Lyme Regis Front Beach

The seafront at Lyme Regis is properly special - a long stretch of shingle and sand that curves away beneath those famous golden cliffs. You've got the Cobb, that Victorian harbor wall that juts out like a protective arm, and the whole thing feels rather timeless. The beach itself is clean and sheltered, good for paddling and building sandcastles if you've got small ones in tow, though the shingle takes a bit of getting used to underfoot.

It's the geology that makes this place tick though. These cliffs are absolutely stuffed with fossils - ammonites and belemnites if you know what to look for - and the whole coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast. Serious fossil hunters come here with hammers and chisels; casual visitors just enjoy spotting things poking out of the rock face. The walk along the beach toward Charmouth is rewarding, especially at low tide when you get more sand to work with.

Realistic time allowance? Two hours minimum if you want a proper look around, longer if you're climbing the surrounding cliffs or hunting fossils. It's free to access the beach itself, though parking in town gets tight in summer. The nearby Seadown and Newlands holiday parks put you within easy striking distance - Seadown's barely two miles away - so it works brilliantly as a base for a few days pottering around East Devon. Bring a windbreaker and decent shoes. The town of Bridport is just over two miles inland if you need fish and chips or a decent coffee.