If you know Lyme Regis and Llyn Pen, put your hand up now

[pointydog]

Any must dos for these two areas?

I am doing final holiday planning and you mnetters are so very knowledgable and so lovely and very beautiful

Lyme Regis Possible To Do List:

• donkey sanctuary
• monkey world
• dinosaur museum
• teddy bear museum
• crealy adventure park, exeter
• beaches, sidmouth, eype, charmouth etc
• langmoor gardens crazy golf
• bridport

Llyn possible to do list:

• criccieth (cadwaladers, fish restau)
• aberdaron, ynys enlli
• porthmadog and portmerion
• beaches also at borth y gest and morfa nefyn

In particular, any good cafes and cheap restaurants you know of would come in handy. And best places to get picnic stuff.

all quiet

Well, I'd say Donkey Sanctuary, Charmouth beach and Bridport (or rather West Bay, which is the beach) are all must dos. Monkey World is very good, but is it very close to Lyme Regis?

hello, cjopchop!

Monkey world is quite a hike, I think. I'm not sure how far away it would be interms of travelling time. I'm not very good at that.

Maybe we should keep donkeys as our only animal-life excitement.

Do you know which beaches are best for rock pools? We are quite into rockpooling this year.

I think there are rock pools at Lyme Regis. Charmouth is the best for fossils IMO. West Bay is quite an odd beach - no rock pools that I can think of. DD2 loved the Donkey Sanctuary, but then donkeys are her favourite animal. Sidmouth is quite an old fashioned seaside town. It does get incredibly busy in school holidays so be prepared to hunt for the one remaining parking space.

we are going before the english break up

(and thanks to mb and moondog for most suggestions on my list)

pointydog- look for "Pecorama" near Beer if you are going to Lyme. Quite simply it is the best family day out we have ever had.

I hesitate to tell you (because it put me off at first!) that it is a park based on model railways (the product is called "Peco" apparently). It has loads of complex model railway sets running that fascinated DD (then 3) for around half an hour. They also have a small railway ride for kids and adults, an adventure playground, mazes, an aviary, beautiful gardens, and loads more. The food in the restaurants is fresh cooked and really good quality (DD had pasta with proper fresh tomato sauce) but there are also lots of picnic areas.

Best of all, it;s really good value. Can't remember admission price but we were surprised. Also, when we were there they were doing face painting in one of the halls. For free. With no queue.

As DH remarked, if Carlsberg made days out....

Can you tell we liked it

ohhhhh. I did see that on one of the websites and ruled it out due to the model railway aspect.

Maybe I should pop it one my list. The dds are 11 and 9, though.

just loooked ity up again. The gardens look lovely

last shout for dorrsetters

Abbotsbury Swannery and Sub-Tropical Gardens and Children's Farm (you can get a three-in-one ticket) - little bit further East from Bridport. Some lovely tea rooms etc. in Abbotsbury village too; it makes a good day out.

The swannery, I did see that at some point, wessex. Thanks. Not sure why it didn't end up on my list. Maybe I wondered just how exciting swans could be. But that sounds quite good, I'll add it.

Can't add to the Llyn list but am intrigued by Aberdaron, Porthmadog and Ynys Enlli. what do you actually do there? Aren't they just villages???

To Lyme I'd add SEaton tramway and Beer. Not much to do at the latter but I just really liked the pebbly beach there with it's caff.

porthmadog was a beach plus there's one nearby at borth y gest if I remember right. The suggestion (fro moondog) was beach, village then go to portnerion since it's nearby.

aberdaron and ynys enlli will be too far for us to go to - I've looked that up recently. It just looked like a lovely place for walking, picnicking, playing on teh beach, a peaceful little island.

We like going to beaches. What's your problem, pea

Just like how all there is at Beer is a beach and a quarry

Any ordinary village with a beach is much improved.

my secret favourite beach in Dorset is Ringstead,just before Osmington,on the coast path..have spent many lovely holidays there.Also love Seatown and Charmouth.

Is that beach far from Lyme Regis, mary? And is Seatown also known as Seaton? I've seen Seaton on the map

You can walk along the beach from Lyme towards Rousden, to a magical deserted beach. Check tide times etc but its easy enough. Rock pools and fossils galore!!

NOOOOOOOO Seaton and Seatown are 2 very different places!

Seatown is where you need to go (not very well sign-posted btw)

aha!We are staying in Rousden and it has its own beach apparently.

Seatown, keh, I'll look it up.

I have spotted seatown, it's nearby, goodo

Beer is fab even though it's a stoney beach. Deck chairs for hire (75p per half day), all drinks served in a proper cup and on a tray.

You can watch the fishermen bring in their catch and prepare it on the beach. Pub/hotel/restaurant overlooking the sea. Ok fish and chip shop, some locally caught fresh fish for sale on the beach, beach huts for hire.

Pecorama!

Seatown has a family friendly pub overlooking the sea and the hill/cliff (which has cows on it) Also sells meals.

Campsite and shop very near where you can buy ice-lollies and the usual bits and bobs.

Bridport, decent family friendly cafe down a side street, just down from Boot's (Joe's??) ok small market town. (it was pissing with rain when we went so not really at its best)

Pointy dog is it Coronation house? Thats where I stayed! Beware, the scramble to the beach is for intrepid walkers only, gentler to walk along from Lyme! I did the scramble as I was showing off, but it didn't half get hairy!