Lyme Regis
DORSET
After the excesses and excitement of Christmas, reboot your batteries with a jaunt to the seaside. Perched on the Dorset-devon border, Lyme Regis offers moody blue cliffs and beaches where prehistoric relics rest between boulders. While you’re there, set a course for The Cobb – the bustling harbour straight from the pages of Persuasion and The French Lieutenant’s Woman…
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning – the palaeontologist protagonist of last year’s feature film Ammonite – and go on a fossilfinding expedition. The Lyme Regis Museum runs daily tours (depending on tide times) to the Jurassic Coast’s fossil-hunting hotspots (£12.75 per adult; lymeregis museum.co.uk). To take a peek at marine marvels from Lyme Bay and beyond, head to the harbourside aquarium. You’ll see sea urchins, starfish and spiny lobster and learn about the area’s seafaring past (visit-dorset.com). A five-mile walk to Charmouth takes you past pretty churches via wooden kissing gates, while a stroll along the coastal path offers views of Golden Cap (dorsettravelguide.com).
WHERE TO EAT
For a hearty lunch, The Whole Hog specialises in packed pulledpork rolls – served with crackling, apple sauce and gravy – followed by their delectable doughnuts (thewholehog.co.uk). For a seasonal supper, head to Robin Wylde (shown top right) for locally landed Lyme Bay prawns and white wine from Bridport’s Furleigh Estate (robinwylde.com). Doing Veganuary? The roast red pepper roulade and cashew croquettes at Tierra Kitchen will convert even the most committed carnivore (tierrakitchen.co.uk).