Getting to the Jurassic Coast from Crewkerne

Crewkerne is a Somerset town several miles inland, so the Jurassic Coast is a drive rather than a stroll, but it is a short one. Lyme Regis is about sixteen miles away and takes something under half an hour on a good run; Charmouth and West Bay are much the same. Plenty of guests go down for the day, walk a stretch of coast path, and are back here for dinner.

Lyme Regis

The best-known of the three, and the busiest in August. The Cobb, the curved harbour wall, is the thing everybody photographs, and the town behind it is steep, small and full of shops selling ammonites. Dinosaurland holds a large fossil collection if the weather turns. Parking is limited and the town is on a hill, so go early or accept a walk up.

Charmouth

Quieter, and the better bet if fossils are the point. The cliffs between Charmouth and Lyme are Lias, full of the remains of marine reptiles from the Jurassic seas, and they shed material constantly. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre sits on the beach and runs guided fossil walks of about an hour and a half, which is by far the fastest way to learn what you are looking at. Anything you pick up is yours.

Two rules matter here. Collect loose material off the beach and never dig into or climb the cliffs, which are actively falling. And check the tide before you set out, because the beach below the cliffs cuts off.

West Bay and Bridport

West Bay has a working harbour and a wall of orange sandstone cliff behind the east beach, which is the view you will recognise from television. Bridport is a mile and a half inland and has a proper street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the year, with a farmers’ market in the arts centre on the second Saturday of the month. If you want a coast day that involves lunch and browsing rather than sand, this is the pairing to choose.

Walking rather than driving

The South West Coast Path runs along the whole of it, and the stretch over Golden Cap between Charmouth and Seatown is the one people talk about. It is a proper climb. The Liberty Trail, which passes below Crewkerne, finishes at Lyme Regis, so it is genuinely possible to walk from here to the sea over a few days.

Coming back

A day on the coast and a night inland is a decent way to organise a weekend, particularly in summer when the coastal towns fill up and the prices follow. We are half an hour back up the road, with eight rooms and a kitchen that will still be going when you get in salty and tired.