Lyme Regis: Difference between revisions
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it is quite popular. and has many beaches all in one. |
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{{Infobox UK place |
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| official_name= Lyme Regis |
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| local_name= |
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| shire_district= [[West Dorset]] |
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| shire_county= [[Dorset]] |
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| country= England |
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| region= South West England |
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| static_image= [[Image:lyme regis general view arp.jpg|240px]] |
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| static_image_caption= <small>Lyme Regis from the Cobb</small> |
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| population = 4,406 |
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| population_ref = <ref>[[Census 2001]]</ref> |
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| os_grid_reference= SY337922 |
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| latitude= 50.725 |
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| longitude= -2.940 |
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| london_distance= 130 Miles (209 Km) |
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| post_town= LYME REGIS |
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| postcode_area= DT |
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| postcode_district= DT7 |
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| dial_code= 01297 |
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| constituency_westminster= [[West Dorset (constituency)|West Dorset]] |
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| website= |
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}} |
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'''Lyme Regis''' ({{pronEng|ˌlaɪmˈriːdʒɪs}}) is a coastal town in West [[Dorset]], [[England]], situated 25 [[mile]]s west of [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]] and {{convert|25|mi|km}} east of [[Exeter]]. The town lies in [[Lyme Bay]], on the [[English Channel]] coast at the Dorset-[[Devon]] border. It is nicknamed "The Pearl of Dorset." In the 13th century it developed into one of the major British ports. The town was home to Admiral Sir [[George Somers]], its one time mayor and parliamentarian, who founded the Somers Isles, better known as [[Bermuda]]. Lyme Regis is twinned with [[St. George's, Bermuda|St. George's]], in that [[Atlantic]] archipelago. |
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The town has a population of 4,406, 45% of whom are retired.<ref>[[Office for National Statistics]], [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001]]. [http://www1.dorsetcc.gov.uk/LIVING/FACTS/Census2001.nsf/6cadf4da179fc19500256663004afece/7f29e05779296f4580256ec8004ed52c?OpenDocument Census data].</ref> Lyme is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. The [[Royal Charter]] was granted by [[Edward I of England|King Edward I]] in 1284, with the addition of 'Regis' to the town's name. This charter was confirmed by [[Elizabeth I]] in 1591. |
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==History== |
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[[Image:Broad St, Lyme Regis JR1.jpg|right|thumb|The main street (Broad street)]] |
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In 1644, during the [[English Civil War]], [[Parliament of England|Parliamentarians]] here withstood an eight week siege by [[Cavalier|Royalist]] forces under [[Prince Maurice]]. It was at Lyme Regis that the [[James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth|Duke of Monmouth]] landed at the start of the [[Monmouth Rebellion]] in 1685. |
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In 1965, the [[Lyme Regis branch line|town's railway station]] was closed, as part of the [[Beeching Axe]]. It was rebuilt at [[Alresford (Hampshire) railway station|Alresford]], on the [[Mid Hants Watercress Railway]] in [[Hampshire]]. The route to Lyme Regis had been notable for being operated by aged Victorian locomotives, one of which is now used on the [[Bluebell Line]] in [[Sussex]]. |
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In 2005, as part of the [[bicentenary]] re-enactment of the arrival of the news, aboard the [[Bermuda sloop]] [[HMS Pickle (1800)|HMS Pickle]], of [[Admiral Nelson]]'s victory at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805, the actor playing the part of Trafalgar messenger Lieutenant [[Lapenotiere]] was welcomed at Lyme Regis. |
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==Places of interest== |
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===The Cobb=== |
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[[Image:Lymeregiscobbnwprot.jpg|thumb|The Cobb, with boats grounded in the harbour at low tide.]] |
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Lyme Regis is well-known for "The Cobb", a harbour wall full of character and history. It is an important feature in [[Jane Austen]]'s novel [[Persuasion (novel)|''Persuasion'']] (1818), and in the film [[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|''The French Lieutenant's Woman'']], based on the 1969 [[The French Lieutenant's Woman|novel of the same name]] by local writer [[John Fowles]]. |
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The Cobb was of economic importance to the town and surrounding area, allowing it to develop as both a major port and a shipbuilding centre from the 13th century onwards. Shipbuilding was particularly significant between 1780 and 1850 with around 100 ships launched including a 12-gun Royal Navy brig called HMS Snap.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Short History of Lyme Regis|year=1991|author=Fowles John|publisher=Dovecote Press|pages=34–35|isbn=0-946159-93-9}}</ref> The wall of the Cobb provided both a breakwater to protect the town from storms and an artificial harbour. |
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[[Image:lyme regis centre arp.jpg|thumb|right|The centre of Lyme Regis. Notice the [[ammonite]] street light decoration.]] |
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Well-sited for trade with [[France]], the port's most prosperous period was from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century and as recently as 1780 it was larger than [[Liverpool]]. The town's importance as a port declined in the 19th century because it was unable to handle the increase in ship sizes. |
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It was in the Cobb harbour, after the great storm of 1824, that Captain Sir [[Richard Spencer RN]] carried out his pioneering lifeboat design work. |
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The first written mention of the Cobb is in a 1328 document describing it as having been damaged by storms. The structure was made of oak piles driven into the seabed with boulders stacked between them. The boulders were floated into place tied between empty barrels. |
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[[Image:lyme regis beach arp.jpg|thumb|left|The beach, viewed from The Cobb end]] |
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A 1685 account describes it as being made of boulders simply heaped up on each other: "an immense mass of stone, of a shape of a demi-lune, with a bar in the middle of the concave: no one stone that lies there was ever touched with a tool or bedded in any sort of cement, but all the pebbles of the see are piled up, and held by their bearings only, and the surge plays in and out through the interstices of the stone in a wonderful manner." |
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The Cobb has been destroyed or severely damaged by storms several times; it was swept away in 1377 which led to the destruction of 50 boats and 80 houses. The southern arm was added in the 1690s, and rebuilt in 1793 following its destruction in a storm the previous year. This is thought to be the first time that [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]] was used in the Cobb's construction. The Cobb was reconstructed in 1820 using [[Portland Admiralty Roach]], a type of [[Portland stone]]. |
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=== The Town Mill === |
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The [[watermill]], dating from 1340, has been restored to working order and produces flour which is used in the mill's bakery and also sold in its shop. The water comes from the ''River Lym'' (also called ''Lim''), which feeds the mill via a "leat". This runs along a [[Terrace (agriculture)|terrace]] or [[lynch]], hence the description of ''lynch mill''. The Domesday Book records the existence of a mill at Lyme in 1086, so the site could be much older. |
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=== The Church === |
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[[Image:StMichael'sChurchLymeRegis.jpg|thumb|left|St Michael's Church]] |
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The parish church is [[St Michael|St Michael's]], on Church Street. Its full title is parish church of St Michael the [[Archangel]]. It is situated above Church Cliff and dominates the old town. There are three ways to access the churchyard. From Church Street, enter through the archway and up the steps, next to the Boys' Club or from higher up the hill, direct from Church Street. From Long Entry, there is a steep climb either up steps or up the service road in front of the flats overlooking Lyme Bay. [[Mary Anning]] is buried here and there is a stained-glass window dedicated to her memory by members of the [[Geological Society of London]], an organisation that did not admit women until 1904. |
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===The Philpot Museum=== |
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[[Image:Coade stone Ammonites.JPG|thumb|right|Coade stone [[ammonite]]s]] |
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The museum, built on the site of Mary Anning's birthplace and family shop off Bridge Street, houses a large collection of local memorabilia, historical items and exhibits explaining the local [[Geology|geological]] and [[Paleontology|palaeontological]] treasures. |
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Set into the pavement, outside the museum, is an ornate example of [[Coade stone]] work, in the form of ammonites, reflecting both local history (Eleanor Coade) and the palaeontology for which the town is famous. |
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===Dinosaurland=== |
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Housed in the old [[Congregational church]], in which Mary Anning was baptised and would have worshipped, this museum provides unique displays on the geology and palaeontology of the area. It has many rare fossils, not just from the Jurassic Coast and provides an insight into the time-scale of the evolution of life on earth. |
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==Lepers Well == |
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On the West bank of the River Lym near the Town Mill is the site of an old chapel "[http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/fs5/fs5jr1.htm St Mary & the Holy Spirits]", known locally as "Lepers Well". The term "Leper" was used as a blanket description of medieval skin diseases and not necessarily "Leprosy" as it is understood today. There is a small plaque on the wall telling of the hospital which stood on the site 700 years ago. The water still runs today although one assumes in a much reduced flow. Little information survives today, the land was left untouched for many years and some locals can remember livestock being kept on the land before it was landscaped into a visitors garden in the 1970s. |
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== Physical geography == |
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[[Image:Blue lias cliffs at Lyme Regis.jpg|thumb|right|[[Blue Lias]] cliffs at Lyme Regis]] |
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The town is famous for the [[fossil]]s found in the cliffs and beaches, which are part of the [[Heritage Coast]]—known commercially as the [[Jurassic Coast]]—a [[World Heritage Site]]. The [[Blue Lias]] rock is host to a multitude of remains from the early [[Jurassic]], a time from which good fossil records are rare.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fossil Reptiles of Great Britain|year=1995|author=Benton MJ, Spencer PS|publisher=Chapman & Hall|isbn=0-412-62040-5}}</ref> Many of the remains are well preserved, with complete specimens of several important species. Many of the earliest discoveries of [[dinosaur]] and other prehistoric reptile remains were made in the area surrounding Lyme Regis, notably those discovered by [[Mary Anning]] (1799–1847). Significant finds include ''[[Ichthyosaur]]'', ''[[Plesiosaur]]'', ''[[Dimorphodon]]'', ''[[Scelidosaurus]]'' (one of the first [[Armour (zoology)|armoured]] dinosaurs) and ''[[Dapedium]]''. The town now holds an annual '''Mary Anning Day'''. A fossil of the world's largest moth was discovered in 1966 at Lyme Regis. |
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===Landslips=== |
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[[Image:Landslip near Lyme.JPG|thumb|left|Landslip, east of Lyme Regis.]] |
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The coast around Lyme Regis is subject to large [[Landslide|landslips]]. This means that Jurassic age fossils are regularly exposed and can be found on the beaches, but also causes devastation to the town.<ref>{{cite news |
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|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2637895.stm |
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|title = Town fears more landslides |
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|work = |
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|publisher = BBC News England |
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|date = 8 January 2003 |
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|accessdate = 2006-07-05 |
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|language = |
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}}</ref> |
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One of the most spectacular landslips occurred on 24 December 1839, {{convert|3|mi|km}} west along the coast in Devon belonging to Bindon Manor and known as "The Dowlands Landslip". About forty five acres of fields growing wheat and turnips were dislodged when a great chasm was formed more than {{convert|300|ft|m}} across, {{convert|160|ft|m}} deep and three quarters of a mile long. The crops remained intact on the top of what became known as "Goat Island" among the newly formed gullies. On February 3 1840, 5 weeks later, there was a second landslip nearby but much smaller than the former. This strange phenomenon attracted many visitors, and the canny farmers charged sixpence for entrance and held a grand reaping party when the wheat ripened.<ref>[http://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/undercliff.htm The Undercliff.] Philpot Museum website, Lyme Regis. Accessed 2006-09-01.</ref> The area is now known as [[The Undercliff]] and is of great interest because of its diverse natural history. |
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In 2005, work began on a £16 million engineering project to stabilise the cliffs and protect the town from coastal erosion.<ref>{{cite news |
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|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4640461.stm |
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|title = Popular beach reopens for summer |
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|publisher = BBC News |
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|date = 1 July 2005 |
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|accessdate = 2006-07-05 |
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}}</ref> The town's main beach was reconstructed and re-opened on 1 July 2006. |
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On the evening of 6 May 2008, a 400m (1,312ft) section of land slipped onto the beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Local Police described the landslip as the "worst for 100 years".<ref>{{cite news |
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|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7386923.stm |
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|title = Landslip is 'worst in 100 years |
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|publisher = BBC News |
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|date = 7 May 2008 |
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|accessdate = 2008-05-07 |
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}} [Includes video]</ref>. This has necessitated the diversion of the [[South_West_Coast_Path]] inland from Lyme Regis to Charmouth via the Lyme Regis Golf Course. |
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== Annual events == |
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[[Image:Street Heat August 2006 at Lyme Regis.JPG|thumb|right|The samba band ''Street Heat'', in the twilight parade marking the end of the 2006 'Lyme Regatta']] |
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The town has a number of annual events, including the 'Lyme Regis Carnival and Regatta', the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival (in conjunction with the London [[Natural History Museum]]) and Mary Anning Day. The traditional [[conger cuddling]] event takes place during Lifeboat Week. The carnival and regatta is an event which takes place over a whole week, during August and is organised by a committee of local volunteers. All proceeds from the week will be given to local good causes – especially those supporting the young and the old. The week-long summer programme includes outdoor movies, parades, games such as egg tosses, events such as rubber duck races on the River Lym, and fireworks. |
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Other events occur throughout the year and are publicised locally. |
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The bonfire night spectacular includes torchlight procession, bonfire on the beach and a firework display. The Christmas Tree Festival has over 30 trees decorated by local organisations in Lyme Regis Baptist Church. An Easter bonnet parade takes place each year in the town on Easter Sunday. A May Day fete has stalls and entertainment from different Lyme groups. |
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Thanks Giving Day has been held since Parliament decreed at the end of the English Civil War that there should be a day of celebration and prayer in Lyme to commemorate the end of the unsuccessful siege of Lyme by the Royalist forces, which was one of the longest sieges of the Civil War. It is celebrated in Lyme by dressing in clothes of the period and parading through the streets. |
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==People connected with Lyme== |
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* [[Mary Anning]] (1799–1847) was an early British fossil collector and paleontologist |
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* [[Jane Austen]] visited Lyme Regis three times in 1803 and 1804 staying for several weeks in the summer of 1804. The dramatic events in ''Persuasion'' led to a flow of fans to the town: the poet [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Tennyson]] is said to have gone straight to the Cobb on his arrival, saying, "Show me the exact spot where Louisa Musgrove fell!"<ref> |
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Article by John Vaughan in ''Monthly Packet'' (1893). Quoted in {{cite book |last= Hill|first= Constance|authorlink= |others= Ellen G. Hill (illustrator)|title= Jane Austen: Her Homes & Her Friends|origyear= 1901|url= http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hill/austen/homes.html|accessdate= 2006-09-01|edition= 3rd edition|year= 1923|publisher= John Lane, The [[Bodley Head]]|location= |id= |pages= 140|chapter= Chapter 13: Lyme|chapterurl= http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hill/austen/homes13.html}}</ref> |
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* [[Thomas Coram]] (c 1688–1751), founder of the [[Foundling Hospital]] in London |
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* [[Elinor Coade]] (1733–1821), manufacturer of the artificial stone known as [[coade stone]] |
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* [[John Fowles]] based his novel [[The French Lieutenant's Woman]] in Lyme Regis |
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* [[Abraham Hayward]] (1801-1884), writer and his father Joseph Hayward, amateur horticulturist of 'Westhill', Silver Street, Lyme Regis, successfully brought a landmark case (The Queen v. Ames) in the 1840s on behalf of the citizens of Lyme Regis, to maintain a permanent right of way for the town's citizens across the cliffs to Axmouth and Seaton. |
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*[[Beatrix Potter]]'s 1904 holiday in the town resulted in illustrations for her book ''Little Pig Robinson''. |
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*[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] stayed several times at The Three Cups Hotel (now derelict[http://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/lymenews/4332138.West_Dorset_council_cool_on_purchase_of_the_former_Three_Cups_Hotel/]) in Lyme Regis while on holiday as a boy with his guardian Father Francis Morgan in the late 1900s and 25 years later with his own family.<ref>{{cite book|title=J.R.R. Tolkien A Biography|year=1978|author=Carpenter Humphrey|publisher=George Allen & Unwin|pages=45, 163, 166|isbn=0049280392}}</ref> |
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* [[J. M. W. Turner]] (1755-1851),[[English people|English]] [[Romanticism|Romantic]] artist painted a scene of Lyme Regis around 1834 that is now in the [[Cincinnati Art Museum]], [[Ohio]], USA. |
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*[[James McNeill Whistler]] (1834–1903) also visited and stayed in Lyme. |
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*[[Ian Gillan]], vocalist for hard rock band [[Deep Purple]] lives in Lyme Regis. |
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== See also == |
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[[Image:Ammonite lamp post at dusk, Lyme Regis.JPG|thumb|[[W:Ammonite|Ammonite-design]] streetlamps reflect the town's location on the [[W:Jurassic Coast|Jurassic Coast]]]] |
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*[[Eleanor Coade]] |
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*[[South West Coast Path]] |
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*[[East Devon Way]] |
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*[[HMS Formidable]] |
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*[[List of Dorset Beaches]] |
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* [[List of fossil sites]] ''(with link directory)'' |
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== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
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== External links == |
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{{commonscat}} |
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*[http://www.lymeregis.org/ Official Website - Welcome to Lyme Regis] |
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*[http://www.lymeregiscarnival.co.uk/ Lyme Regis Carnival & Regatta website - with details of year-round local events] |
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*[http://www.townmill.org.uk/ The Town Mill] |
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*[http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/lyme.htm Geology of Lyme Regis area] |
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*{{dmoz|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Dorset/Lyme_Regis/|Lyme Regis}} |
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{{Dorset}} |
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[[Category:Seaside resorts in England]] |
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[[Category:Towns in Dorset]] |
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[[Category:Beaches of Dorset]] |
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[[Category:Geology of Dorset]] |
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[[Category:Coastal settlements in Dorset]] |
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[[ru:Лайм-Реджис]] |
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Revision as of 16:13, 5 November 2009
it is quite popular. and has many beaches all in one.