Lyme Regis
The Town
If you engage the expert services of real estate buyers agents to help you explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site often known as the Jurassic coast, you may well be swayed by the charms of Lyme Regis, “Pearl of Dorset”. It lies on the Devon-Dorset border, around 25 miles west of Dorchester and 25 miles east of Exeter. The population is around 3,700.
Transport
The A3052 road runs through Lyme Regis, with Axminster train station just over 5 miles away; buses run between Axminster and Lyme Regis. Recoco buying agents from our property search company can confirm the nearest airports are Southampton or Bournemouth.
History
Ask your real estate buyers agent about the town’s prehistoric credentials – local rock formations span 185 million years. Local girl Mary Anning discovered many of the local prehistoric remains. Her legacy is still apparent at several Lyme locations - buyers agents will be happy to show you.
Real estate buyers agents can confirm Lyme Regis has been settled by humans since at least Saxon times, when Sherborne Abbey owned part of the town. “Regis” was added in 1284: King Edward I granted the town’s Royal Charter, confirmed in 1591 by Queen Elizabeth I.
Recoco property finders will enjoy showing you the Cobb, the dramatically situated harbour wall, notoriously prone to storm damage. Ask buyers agents when the Cobb was first mentioned (hint – it was a 1328 document).
Education
Lyme Regis schools include Colyton Grammar and King's School. Primary schools include St Michaels and Mrs Ethelston’s, while private schools nearby include Chard, Perrott Hill School, Woodroffe School, and, just over the Devon border, Trinity, which caters for children aged from 3 to 19 years.
Leisure and Events
The town holds annual events to honour Mary Anning, and Lyme Regis Fossil Festival is held in collaboration with the London Natural History Museum. Lyme Regis museum was built on the site where Mary Anning’s family ran a shop. Dinosaurland, the Fossil Museum, can be found in the former church where Mary was baptised. Other annual celebrations include the August Carnival and Regatta. There is also conger cuddling during Lifeboat Week. (If you’re not sure what this involves, ask your Recoco property finder for more details.)
Those of a musical persuasion might enjoy hearing from Recoco buying agents about the annual music festivals. Representatives from our property search company can also help with information about the theatre, run by the Lymearts Community Trust Charity, or the Regent Cinema (films are hosted by the Lyme Regis Film Society).
Sporty property buyers will be pleased to know that the Seasiders, otherwise known as Lyme Regis Football Club, has three senior teams and five junior teams. There’s also a golf club. The town also has a Marine Aquarium and those who enjoy history might like to visit the watermill, still in working order.
Feel like a bracing break from your property search? Ask your Recoco buying agent about the water-based pursuits on offer, including rib rides, fishing, diving and pleasure trips. The town has a Power Boat Club, Sailing Club and Boatbuilding on offer; bodyboarding and surfing are also available.
Those who enjoy a good brisk walk might enjoy one of the guided geology, history or even ghost tours on offer. There are three recreational footpaths in the town, the East Devon Trail, the Liberty Trail, and the Wessex Ridgeway.
Celebrity Connections
Many authors have enjoyed the town, including Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, G.K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, and Tolkien. Jane Austen apparently stayed in Hiscott’s Boarding House on Broad Street, replaced in 1807 by the Three Cups Hotel. (Recoco property finders can show you the remaining frontage, currently under redevelopment.)
Buyers agents from our property search company can also show the parts of the town used as backdrops for films and TV productions. These include Persuasion, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, and Ammonite (due 2020).
Foodies’ Corner
Property buyers with an interest in local fare will know already that Dorset is a delight when it comes to good food. Lyme Regis is no exception. As you’d expect, seafood is often found on the menu. HIX Oyster & Fish House offers glorious views. Meanwhile, property buyers who like a spooky story or two with their property search might like to take a meal at the former coaching inn. The Royal Lion Hotel dates from the early 1600s.
Fun Facts
Dinosaur fossils discovered here include Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Dimorphodon, Dapedium, and Scelidosaurus (one of the earliest armoured dinosaurs).