Visiting lovely Lyme Regis
Fernhill is in the unique position of being within walking distance for visiting Lyme Regis, yet just far enough away. It provides a welcoming peaceful and relaxed retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds in town.
Whilst there are a number of car parks for those visiting Lyme Regis, its popularity mean they tend to get extremely busy. For our guests, we recommend enjoy the beautiful walk into Lyme along the Jurassic Coastal path. If the hills feel like too much on the return, the Jurassic coastal bus stops at the bottom of our drive, or you can take advantage of one of the lovely Lyme taxis to bring you back!
Mary Anning
Fossil-hunting the Jurassic coastline has always been a popular pastime. The rising popularity of Mary Anning, helped by the recent film publicity from Ammonite with Saoirse Ronan and Kate Winslet brings ever increasing numbers of fossil hunters to our Jurassic beaches. We have fossil hammers and goggles to lend our interested guests – and we love to see the amazing finds you return with!
Guided Fossil Walks
Local palaeontologists will take you on a guided walk of the beaches for less than the cost of a portion of fish and chips. Their knowledge and expertise in all things Jurassic (and much more besides) is incredible. We haven’t known a guest fail to find amazing fossils when out with a guide.
It’s always worth a visit to Lyme Regis Museum and Charmouth Heritage Coast centre who also run organised fossil walks. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and benefit from the huge amount of local wisdom.
In this area the most common find is the ammonite, although bellamites are also plentiful. If you’re lucky you’ll find some iron pyrite (‘Fool’s gold’) to add a little sparkle to your beach treasure.
The iconic ammonite lamps of Lyme Regis are synonymous with the town, and a lasting memory for many visitors.
Foodie Eateries
With Mark Hix and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall both active in the region, we have the benefit of many Mark- and Hugh- trained chefs. There are plenty of pop-up restaurants and talented chefs establishing their own followings locally. Take Harriet Mansell, for example, who has two fabulous venues in Lyme Regis. Robin Wylde offers a 9 course set menu with wine pairings, reflecting seasonally foraged wild foods and local produce. The sister wine bar Lilac is a great place to visit for tapas-style small plates or local beverages. Both are impeccably stylish experiences.
Lyme Regis enjoys a wealth of excellent pubs, bars and restaurants to suit most tastes. Many enjoy views across Lyme Bay – an added bonus when you visit this breath-taking coastline.
The Cobb Harbour
The famous Cobb is worth a visit in itself – walk the wall and see the working fishing boats and pleasure boats which can take you on a tour of the coastline, or for a spot of mackerel fishing.
Filming for 2023 film “Wonka” focused on this part of Lyme – where the town was transformed into a snowy scene with 1900’s props to support this exciting film. The Cobb has also featured in John Fowles’ “A French lieutenant’s woman” and Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”
Events in Lyme
Whilst the hugely popular ‘Guitars on the beach’ no longer runs, there are food festivals, music events like Jazz Jurassica, and the annual Fossil Festival to enjoy. The Marine Theatre hosts comedians, music and drama year-round and is a beautiful venue on the coast.
They all provide many reasons for visiting this historic town year-round, as if you needed an excuse…
