Famous Cobb needs £3m repairs
ONE of the best-known coastal landmarks in the Westcountry needs £3 million of improvement works to stop it crumbling into the sea.
The Cobb at Lyme Regis, which snakes out into the English Channel and protects the West Dorset port from the worst of the weather, was made famous in the 1981 film The French Lieutenant’s Woman, based on the novel by John Fowles, who lived in Lyme.
Dorset Council says the structure, strolled on by millions of visitors to Lyme Regis every year, now desperately needs work to strengthen it and make it safe.
Investigations by structural engineers reveal substantial erosion at the base of the structure, where it meets the sea bed, and the surface on which people walk is also breaking up in places, making it potentially unsafe for visitors.
Dorset Council is seeking approval from its Cabinet for funding for the repairs and reinforcement works. They will involve:
Construction of a sheet pile and concrete toe wall on both sides of The Cobb at the Causeway, the gin shop and the roundabout areas;
Resurfacing of a strip of the low walkway using historically appropriate materials and techniques at the Causeway, the Gin Shop, and the roundabout;
Resurfacing of the landing quay using modern materials and techniques that are suitable for an active working harbour;
Improving utility infrastructure to The Cobb buildings and landing quay areas.
The Cobb was built as long ago as the 13th century but has undergone extensive extensions and improvements over the centuries.
The structure is a key element in the plot of The French Lieutenant’s Woman, with the lead character, Sarah Woodruff, played by Meryl Streep, seen pacing on The Cobb, observed by fossil hunter Charles Smithson, played by Jeremy Irons.
The film has been credited with boosting visitor numbers to Lyme Regis and the town has featured in a number of other films since, including Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet in 2020, and, most recently, Wonka, which is due out next year and which features scenes shot on The Cobb.
The structure is also famous for many stormy weather pictures taken by WMN photographer and Lyme resident, Richard Austin.