Walk 121 Lyme Regis to Seaton (Devon)
(Second leg of
English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End)
Map: L/R 193
Distance: 8 miles or 12 km approx
Difficulty: Very challenging – care needs to be taken
underfoot – there is a warning near the start of the walk
Terrain: coastal path
Access: Parking at both ends
Public transport: X53 bus goes between the two towns every
couple of hours
This walk appears to be easy on paper. However, the
uncertainty of the surface underfoot can make it hazardous. I saw two people who
had fallen and being treated for cuts. You have to look down and take things
slowly. A warning notice alerts walkers to the fact that the walk is only a few
miles but may take much longer than expected.
Start the walk on the front at Lyme Regis near the clock
tower. Lyme Regis marks the border
between Devon and Dorset. It was a fashionable watering place in the 18th
century and was evidently very popular with the citizens of Bath. The buildings
surviving from that time means it retains much of its charm. The beach is
famous for its fossils and this is reflected in The Fossil Shop on the main
street. During the 19th century, Mary Anning, who became a famous
fossil hunter, discovered some of the first fossils that has made this area
famous and led it to become known as the Jurassic Coast. The huge ammonites and
shells were from life here around 180 million years ago.
Walk along the harbour and to The Cobb which was originally a
sea defence built in the 13th century. It has literary and
historical associations. For example, it has seen ships set sail to fight in
The Hundred Years War and the Spanish Armada. Lyme MP George Summers left from
here on a journey which led to the discovery of The Bahamas. In Jane Austen’s
Persuasion, Louisa Musgrave took a tumble from The Cobb to blight the prospects
of the heroine Anne Elliott. In the film of The French Lieutenant’s Woman,
Meryl Streep was filmed looking out to sea – lots of people were seen posing
this when I visited!
Continue to Monmouth Beach. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth
landed here and began his ill fated challenge for the throne of his uncle,
James 2nd – this ended in bloody fashion at the Battle of Sedgemoor.
Twelve of his men were subsequently hanged in Lyme Regis.
The path out of Lyme Regis can be accessed from Monmouth
Bay. As explained above this path has a warning notice: ‘The terrain can be
difficult and walking arduous and will take around 4 hours’. It also states
that there is no access to the sea. Only glimpses of the coast can be seen on
this stretch. One landmark in the first half of the walk is a ruined building
that was once a freshwater pumping station and an engineer’s house. Water was
pumped up from here to a nearby estate and used as drinking water.
Further along, Downland
and Bindon Cliffs are famous for their enormous landslips. On Christmas
Eve 1839 an enormous piece of these cliffs tore free from the mainland to form
a deep chasm. It carried huge chunks of wheat and turnip fields and became an
area known as Goat Island – a Victorian tourist attraction for some time.
At the end of the walk, approaching Seaton, look out for the
tree sculpture which is formed into a grabbing hand (complete with fingernails).
To get into Seaton you cross The Axmouth Old Bridge which was opened in 1877
but has been closed to traffic since 1990. This is the oldest standing concrete
bridge in England. Axmouth Harbour which is to the south of the bridge has
existed since Roman times. A tramway runs up the side of The River Axe and it
is worthwhile (at another time) taking a tram to look at the river and wildlife.
Photos show: Beach and clock at Lyme Regis; Main Street and Fossil shop, Lyme Regis; Lyme Harbour; The Cobb; Monmouth Beach; Hand sculpture near Seaton; Seaton front and clock tower.
