Anyone know LYME REGIS well? I could do with some help...

[FeeFiFoBum]

I have broken my leg (ffs!) We are due to go to Dorset tomorrow for a couple of days. We were hoping to take dc fossil hunting - now obviously I am not going to be able to do that but I wondered how accessible the beach itself would be for a wheelchair/an idiot on crutches?!
I spoke to a lady at tourist info yesterday who was lovely but a bit fluffy about whether I actually could or couldn't get on the beach (sorry if you are a mnetter lovely lady, you really were very helpful but I need concrete answers from those who have tried to get wheeled vehicles on the beach!)
I don't want to risk injuring my leg (I am in a brace not a cast but have to be careful about not putting much weight on my foot) but I also don't want to miss our family holiday

Should I just forget it and be resigned to being stuck in my wheelchair on the walkway?

try www.accessiblecountryside.org.uk/southwest/dorset/dorset_beaches.html

Thanks cestlavie - I have found that website, it is useful, I was just looking for some local knowledge

I readthis and thought I'veread something about Lyme Regis and wheelchairs.

don't do this

Not very accessible at all, if memory serves me right.

I'll try not to..erm...thanks

i would say no, you're not going to get a wheelchair onto the beach at all.
you might be able to walk some of it carefully

I am not sure of the geography of the place, but I know that there was a large landslip in Lyme Bay today causing someone to become trapped. Whilst they search for her, and due to the unstable sliffs, they have cordened off a large area of beach along this coast of dorset.

Right, thanks all. Plan B required then. Cream tea anyone?!

Hi

My OH is from Lyme and I know it well. It is a very steep fishing village so exploring the main streets would be difficult. The beach has a promenade which would be fine and there is a section of sandy beach you could enjoy. Most if the coast there is hilly and the beaches are pebbles so not ideal. Having said that it is beautiful and may be a good place to recuperate if you don't mind going far!

The landslide was a few villages away and hasn't affected the area (was there on Sun).

Hope that helps!

Thanks almond. I think we'll do a quick recce by car then and see how things look rather than dismiss it out of hand - I still want a cream tea though

Greetings from Lyme FeeFiFoBum! Sorry to hear about your leg - that's the pits! As Almond said you def cannot get onto the fossils beach, but if you arrive early and get parking down at the Cobb you will be able to get onto the sandy beach and all the way along the front, which is level and there are several places that do cream teas. (To park at Cobb ideally come down the A3052 if you are coming from the West/Sidmouth, or come off the A35 at Hunter's Lodge (B3165, near Axminster) rather than come down Charmouth Road (A3052 from East/Bridport), as the latter will take you through town first - best to avoid if you can. There are also park and rides at the top of the town on the A3052 from both directions that drop you right down at the beach but don't know what there overnight rules are if you are coming for a few days.) The town is very busy right now because of the gorgeous weather and we are in the middle of Lifeboat Week, so there are lots of fun events on (see www.lymeregis.org/whats_on/events). Don't know how old your DC is, but you might send them on a guided fossil walk if not really little? I'm sure the Lyme Regis Museum fossil walks will already be booked out, but try www.charmouth.org/chcc/ for walks from Charmouth or here www.lymeregisfossilwalks.com/ The Museum also has a special Family Fossil Day on Thursday (in the Museum, no hills involved) and another special Fossil Day on Saturday www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/ (in the Jubilee Pavilion on Marine Parade, no hills involved). If you do send loved ones out onto the fossil beach do tell them to stay well back from the cliffs. The awful accident today is not at Lyme, but similar landslips can happen any time here, especially after all the rain we've had, and there's no way you could run fast enough to get away. The best fossils to find are generally the well-washed ones laying on the beach anyways, not right next to the cliffs. Hope you make it and enjoy yourself!

KimberleyCoast is bang on. DD goes to school at LR so we know it quite well, though we live over the border.

I have never found fossils near the cliffs; far too many people get there first and any fossils will have gone by the time we get there (not early risers in the holidays!). I find them either in the debris just at the shore line, and sometimes about half way between the shore and the cliffs.

Have fun anyway!

Oh thank you Kimberly and Jux - loads of info!
I am copying this thread to my phone so I have the directions for when we get there. Alarm has just gone off, car packed, the sun is shining, we're going to the sea side, yaaaaaay!

Ooh, a couple more questions. So we should be trying to park at the Cobb Gate carpark for the sandy beach? Is Monmouth beach a fossil beach?
Any recommendations for the best cream tea?!

Sorry I missed your last message FeeFiFoBum! Hope you had fun and enjoyed the spectacular weather. Falcons parachuting onto the sandy beach were great, and Red Arrows last night were fabulous. And Lyme Regis Carnival starts on Saturday for 10 days!

For anyone who reads this in future, the closest parking to sandy beach with a FLAT WALK is at the Cobb (down Cobb Road, turn off Pound Road just past Holmbush Car Park). Cobb Gate (centre of town, tiny car park with clock tower) is a flat walk but is at the other end of the beach, and is really shopping parking, so much more expensive. The CHEAPEST parking if you can do a hill (ten-minute walk) is either Charmouth Road car park or Holmbush Car Park (Pound Road), which are both only £1.70 for the 24 hours.