DISCOVER THE AREA

CHIDEOCK AND SEATOWN:

Chideock is a vibrant village with a local shop and post office and two excellent pubs, The George Inn and The Clock Inn. It is less than a mile’s walk from the stunning World Heritage Jurassic coastline, and the quaint hamlet of Seatown which offers stunning views of ‘The Golden Cap’, the highest land point on the South Coast. With the award-winning Anchor Inn at Seatown situated right beside the pebble beach, it is the perfect refuelling stop after a long coastal walk. The menu suits all tastes from the walker seeking a quick sandwich to the serious gourmet seeking super fresh shellfish washed down with a bottle of wine.

CHARMOUTH:

Charmouth is approximately 2.5 miles from Chideock and is another great place for fossilling. It is most famous for the fossils found on the beach which date back to the Jurassic period, millions of years ago. Located on the beach is Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre filled with a wealth of information on the fossils found nearby and where you can also get lots of advice from helpful wardens and even hire a hammer to help you in your search.

LYME REGIS:

Approximately 3 miles further along the coast from Charmouth is the stunning coastal town of Lyme Regis. This beautiful town is well worth a visit with its picturesque working harbour, famous Cobb and gently sloping sandy beaches, ideal for young families. You can pass the time exploring the quaint and independent character shops, museums and art galleries along Broad Street and visit the ever changing exhibition spaces at the Town Mill where entry is free.

Lyme Regis is a lovely place to spend some time – why not try paddle-boarding, fishing, walking, exploring or simply wining and dining?

WEST BAY:

About four miles from Chideock is the beach and busy working harbour at West Bay. From the beach you can see magnificent views of the West and East cliffs. You can hire river boats or rowing boats or just sample the delicious fish and chips from one of the many beach huts that will tempt your taste buds. If you are a Broadchurch follower you will recognise that West Bay is Broadchurch, with the distinctive cliffs and other stunning locations where the crime drama was filmed.

BRIDPORT:

Around 3 miles from Yew Tree House is Bridport, a vibrant and bustling historic market town steeped in history, filled with traditional and independent shops housed in quaint, period buildings, vintage and antique markets, street markets, a theatre and an arts centre, a museum and cafes and restaurants aplenty. For those who just want to sit with a drink and soak up the atmosphere there are plenty of cafes and bars or seating in Buckydoo Square which frequently hosts some amazingly talented street entertainers; this part of west Dorset has so much to offer you will want to keep coming back again and again.

Colmer Hill: Is an iconic local landmark, loved by artists, photographers, walkers and locals alike. This landmark featured in a fairly recent series of programmes hosted by Julia Bradbury with a walk between the Golden Cap to Colmer Hill.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS:

These are just a few of the many and varied local restaurants we like:

• The Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock – superb dining overlooking Hive Beach, the amazing artwork on display is an added bonus!
• The George Inn, Chideock – good quality pub food and an excellent choice of drinks, just a few minutes walk from the house.
• The Anchor, Seatown – an award winning pub overlooking Seatown Beach with food as good as the views!
• The Bull Hotel & Restaurant, Bridport – upmarket yet relaxed, excellent cocktail bar and outside seating in courtyard available
• Taj Mahal, Bridport – delicious curry from an award winning Chef
• RISE , West Bay – contemporary, family-friendly waterside location
• Rachel’s, West Bay – al fresco, fresh and locally caught seafood dining
• River Cottage Cafe, Axminster – very tasty food and family friendly
• The Hive, Burton Bradstock – upmarket beachside dining at it’s best
• SWIM, Lyme Regis – laid back seafront dining with magnificent views overlooking Lyme Bay
• Mark Hix Oyster and Fish House, Lyme Regis – amazing views across Lyme Bay
• The Ilchester Arms, Symondsbury – an idyllic country pub serving fantastic food at unbeatable prices

WHAT’S ON:

There’s always lots going on in West Dorset. For the latest full version of the local Tourist Information ‘Whats On’ click on the image. For those of you who fancy joining in on an organised walk or ramble but can’t drum up enough interest from your fellow holiday companions to join you, don’t worry as every month there’s a large section on Walks featured in “What’s On” which you can easily participate in. As soon as next month’s ‘What’s On’ is available we will include it here so do pop back and visit us again soon.