Lyme Regis

The Dorset Historic Towns Project report on Lyme Regis.

The historic character of Lyme Regis is closely bound up with the town's landscape and maritime setting, street pattern and historic buildings, which together contribute to its local distinctiveness. Lyme's historic core consists of both planned and unplanned elements, and the separation of the medieval town and the medieval harbour is very distinctive. The narrow winding streets in the centre provide a very strong contribution, linking the present town to its medieval past. Numerous high quality historic buildings form a major component of Lyme's historic seaside resort character.

The landscape setting is perhaps the most dominant influence, shaping the layout of the town and constraining its growth. The unstable nature of the ground, particularly near the coastline has inhibited urban development. The steepness of the slopes have made inland movement difficult and provide many vantage points to view the surrounding landscape and seascape. It is a magnificent backdrop to the town, enhancing Lyme's attraction as a seaside resort.

Summary report

Here is a summary of the report (February 2011).

Detailed sections of the report

We have broken down the full report into individual sections, please select one of the parts to read:

• Part 1 and 2 Introduction and overview
• Part 3 and 4 Context and sources
• Part 5.1 and 5.2 Historical development - Medieval and post-medieval
• Part 5.3 Historical development - Eighteenth and early nineteenth century
• Part 5.4 and 5.5 Historical development - Late nineteenth and twentieth century
• Part 6 Character assessment
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 1 Coombe Street and the Lim Valley
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 2 Broad Street
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 3 Marine Parade and Cobb Hamlet
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 4 Pound Street
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 5 Woodmead Road
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 6 Uplyme Road
• Part 6 Historic Urban Character Area 7 Colway Mead and Charmouth Road
• Part 7 Research and appendices