Family beach holiday destination in the UK with so much to do in the small town (Image: Getty)
A picturesque town with stunning beaches is a great place for holidays – and I grew up visiting this seaside treasure often. Situated in west Dorset and bordering east Devon, this place has seen a few changes over the decades that I’ve known it, but the charm of Lyme Regis stays the same. And it was recently named in a list of top 20 coastal towns to visit, coming in at number six.
The pretty shopping area, Broad Street, is set on a steep hill with views over Lyme Bay. This main street leads down to sandy beaches, a promenade and smaller narrow roads with many other shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions – Lyme Regis is a great place for family holidays. The town itself has traditional tea rooms and some great shops to browse in.
Don’t miss… The beautiful little seaside town with ‘best’ beach within 2 hours of London
The original Lyme Regis Amusements family-orientated arcade is one thing that has stayed much the same for as long as I can remember.
This gives the promenade, Marine Parade, a real old-time seaside holiday vibe, along with plenty of seating to rest a while and admire the views.
From Marine Parade all the things that make Lyme Regis unique are accessible – and there are a lot of them.
Marine Parade looks over a long stretch of sandy beach which attracts a lot of visitors – and locals – in the summer months as it’s easy to ease yourself in for a sea swim from the sandy shore.
The newer addition of a ‘Shoreline Sauna’ has popped up near the main beach, this was not there when I was a child, but has become a popular asset to the bay area.
The sauna is described as an “absolute treat” on TripAdvisor with many enjoying the heat after a sea swim.
Marine Parade, Lyme Regis (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
But the beauty of Lyme Regis doesn’t stop at the seaside area, above Marine Parade are the stunning Langmoor & Lister Gardens described as a “magical place” by one reviewer and “epic” by another.
The gardens have always been stunning, but it seems they have become even more treasured and looked after over the years.
For kids and families, there are a multitude of fun activities in the town, Dinosaurland Fossil Museum is top-rated on TripAdvisor and a great way for children to learn about the area.
The “cabinet of curiosities” has heaps of “incredible pieces” squeezed into a small museum – it will be busy in the summer months when visitors flock to Lyme Regis.
The Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium is another great place to keep the kids entertained, it’s situated on The Cobb walkway area.
On the way you’ll pass pubs and old buildings plus a few shops – there is a large car park nearby, but in the summer holidays it fills up fast.
Lyme Regis – Broad Street is one of the main shopping areas in the picturesque town (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
The Cobb itself is another unique part of the town – this is primarily a breakwater wall, set high above the sea, however, on a stormy day waves can crash right over the top.
On a fine sunny day a walk along The Cobb is a great thing to do with the family – staring out to sea from the end of this structure, that dates back to the pre 13th century, is memorable.
Monmouth Beach with its many beach huts is close to The Cobb – this is a rock and pebble beach teeming with fossils.
The Lyme Regis Museum offers ‘fossil walks’ with expert guides most days of the week throughout the holiday season – a great activity for the whole family.
The Cobb in Lyme Regis has been featured in several films and dates back to pre 13th century (Image: Getty)
The Lyme Regis Philpot Museum is also nearby offering a natural history experience which has also been rayed as a top attraction – and also the lovingly restored Town Mill attraction also offers an insight into the history of Lyme Regis.
The local Marine Theatre puts on many shows for all the family to enjoy – this is found at the opposite end of Marine Parade away from The Cobb.
The Marine Theatre is near another idyllic sandy cove, Church Beach, another nice place for a dip.
From The Cobb or the other end of town you can get on to the stunning South West Coast Path and have a short walk for the views or a long walk across to another town.
Be aware that the path can be steep and crumbling in places so I wouldn’t recommend flip flop footwear for this venture.
The Jurassic coast is known for its amazing fossil finds (Image: Getty)
The Cobb seawall in Lyme Regis has been a feature in several films, including The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) and Persuasion (2021).
Jane Austen herself (author of the novel Persuasion) visited Lyme Regis in the 1800s and fell in love with the place back then.
Fossil hunter Mary Anning is one of the most famous historical figures associated with Lyme Regis – she discovered skeletons and fossils along the jurassic coast in the 1800s.
Back then, it was, of course, very much a man’s world, but Miss Anning became internationally famous for her findings and is long-remembered after her death, aged 47, from breast cancer in March 1847.
Mary Anning’s grave can be found at the parish church of St Michael the Archangel in the town.
Whatever you do in Lyme Regis, watch out for the seagulls, they’ll swoop down and swipe your fish and chips or your ice cream at any given opportunity.
But I guarantee you’ll love this charming town with its Jurassic Coast, that I was lucky enough to visit from a young age – no wonder it’s become known as the ‘Pearl of Dorset’.
