On the road (Europe 2010): Lyme Regis

I spent nearly the whole day today on the beach at Lyme Regis looking for fossils. After some friendly pointers from the very helpful people at the Tourist Information Office, we set out. At first it wasn't entirely clear where the best spots were, but it quickly became apparent that the best rocks are higher up the beach rather than down by the water. The veteran beachcomber in me was stuck far too long at the water's edge. Under the lead-colored cliffs is a jumble of worn stone of two or three sorts. Some of it is chalk/flint similar to what I've seen elsewhere along the coast. Some looks like mudstone or very worn limestone. Some is a harder, bluish-grey rock (although still quite soft) that seems to yield the fossils. There were rocks with ammonites as big as two feet across, but most were palm-of-the hand size or smaller. They are abundant and free for the taking, but most are in large rocks too big to carry away. They actually encourage you to take what you find, but ask that you register anything rare or unusual (I wonder how the casual visitor knows what's worth registering?). There are fossil hunting beaches also at the next town along the coast, Charmouth.

I love the lampposts in the town. They are adorned with ammonites in ironwork, which is a very nice touch. Besides the fossils, the town is (and has long been) known as a beach resort, but it also has a very active fishing harbor surrounded mostly by the old stone pier known as The Cobb. Lyme Regis is the setting for John Fowles's novel The French Lieutenant's Woman. It's at the end of this pier that the title character stands looking out to sea awaiting the return of the Lieutenant. This is also the scene of Louisa Musgrove's accident in Jane Austen's Persuasion. Austen visited here. Whistler apparently visited as well. The town retains its old-fashioned charm without being stuffy. I rather liked Lyme Regis.