Lyme Regis
The most westerly town in Dorset, Lyme Regis has been nicknamed 'the Pearl of Dorse't. The narrow, cobbled streets of the historic town culminate in a new, wider promenade which gives way to a part-shingle, part-sand beach that is popular with swimmers in summer and storms in winter. The world-famous Cobb harbour, which featured in the film The French Liuetenant’s Woman, starring Meryl Streep, dates from the time of Edward I, while the town itself was first mentioned in the 7th century. George Somers, a former mayor of Lyme Regis, went on to found the Somers Islands, now Bermuda, and the town is twinned with the Bermudan town of St George’s.
Charmouth
This attractive holiday village lies just two and a half miles along the coast from Lyme Regis. The wide main street is home to two cafes, a fossil shop, the Heritage Coast centre and a clothes shop. The beach is shingle with sand at low tide and the sea can be dangerous for swimmers. Charmouth is said to have been Jane Austen's favourite haunt.
Seatown
Contrary to what its name suggests, Seatown has never deserved the label 'town'. At the end of a mile-long track this tiny hamlet, once home to thirty or forty fishermen and smugglers, is now best-known as a prime fossil-hunting spot. The steep, shingle beach is clean and quiet although there are no lifeguards so care should be taken when swimming. There is a car park with space for a hundred cars and a pub that backs right on to the beach. The Golden Cap, to the west of the beach, is the highest sea cliff in the south of England.
West Bay
Just a mile due south of Bridport and well-connected to it by buses, West Bay is a bustling village with a selection of pubs and restaurants. A wide, sandy beach is cut in half by the harbour and there is a cliff top walk to Burton Bradstock.
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach, linking the Isle of Portland with the mainland, is a seventeen mile long stretch of mystery. The origin of this unique shingle ridge still baffles geographers, whose theories cannot easily explain why the pebbles are graded from east to west, with the biggest at the Portland end. Facilities exist at West Weares, Portland, Ferrybridge, Moonfleet, Abbotsbury and Burton Bradstock although the sea off Chesil Beach is treacherous for both swimmers and sailors alike. It is illegal to remove pebbles from the beach, a fact that has recently caused Ian Mc Ewan, the author of 2007 novella On Chesil Beach, to be threatened with a fine. He admitted removing a handful of stones and keeping them on his desk while writing the book.
Chesil Cove
Chesil Cove, at the most southerly, Portland, extreme of the 17 mile long Chesil Beach, is a pebble beach that protects the low-lying village of Chiswell from flooding. Chesil Cove is a haven for scuba divers due to the numerous shipwrecks that have occurred in the treacherous waters off Chesil Beach. The cove has long been the home of fishermen, formerly from the village of Chiswell and now recreational sea anglers.