The Cobb curling out into the sea, fossils under your feet and beaches the dog can run on all year. Here is how we would spend a day in Lyme Regis with yours.
Lyme Regis is the little jewel of the Jurassic Coast, a steep, higgledy seaside town wrapped around an ancient curving harbour wall, with cliffs full of fossils at either end and the sea always somewhere in view. It is a proper dog town: the beaches welcome dogs all year in the right spots, the cafes fall over themselves to make a fuss of them, and half the fun is just pottering the front with an ice cream and a wet dog.
A morning on the fossil beaches, a walk out along the Cobb, a bit of dinosaur nonsense and a harbourside pint is about the perfect shape of a day here. This is how we would spend it, with the real, well-loved places we would actually take our own dog.
1
Morning: fossils and a beach that welcomes dogs
Head for the fossils. Charmouth, just along the coast, is one of the best fossil-hunting beaches in Britain, and its East Beach welcomes dogs all year, so you can comb the shingle for ammonites with a dog snuffling beside you. In town, Church Cliff Beach allows dogs off the lead all year round, a lovely little suntrap under the cliffs.
For a wilder walk, the Undercliff is a strange, jungly stretch of the coast path west of town, a landslip gone gloriously feral, and one of the most atmospheric dog walks on the whole south coast.
You have to walk the Cobb. The great curving harbour wall, familiar from The French Lieutenant's Woman and Persuasion, welcomes dogs on leads along the top, with the town stacked up behind you and the sea slapping below. It is the picture everyone comes for, and rightly so.
From the harbour, Harry May's boat trips take dogs out along the coast for a cruise past the cliffs, which is a lovely, salty hour with a dog leaning happily over the side.
When you have had enough salt air, Dinosaurland is a proper old-fashioned fossil museum in a former chapel, and it welcomes dogs, so nobody has to wait in the car while you gawp at an ichthyosaur. Above the beach, the Langmoor and Lister Gardens tumble down the hillside with dogs welcome to explore the paths and that big blue view.
For its size, Lyme eats extremely well and welcomes dogs while it is at it. Amid Giants and Idols is a lovely, well-reviewed coffee spot with outdoor seating, Waffle Lyme is exactly what it sounds like, and the Whole Hog does a cracking dog-friendly takeaway to eat on the front. Eat at Millside is the pick for something more of a meal.
The harbour is the place for this. The Rock Point Inn sits right on the front, dog-friendly throughout with treats and water bowls, and the Harbour Inn welcomes sandy paws in the bar and outside with the boats bobbing in front of you. Up the hill, the Nags Head is a proper classic coastal country pub that makes a fuss of a dog.
To wake up to the sea, the Dower House Hotel is the top-rated choice and welcomes dogs of any size in designated rooms, the grand old Royal Lion, a former coaching inn on Broad Street, takes dogs of any size, and the Mariners is a lovely characterful stay that welcomes up to two dogs with bowls laid on.
Fossils in the morning, the Cobb at your feet and a sandy dog under the pub table by teatime. Lyme Regis packs a lot into a small town.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Are Lyme Regis beaches dog friendly?
In the right spots, yes. Church Cliff Beach allows dogs off the lead all year, and Charmouth's East Beach welcomes dogs year-round too. The main town and Charmouth main beaches restrict dogs in summer, so check the zones before you go.
Can dogs walk on the Cobb?
Yes, dogs on leads are welcome along the top of the Cobb, the famous curving harbour wall. Keep them close, as there are no railings and a drop to the sea on both sides.
Is there a dog-friendly fossil hunting spot near Lyme Regis?
Charmouth beach is the classic fossil-hunting spot and its East Beach welcomes dogs all year. Go after winter storms for the best finds, and keep clear of the unstable cliffs.
Which Lyme Regis pubs take dogs?
The Rock Point Inn and the Harbour Inn on the seafront both welcome dogs with treats and water bowls, and the Nags Head up the hill is a dog-friendly classic coastal pub.
Where can I stay in Lyme Regis with a dog?
The Dower House Hotel is the top-rated dog-friendly choice, the historic Royal Lion on Broad Street takes dogs of any size, and the Mariners welcomes up to two dogs with bowls provided.
Lyme Regis through the seasons
Spring
Fresh storms turn up new fossils on the Charmouth shingle and the town is quiet before the season starts. A wild walk along the Undercliff and a coffee on the front is spring here at its best.
Summer
Busy and brilliant. Some beaches restrict dogs in high season, so aim for Charmouth's East Beach and Church Cliff, which stay open, go early, and carry water for the steep climb back up to the car.
Autumn
Storms and low light bring out the fossils and clear the crowds. The Cobb is dramatic under grey skies, the pubs light their fires, and it feels like the town gets handed back to the locals and their dogs.
Winter
Wild Jurassic Coast weather and empty beaches. Wrap up, hunt for ammonites after a storm, then thaw out with a harbourside pint at the Rock Point Inn, salty dog at your feet.