Click here for a map and property prices for Lyme Regis

How it rates

Lyme Regis, a Georgian town nicknamed the pearl of Dorset, lies 25 miles east of Exeter. It is historically dependent on the Cobb, a small 13th-century artificial harbour that features in Jane Austen's Persuasion and John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman. The high street, sloping down from Uplyme Road to Gun Cliff Walk, is full of cafés and antique, fossil and vintage clothing shops.

Architectural gems

The watermill, dating from 1340, has been restored to working order and produces flour used in the mill's bakery and sold in its shop. There is also a working well called Leper's Well near by. St Michael's parish church dominates the old town and has stained-glass windows dedicated to the revered palaeontologist Mary Anning, who is buried there.

What's new

There are comparatively few developments in Lyme Regis itself, although there have been conversions in the past few years. The Buena Vista building is a former hotel that has been converted into three-bedroom townhouses, on sale for about £445,000. The converted Coram Tower has one-bedroom flats for £187,000 (all via Fortnam Smith & Banwell, 01297 445666).

Travel

Lyme Regis is two miles south of the A35. The M5 is roughly 25 miles away. There are no direct rail links but trains from London Waterloo take 2hr 40min to Axminster, six miles away.

Quality of life

On summer weekends hordes of tourists flock to the beach, which can irritate some locals. A vibrant arts scene, including the Lyme Regis ArtsFest, which holds shows in more than 100 venues in the town, attracts creative types.

Population

The latest population figure for Lyme Regis is 3,600 people, 45 per cent of whom are retired.

Smartest streets

Smarter properties tend to be higher up for the best views. On Sidmouth Road and Timber Hill detached Regency properties with three bedrooms or more are generally in excess of £500,000. Fortnam Smith & Banwell is selling a large detached 1950s Mediterranean-style house in Uplyme for £750,000. Terraced 18th-century houses on Coombe Street fetch about £250,000.

Restaurants

Lots of tea houses (the Mill House is a favourite). Great seafood at the Mariners Hotel . Mark Hix recently opened the Hix Oyster & Fish House, selling “local fish cooked very simply with no frills”. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall runs the River Cottage local produce store and canteen in Axminster.

Nightlife

Pubs such as the Harbour Inn have real ale, pub grub and great seafood, and the Nags Head sometimes has live music. The Regent cinema on Broad Street was recently renovated and is in a listed building. The Grove nightclub in Seaton, six miles away, is described as “hideous” by one local but remains popular.

Education

Mrs Ethelston's Church of England Primary School has good SATs scores, and sends pupils to Woodroffe School and Colyton Grammar School, which The Good Schools Guide says is “worth moving house for as it is possibly the best co-ed grammar school in the country”.

Upside

Beautifully kept gardens, pretty stucco façades, great views and a relaxed pace of life all make Lyme Regis a peaceful community in which to live. Many residents know each other by name.

Downside

There's not much for young people - buses go to nearby towns with more vibrant nightlife, such as Exeter, Yeovil and Taunton, but don't run throughout the night. Lyme Regis can also feel quiet in the week - some residents commute weekly to London or daily to Exeter. Landslides are a fact of life in and around Lyme Regis: whole sections of the Jurassic Coast can disappear in an afternoon.

At a glance

223 per cent The increase in West Dorset house prices over the past decade

Source: Halifax

195 million

The age in years of the oldest fossils found in Lyme Regis

£16 million

The cost of the 2005 engineering project to protect the town from coastal erosion

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