Jolly Holiday In Lyme Regis Pt.1

‘A very strange stranger it must be, who does not see charms in the immediate environs of Lyme, to make him wish to know it better.'

Jane Austen, Persuasion

Hello there! I am now home after a very jolly week in Lyme Regis, a coastal town we visit as a family every year as to be honest, we've yet to find somewhere we adore more! It has such rich historical and literary history, Jane Austen visited in the early 1800's and loved it so much she used it as the setting in her novel Persuasion. John Fowles The French Lieutenant's Woman gave us the haunting image of Sarah Woodruff stood alone on The Cobb (the iconic harbour wall) surrounded by crashing waves, staring across the sea, apparently waiting for her lost lover to return. 

And of course, Lyme Regis is the birthplace of one of my heroines Mary Anning (who I have written about HERE) who scoured the coastline her whole life, shaping the course of Palaeontology, discovering the first complete Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur skeletons. The beaches are still full of potential fossil finds, no matter the weather there are people hunting through the pebbles for treasures.

Have I done Lyme justice and gotten you suitably enthusiastic? Good stuff, bring on the photo's!

We were staying at the gorgeous 10 Coombe Street for the week, and I was delighted to find it was everything I had hoped for after a quite fraught search trying to find accommodation large enough for 6 of us AND being dog friendly, this seemed the perfect choice for us. I can't understand why less desirable properties I found don't allow even small dogs? You wouldn't even know Mollie had been there if I'd snuck her in and trust me, Lyme Regis and the surrounding towns are SO dog friendly in the shops and cafe's it seems ridiculous! But here, see the welcome note below, here we were in good company! :)

Various buildings have been on this plot, their purposes included a grocer's shop, a dairy, a B&B and now it's an extremely comfy holiday home! It's only a short walk to the beach, Lyme Regis Museum and all the lovely shops, cafes and restaurants you could want to visit - I highly recommend it! 

I adored the collection of Lyme Regis memorabilia dotted throughout the house, and the well stocked dresser of films (including any featuring Lyme!) books and puzzles, but as we had sunshine every day, we didn't make the most of them - although I am not complaining! Visiting off season is fine with me, less hectic in town, less children, less stress in general! I could come in the depths of winter and still have a whale of a time!

(Check out the knitted Mary Anning and French Lieutenants Woman on the dresser!)

To try and keep up the good habits I did go for several early morning jogs along the beachfront along to The Cobb, and I discovered it's the best time to appreciate Lyme and just chill out! The only people I bumped into were the cafe owners and the bin men, the beach was deserted! Once I reached The Cobb I found I had it all to myself, after arriving later than the fishermen but earlier than the tourists, so sat and enjoyed the gentle rippling sea and the sound of seagulls. There was the most amazing morning light, I did manage to get it in one of the photo's, September really has been beautiful! 

Just further along from the house we were staying in is an official Banksy artwork he created in 2012, it's unknown why he chose a Crane but it does sit very well in it's surroundings, and it's a great contemporary addition to Lyme's tourist attractions! I love just wandering the lanes (and climbing up the ridiculously steep streets!) being nosey at each houses individual features. Ammonites pop out at you from walls and stepping stones, and ornate woodwork and colourful shutters set these houses apart from the usual crumbling seaside buildings.

I think I better wrap this first lot of holiday snaps up here, but I hope it's been a pleasant virtual trip so far! I don't think I've been so snap-happy on a holiday before so there is plenty more to come! Hope you have a super weekend, thank you for reading!

Katie