour during his war against the French. In 1685 James Scott, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch, landed his troops on the beach at Lyme Regis and marched inland in an unsuccessful bid to usurp James II throne. The beach to the west of the Cobb is known these days as Monmouth Beach.

The best views in the area are to be found at the summit of Golden Cap, which at 617ft. is the South Coast’s highest cliff. The local Philpot Museum has a good collection of fossils from the local coast and it also covers many other aspects of the town life from its literary connections with authors like Jane Austen and John Fowles to the role it played in the Civil War.