Dorset in August :: Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis is a smallish seaside town on the South West coast of Dorset, about 9 miles from where I grew up. It's a place so totally full of beauty and charm that one can't help but fall in love with it. In my humble opinion, it's "English Seaside" at it's absolute best. So when we are down visiting my folks, I always try to plan a day out there, even though J is not a fan (far too crowded for his liking, the hoards of holidaymakers cause a bit of a grump). Luckily for me, I have a  good friend who lives in Lyme (we met at Art College ooooo some twenty three years ago now), so I have a most excellent in-built reason to visit this lovely place.

Last Tuesday was to be our Lyme Regis Day and my fingers and toes were firmly crossed on Monday night with regards to the weather, I so very much wanted sunshine for my day in Lyme. I really did not want to do this day in the rain. Not at all. I think all the digit-crossing and secret wishing must have paid off cos the sun did indeed shine for us on Tuesday :: yippeeee!!!! I was so happy!!!! So on a lovely sunshiny day we arrived just in time for morning coffee.

We chose The Terrace cafe, with it's sensational location :: it was blissful sitting amongst bright blue pots of geraniums with a view right across my frothy cappuccino to the blue sea beyond. The Little People, who do not possess the ability to Sit Blissfully, gulped down their juice then zipped out of The Terrace to run up and down the promenade beyond. They were really excited actually, and I loved that, it was great to watch them run and climb with such energy and joy.

After all that blissed out sitty stuff was finished with, I upped myself and we all went for a wander along the sea front. As expected, it was very crowded, but still lovely nevertheless.

There are some quite amazing houses along this stretch of seafront, and they never cease to wow me.

So quaint! So impossibly pretty!

I am also wowed by these rather lovely ammonite lamp posts. Which of course I've seen many times before. Funny really, cos I know Lyme Regis quite well (I even worked a few of my late teenage summers in an ice cream shop there), yet every time I visit I always feel excited as if I'm seeing it for the first time. It never seems totally familiar to me, although I've no idea why.

Getting on for midday now and we are due at M's house for lunch. So we pull away from the seafront and wind down a pretty little side street to visit the Town Mill Bakery. The bread here has to be seen to be believed, some of the loaves are the size of a small child. We ooooh and ahhhh, gasp and wow at the vast range of baked products, then select some ginormous scones to take away with us.

It's lovely to reconnect with old friends isn't it? Friends you don't see often, maybe once a year if you're lucky and it does feel quite special when it happens. Incidentally I LOVE M's house. It's old and quirky and full of her personality. We have a very, very similar style actually (both of us studied art and textiles) and I feel right at home in her colourful rooms. Have to stop myself being too nosey cos like me she has a lot of Stuff around and about. Pretty things, interesting things, arty things. Things I dearly love to nosey at!

After a delicious lunch we head back out for a wander around Lyme. Through the little back streets we go, following the beck past this magnificent dahlia bed...

.....ahhhhh yes, another wowowowwwwsy moment for me as I take a little giddy trip over these flowers, me oh my I do so adore dahlias. AdORe them I tell you.

WOWsers!!! Just get a load of that COLOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More beautiful houses tucked away down these tiny streets, and some amazing sunflowers growing ten feet tall.

We emerge at the top of the high street, isn't it lovely? I think it's lovely. Love the hilliness, love the summer bunting, love the little glimpse of the sea at the bottom. All round Loveliness really, and as Town Centres go, this has to be up there with the best I reckon.

We head away from the street now and start to wind our way down through the beautifully planted town gardens. There's been a lot of work done here in recent years, and it's looking really wonderful. The view down to the beach and the famous Cobb (the curving sea wall) are breathtaking. Busy though isn't it? The beach I mean? Look..........

Ooodles of people doing beachy things. J isn't sure about venturing forth to sit in amongst that lot, but the Little People are having none of it, they are sooooooooooo sure about what they want to do....

...........they race ahead and go straight into the sea. With their clothes on. No kidding, they really do. They just wade in, just like that. One minute they are dry, the next minute they are completely Not Dry. So we suddenly have two Very Wet children with no change of clothes or a towel, but hey, it's fine, they are happy and so why worry? They'll dry off soon enough. We sit and watch them as they come in and out of the sea, big grins on their little faces. I take photos of them stood waist deep in the water with their clothes on, arms outstretched, grinning Big.

Oh so Precious. Childhood memories are so very very precious aren't they?

We had such a lovely day in Lyme Regis, it was ace. And guess what, I even managed to wangle a little itsy bit of Retail Therapy too :: right at the end of the day on the way back to the car I pleaded with J to take the Little Peeps up the hill and allow me a quick squizzy in this most delicious little shop. Oh how I browsed! Think Greengate and Rice and Avoca, and imagine how bonkers with excitement I was. So yes, I did treat  myself to a few little bits, how could I not?? Want to know what I got?? I'll show you very soon I promise.

Been lovely as ever to share my tales with you....((thank you)) for being out there.

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Comments

[G]

These posts about England and especially these pictures are so gorgeous! I live in the USA and this is the only way I can see such lovely English towns/countryside/beach. Thank you for making this possible for me to view England!

[Andrea]

Lovely houses especially the white one with the very curved windows. I did my teachng practice in Weymouth and loved the surrounding Dorset countryside and villages/towns. Sophie was for ever doing just that every time she got anywhere near water. Wet from head to foot in seconds. I am sure that she was a mermaid in a previous life. She still does it now and she does not care if she is wet, ne tears just a big beaming smile!!

[The Garden Bell]

A24- Just like I could imagine an english beachside town would be. But, wow, was that beach crowded and I didn't really think you Brits tanned like us on the other side of the pond. But, there is nothing better than your toes in the waves after a full day of shopping. Except an afternoon happy hours with a tall brewski or maybe even a second. As always a big treat to travel with you, while we still swelter in the midwest heat. Looking forward to our next venture.

Hugs,
G.B.

[Tilly]

Yep, my peeps did exactly the same, straight into the water without a backward glance. Even Tiddler was trying to get in the sea. We keep meaning to go to Lyme but somehow never quite get there. One day....

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy great photos! I am in the middle of reading the aforementioned book
Remarkable Creatures!
That shade of green your friend has as cover on her settee is one of my favourite shades. It is good to catch up with friends
even if it is only once a year. One of mine is
is coming to see me at 7am tomorrow for tea and toast for about an hour!!!
Nearly the start of the new school year.
Hope you little people are looking forward to it.
Love Sarahx

[x vInTaGe VioLeT x]

oh how lovely - i really most go - i only live in Devon yet never got to Lyme Regis yet!

[Becky]

dreaming now of overseas instead of working on school lessons with kiddos......... thanks for the post and pictures. beautiful. absolutely beautiful.

[melissa klein]

lovely! so glad the weather held. glad you got to nosey about!

[Jeanette]

Thank you for sharing!!! ♥

[Shirley Sherratt]

Hello Lucy,
I adore Lyme Regis. When we moved to Taunton some 21 years ago now and we had got fed up of unpacking boxes that had no where to go we downed tools and went off to Lyme for the day. It was February and the sun was out and the girls(then aged 6 and 3) couldn't believe that going to the seaside was so easy and glorious. Whatever the weather there it is always a joy to go to. Lovely post. Some great shops there now too. Great food at that bakery.
Love Shirley.x

[jo sowerby]

lyme is my favourite place in the whole world. i used to visit every year with my family in the summer. i still love the quaint cafes and shops, looking for fossils and walking along the cobb
Jo xxxx

[devil]

What beautiful pictures! So happy you had a great time.

The bakery doesn't cover its bread? What if someone sneezes all over it or someone's grubby-handed child touches all of it? Can you tell I'm from the United States? :)

[Patsy]

OOHHHHHHHHHHH!! I love Lyme Regis !!
So beautiful.Such great Pics.Thank you for showing us!!
xoxo

[Rosy Nancarrow]

Lyme is lovely isn't it? We only live in Devon so visit Lyme now and again. Did you go to the Mulberry Bakery? They do FANTASTIC cheese straws and cakes and its all homemade! Never heard of Greengate before but I want it all NOW! Glad you had such a lovely holiday x

[jane]

thank you thank you for the tour. a delight! did i say thank you? jkj

[Lisa S.]

I live in the middle of the USA, and seeing your spots over there is sooooo very interesting. Everything is so pretty. My family, and I, really enjoy your blog. Thanks. Lisa

[Kate]

ooh I love lyme regis, we try to go there once a year for a week. I have had the best brownies I've ever tasted in my life from the bakery on the main street (whose name escapes me!) I'm so glad it was sunny for you x

[george]

thankfully i'm heading back to the uk for a few weeks soon so i can read your blog with a big smile and not torrential tears! i felt the same way about broadstairs growing up. lyme seems quite similar. lovely pix.

[Patricia]

Lucy, thank you for sharing your vacation with us. I have never seen the ocean in person, so your beautiful pictures really wow me. I look forward to seeing what you bought. You always leave me wanting more, and I'll keep coming back to see it.

[Helen]

LOVED your photos and the description of your seaside family day in Lyme Regis! We popped in to Lyme a couple of years ago when staying in Dorset and I took photos of a pink and aqua cottage. Next time I go there I'll know of more places to visit - thanks for your inspiring tour. Helen x x

[Siobhan]

Loved today's post - looks amazing, a place definitely to go to. Pleased you got the nice weather for your outing. I've finished my ripple style craft blanket and it gave me so much pleasure for the 6 weeks I made it - the 17 colours look so beautiful all rippled together. Every new colour was exciting as it changed what went before; each was chosen randomly which gave added fun. I even enjoyed sewing in the 170 ends which I left until the very end. It is the largest thing I have ever made and I am just in love with it! Has been used already on these very cool autumnal days we are having. Thanks so much Lucy for the best ripple pattern out there (they are not all equal - there are some horrors!) and for making it easy for me with your wonderful colours. It was quite sad when I finished it as I enjoyed making it so much. But I have plans! Love reading about all your adventures - crochet and otherwise. Always colourful, interesting and entertaining.

[AuntieNoo]

ooh I haven't been to Lyme since I was a little thing. You've brought back some childhood feelings with your lovely photos

[nicole]

Looks like your day was heavenly. I love your charming writing style. Feel almost like I was there too.

Can't wait to see what you got at that lovely shop!

[Charlotte Ashu]

oh lyme regis! i have been there twice and i love it! i love also the movie "the french lieutenants woman" with meryl streep. i had to go through the "underwoods" (was that the name?)and it was unbelievably beautiful there! thank you for the wonderful fotos!

[Lucy]

OOOh! I love Lyme Regis - I went there earlier this year for my summer hols, and oddly I also visited the Avoca Mill in Ireland a month ago on my other summer hols - I took lots of photos and wrote a blog post about it which can be found here:

http://lululovesmakingthings.blogspot.com/2010/08/avoca-mill.html