The town of Lyme Regis is located in Lyme Bay on the western edge of Dorset where the river Lym enters the sea. It has four main beaches and to either side the shore is backed by high unstable cliffs rich in fossils. P&D car parks can be found in the town.
Monmouth Beach is to the west and lies at the eastern end of Chippel Bay and is mostly pebbles.
Front beach (above) lies just inside the famous Cob and is the most popular. The shore is of sand backed by a pebble bank and a promenade - this being largely level with the back of the beach providing easy access. RNLI lifeguards patrol during July and August. Dogs are not allowed on this beach from 1st May until 30th September, but are allowed on the other beaches. Facilities here include numerous beach shops, cafes, take-aways and toilets ♿. If using take-aways or eating outside, beware of the herring gulls!
Church Cliff Beach is a small sandy beach to which access is down steps. This beach will be completely underwater around the high-tide peroid.
East Beach is the most easterly beach and is backed partly by a high sea wall and partly by unstable fossiliferous cliffs. The shore further east is mostly sand backed by pebbles, and depending on the state of the tide, it's usually possible to walk along the beach to Charmouth. If collecting fossils, only search amongst loose material - never from the living rock.
The coastal path westwards from Lyme Regis passes for about 4 miles through a region of dense woodland called the Undercliff, where layers of porous chalk sit on top of non-porous clay - the whole sloping towards the sea. Landslips are common, and there are few ways off this path until Axmouth. The shore along this section is mostly pebbles backed by steeply-sloping wooded cliffs. The town itself has plenty of pubs, tea-rooms, cafes and small shops selling rocks and fossils. The main A3052 is very narrow, and has a traffic-light controlled single-track section through the town. Congestion is to be expected during peak times.
