Beaches & Things to Do

At Springfield House you are minutes away from the sea, the harbour and the beaches of Lyme Regis.

The sea is the focus of a wide range of sporting activities. Swimming and bathing are top of the list, thanks to an award-winning environmental protection scheme ensuring the waters around the town are clean and safe – a fact that also shouldn’t be lost on windsurfers, water-skiers or sailors. Check out the Sailing Club and Power Boat Club for information about becoming a temporary holiday member.

Angling is another popular option, especially down by the Cobb where you’ll see a bevy of posters advertising deep-sea trips for catching cod, conger, skate, etc. Alternatively, a quiet trip around the bay might suit you better; in which case catching mackerel is a more likely outcome. Beach casting and pier fishing are also popular.

Walkers will love to explore the National Nature Reserve at the Undercliff. This seven mile long undeveloped woodland is part of the South West Coastal Path and stretches west towards Axmouth and Seaton. Going east from Lyme, walkers can follow the same path or take the costal footpath, part of the 650 mile South West Coastal Path, towards Charmouth and to Golden Cap. At 629ft, this is the highest point on the south coast. Other dry land activities abound: golfing, bowling, pony trekking and biking are just a few of the options available.

As well as being a great place to swim and sunbathe in the summer, Lyme is a paradise for visitors all year round and many tourists come in the winter during a storm just to watch the waves crashing over The Cobb.

If you prefer a less active holiday, there are a wide range of shops, tourist attractions and restaurants to enjoy.

Fossil Hunting & The Jurassic Coast

Explore the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, stretching 95 miles (155km) from Swanage in the East to Exmouth in the West. It tells the story of 185 million years of the Earth's history. The site's unique value creates a 'walk through time' that includes the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The varied geology also provides a spectacular laboratory of coastal change, and supports rare and important plants and animals. It is a place to be enjoyed, learnt from and looked after for future generations.

The cliffs around Lyme Regis constantly crumble and slip into the sea, revealing fossils from the ancient Jurassic past of 180 million years ago. Take a fossil hunting walk and discover the fossilised remains of giant ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, belemnites and ammonites that can be found on the beach .

For further information on the Jurassic Coast visit the official Jurassic Coast website (www.jurassiccoast.com).

Fine Dining at Hix Oyster House & River Cottage

Springfield House is wonderfully situated to enjoy two of the best dining experiences in the UK.  Hix Oyster and Fish house perches a few minutes walk from the house, overlooking the Cobb.  Check out this review from The Sunday Times:

Hix Oyster & Fish House, Cobb Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset — this must be the most romantic address and breathtaking location of any restaurant in Dorset, or indeed, the whole of England. Yes, it was a day of pearly luminescence, with the spring sun bouncing off plump green hills and sheer cliffs, with seagulls wheeling in the sky and the sea a soft, sheeny blue, and everything looks better in the sunshine. But the restaurant is perched on a steep hill above the Cobb and has a deck like the prow of a ship, complete with prow and flagpole, where you can sit and sip Manzanilla, and slip the sea down your throat while watching the fishing smacks chug in and out, and the toddlers paddle in the strand below. It is impossible not to feel a faint twinge of wellbeing.

And about 15 minutes drive away are River Cottage HQ, home to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his team, cookery courses and other events, and the River Cottage Canteen in Axminster, where you can sample some of Hugh's menus.