Lyme Regis Weekend 26 June 2026 to 29th June 2026

A coastal holiday in the beautiful counties of Dorset and Devon.  You can admire The Cobb in Lyme Regis the stone-built breakwater and jetty which has ‘starred’ in such films as Jane Austen’s Persuasion and The French Lieutenant’s Woman.  There are walks through woodlands, the forested canopy of the Undercliff walk, and rides on the Heritage Seaton Tramway through the Axe Estuary, and, weather permitting, swimming in the sea.  

Full details of the walks, GPX, travel and tide times have now been posted.

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends at Young V&A

In Aardman’s 50th anniversary year, go behind the scenes of your favourite stop-motion animations and explore how Aardman’s iconic characters and worlds are brought to life. 

A joyful, educational, and highly tactile experience and a "must-see" expo that combines nostalgia with iconic sets, original models, and interactive, hands-on activities. 

Tickets £11 or £5.5 (Art Fund).  To book your ticket, please click here.  Book the 2:30pm slot. 

The current plan is to link this exhibition in conjunction with a Sunday walk and lunch nearby.    

A WhatsApp group will be set up for this event.  Please email your mobile number to swcsocialATgmailDOTcom if you wish to be on it. 

#2026-11-01T14:30

BBC Prom: Berlin Philharmonic and Beethoven Violin Concerto

Our last Prom of this year is with Berlin Philharmonic, its chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, and Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich playing beloved Beethoven Violin Concerto and more...

To book your ticket: please click here.   Alternatively,  you can buy day promming ticket from 9:30am on the day, costs £8.    

The Prom starts at 7pm.  Meet at the steps of the Albert Memorial for picnic (weather permitting) from 5:30pm.  

There will be a WhatsApp group set up for this event.  Please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom with your mobile number if you wish to be on it. 

Programme 

Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major 42’

Interval

Scriabin Symphony No. 3 in C minor, ‘The Divine Poem’ 50'

Augustin Hadelich violin

Berlin Philharmonic

Kirill Petrenko conductor

#2026-09-03T19:00

BBC Prom: Shostakovich Symphony No 10

Our second Prom of the season is Shostakovich's devastatingly powerful Symphony No 10.  Premiered after Stalin’s death in 1953, it’s a work whose fierce rage, violence and grief tell a terrifying story of life in the dictator’s Russia. 

To book your ticket: please click here.   Alternatively,  you can buy day promming ticket from 9:30am on the day, costs £8.    

The Prom starts at 7pm.  Meet at the steps of the Albert Memorial for picnic (weather permitting) from 5:30pm.  

There will be a WhatsApp group set up for this event.  Please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom with your mobile number if you wish to be on it. 

Programme 

Édith Canat de Chizy Skyline (Concerto for three percussionists, timpani and orchestra) 20’ 
BBC co-commission: UK premiere 

Interval

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 in E minor 55’

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Cristian Mǎcelaru conductor

#2026-08-18T19:00

BBC Prom: LA Philharmonic and Beethoven Symphony No 6

We open this year's SWC prom season with LA Philharmonic and its music director Dudamel.  After two decades of absence from the prom, it will be a real treat to hear them on this rare occasion. 

To book your ticket: please click here.   Alternatively,  you can buy day promming ticket from 9:30am on the day, costs £8.    

Due to the early start of this prom at 6pm,  we will meet after the concert, details to follow. 

There will be a WhatsApp group set up for this event.  Please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom with your mobile number if you wish to be on it. 

Programme 

Beethoven Symphony in No. 6 in F major, ‘Pastoral’ 39’ 

Interval

Thomas Adès Dante – Part 1: Inferno 45’

Los Angeles Philharmonic 

Gustavo Dudamel conductor 

#2026-08-11T18:00

Spooky Men's Chorale

A slightly unusual outing at the Union Chapel just minutes from Highbury and Islington Tube/Overground
The Spooky Men's Chorale always provides a great evenings entertainment. Seating is unreserved so SWC attendees can stick together.
The show starts at 6:30 pm so if you arrive about 5:30pm, there's a chance to grab a pre-concert bite at one of the nearby hostelries. Ones to consider are ...

• The Famous Cock Tavern at 259 Upper Street 
• The White Swan (Wetherspoons) 255/256 Upper Street 
• The Hen and Chicken Theatre Bar 109 St Pauls Road, N1 2NA

There's also a range of restaurants in Upper street and a Little Waitrose in Holloway Road should you wish to picnic in Compton Terrace Gardens. Compton Terrace Garden is open to dusk and may be found either side of the short road leading up to the Union Chapel where there's plenty of bench seats)
Get your tickets at https://www.gigantic.com/the-spooky-men-s-chorale-tickets/london-union-chapel/2026-08-05-18-30 

During their last gig here in 2024 they played to a packed  audience with the setting sun illuminating the Rose  Window above the dais. The Chorale emerged onto the right hand balcony to sing their introductory Georgian table song. As ever, stunning harmonies enhanced by the amazing acoustics at the Chapel. Reconvening on the Stage they started their first set with the Spookmeister combining a mix of thoughtfulness and silliness in his narrative.  Songs included Dolly Parton's Jolene and a light-hearted "Team Building Exercise" exploring interplay in the modern workplace. The Chorale came to the two isles to sing "The sweetest kick (in the heart)"  before returning to the stage with songs that included  "We’ll Give it a Go", "Tee Tee Tay Tay" (references to Tina Turner and Taylor Swift), two Ukrainian folk songs and finishing with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". The audience were on their feet by then and the Chorale received a rapturous standing ovation. 

#2026-08-05T18:30

Saturday Walk - Sutton Hoo, the UK's best gastropub, the Deben Valley, its estuary and river marshes, lowland heathlands: Melton to Woodbridge [New Walk]

Length: 20.1 km (12.5 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 130m

Net Walking Time: 4 ½ hours 

Rating: 2 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.00 Norwich train from Liverpool Street (fast to Chelmsford, Boundary Zone 6 tickets are not valid on this service!), and change at Ipswich (10.05/10.16) onto the Lowestoft train, arrives Melton at 10.35. 

Return trains from Woodbridge are on xx.17 (90 minutes journey time). 

Buy a Melton Return. Advance singles are available.

 

This walk criss-crosses the heart of the Deben Valley, where it cuts through the Suffolk Sandlings, an area of lowland heathland, and widens into a scenic estuary. Several charming churches are passed and quiet villages and a fine heathland golf course walked through while the busy roads in the area are all avoided. Reedbeds and rows of poplar feature prominently early on and again midway through the route when it leads along the Deben or through the river marshes. The UK’s Best Gastropub (according to some) awaits at the halfway point. The final stretch follows the wide muddy estuary, a haven for birds and saltmarsh plants, with views across the Deben to the wooded valley edge, to end in the compact town of Woodbridge with its many tea options.

Mid-morning the route leads – along rights-of-way – through the world-famous Sutton Hoo Great Ship Burial site on the eastern edge of the Deben Valley, where two 6^th and 7^th century Anglo-Saxon burial grounds with dozens of mounds for East Anglian royalty overlook the river (a wood now blocks most views though). You walk right past the surviving burial mounds (which are in the ticketed area) and along the sunken path up from the river that the 27 metres long King’s Boat had been hauled up along for Rædwald, King of the East Angles’s burial in about AD 625. A little later you pass the café, shop and exhibition hall (all in the ticketed area).

Shortcuts are shown to enable an extended visit to the site while still completing a meaningful walk.

Ground conditions are favourable all-year round, with the route leading mainly through heathland, atop river walls or along designated Quiet Lanes.

Walk Options:

Short Loop through Bromeswell Green Nature Reserve (Suffolk Wildlife Trust, nightingales, butterflies etc.). Adds just a few hundred metres to the walk (with a map of it on display roadside).  

Out-and-back to the River Deben estuary opposite Woodbridge, from Sutton Hoo Farm; adds 1.0 km.  

Sutton Hoo Visit (National Trust, ticketed); there are lots of exhibits to study in the High Hall and in Tranmer House as well as the burial mounds site and three marked walk routes to explore.  

Shortcut from Sutton Hoo back to Melton along the England Coast Path (map-led but easy, cuts 10.5 km). 

Shortcut from Bromeswell to Ufford Bridge (map-led, cuts 2.4 km).  

Finish at Melton Station (17.0 km/10.6 mi).  

Bus Line 70 (Ipswich – Orford) links the Sutton Hoo Approach Road (where it meets the B1083) to Melton, Woodbridge and Ipswich. Hourly Mon-Sat, but last bus in either direction early afternoon!

Bus Line 800 (Ipswich - Rendlesham) links Bromeswell and Eyke to Melton, Woodbridge and Ipswich. It travels along the A1152 though, a little off route. (Near) hourly service Mon-Sat.  

Bus Line 64 (Ipswich - Aldeburgh) links Ufford to Melton, Woodbridge and Ipswich. It travels through Ufford along the B1438 though, almost a kilometre west of the walk route. (Near) hourly service Mon-Sat.  

A Loop through Woodbridge, away from the river, leads past interesting buildings, shops and tea options.

 

Lunch:  

King’s River Café in Sutton Hoo. Located after 7.4 km/4.6 mi of walking. Although close to the right-of-way, the café is within the ticketed area. Walk-ins without a ticket are not welcome! 

The Unruly Pig Pub & Kitchen in Bromeswell. The Unruly Pig is located 9.0 km/5.6 mi into the walk. The Pig has been repeatedly ranked Best Gastropub in the UK. A table has been booked for 12.30, pls contact me if you want a seat at it (£25 per person deposit).  

Two more pubs en route. Check the webpage or the pdf for details.

Tea: Several options en route and in Woodbridge. Check the webpage or the pdf for details.

For detailed route maps, gpx/kml files, photos and walk directions click here. T=swc.449

#2026-07-04T09:00

Evening Walk - The River Beck: Through Beckenham's busy Town Centre and some parks and woodlands, then up the River Beck corridor to rural West Wickham and Hayes

Length: 9.5 km /5.9 mi, with 110/86m ascent/descent 

Net Walking Time: 2 hrs

Take the 18.12 Orpington train from Victoria (via Brixton and Herne Hill), arrives Beckenham Junction at 18.35. 

Return trains: every 15 minutes on xx.13 (to London Bridge and Charing Cross).

Beckenham Junction is in Zone 4, Hayes in Zone 5.

 

The write-up in the reverse direction (south-to-north):

After a part-suburban, part-rural walk from Hayes station through West Wickham, this Outer London route follows the River Beck from its sources in woodlands on high ground in Spring Park to Beckenham’s Town Centre as closely as sensible. In the upper reaches, the Beck forms the Borough Boundary between Bromley and Croydon (i.e. formerly Kent and Surrey), and the very most of the route runs through Bromley.

The route through the Beck Corridor itself is a healthy mixture of mature and younger woodlands where the river meanders naturally and some landscaped parks with lakes dammed from the river, featuring a couple of ‘waterfalls’, mainly linked-up by quiet residential roads, but not without about 1 kilometre of busy roads to walk along. The Beck is crossed many a times, including once on stepping stones.

Beckenham’s town centre features the ‘Cathedral of North West Kent’ with England’s oldest lychgate.

Eat/Drink: more than a handful of options each in Coney Hall and in Hayes. See the walk directions for more detail.

For walk directions, map, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.62

#2026-07-03T18:12

Lyme Regis to Axminster station– a pretty and remote route through quiet woods, streams, fields and lanes.

Length: 11.9 miles (allow 5-6 hours walking time; add time for lunch stop).

Toughness: 4/10

 Start: Meet at the clocktower on the seafront at 10am.

 Walk Notes:  this is a gently undulating walk starting along the river Lim in town, then onto the Wessex Ridgeway and through the woods of Hole Common.  Some parts may be boggy depending on recent rainfall.   After this you cross the A35.  TAKE CARE as fast traffic both ways.  If you walk to your left along this road for roughly 100m, there may be a safer place to cross using the central reservation.  Continue on through Wyld Warren, another wood, and finally along Evil Lane into Axminster.  Plenty of shops, cafes pubs in Axminster (if you have time to linger) otherwise purchase supplies for the train.

 Walk note:  There is a ‘secret doorway’ in the fence of Higher Wyld Farm which you go through to continue the route. 

 Lunch:  Buy something to eat and drink before setting off as no pubs or shops on this route until you get to Axminster.  The Old Inn at Hawkchurch is closed on Mondays.

 There is a Tesco Superstore about 7 minutes from Axminster station if you wish to buy supplies for the train. 

 Option 2:  If you wish to skip this walk, then the buses back to Axminster from Lyme Regis leave from The Square (at the clocktower).

Bus timetable for 2026 can be found: here

GPX and map can be found here:  https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lyme-regis-to-axminster-via-hawkchurch/

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 #2026-06-29T10:00

West Bay to Lyme Regis – an undulating coastal walk with fine views.

Length: Around 8 miles if walking along the beach from Charmouth to Lyme Regis at low tide.

If high tide, a longer route is required between Charmouth and Lyme Regis making the whole walk 10 miles.

Toughness: 8/10

Travel: Bus X53 at 9.40am from Nisa Store (used to be Co-op) in Broad Street (next to Tesco) of Lyme Regis. Alight at West Bay by The George Hotel. 

This is a map led walk.  Please note:  there has been considerable erosion and path falls along the coastal path since 2025.  The National Trust has created new paths next to the old crumbling ones so PLEASE keep to these.

Walk Notes: West Bay is a small, coastal town a mile south of Bridport, and the location of the TV show Broadchurch!  Stunning golden cliffs tower above the beach of West Bay, and as you walk along the clifftop towards Lyme, you can look back and admire them.  West Bay has a small harbour, surrounded by cafes and ice-cream kiosks and a bakery.

This walk heads west towards Lyme Regis taking in panoramic coastal views.  We walk through Eypes Mouth, Seatown, and up to the Golden Cap. The Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast, at 627ft (191m), with far ranging views along the shore to the tip of Portland Bill eastwards, and Lyme Regis and beyond to the west.  On a clear day you may even see Dartmoor. 

From here we walk down to Charmouth, and onto Lyme Regis.  As high tide is 18.33 today, we have to walk inland through Charmouth village and along the scenic cliff tops, through the golf course and woods and down into Lyme.   This alternative route is marked on the map/GPX.  Danger of being caught out by the tides if you decide to walk along the beach to Lyme today.  The undulating nature of the coastline, means that the tide is higher at some points of the beach (Black Ven) and there is NO way off.  Also, uneven rocks underfoot in some areas of the beach can slow down your walking.

 Refreshments: There is a bakery, and other cafes in West Bay if you need to pick up supplies.

The Anchor Inn overlooking the beach at Seatown is 2.9 miles from West Bay, so too early for lunch but a quick coffee?

The Beach Café and Heritage Centre on Charmouth beach, serving snacks, takeaway food, ice creams, tea coffee etc.  About 7 miles from start of walk in West Bay.

Tide times between Charmouth and Lyme Regis for Sunday 28^th June 2026:

High tide: 6.15; Low Tide: 11.42; High tide: 18.33; Low tide: 00.11

https://www.uktides.com/england/south-west/charmouth-june

Further details of walk, map, GPX etc can be found here:  West Bay to Lyme Regis

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#2026-06-28T09:40

Seaton Circular via Beer and Branscombe with new extension – and a lovely heritage tramway

Length of walk: 8.6 miles

Toughness: 7/10

Main walk: A lovely walk along the beach from Seaton seafront heading west.   You walk along the Seaton esplanade, and then drop onto the beach and continue  until you come to steps which take you to the cliff top (passing a tearoom on the right with great views out to sea). 

Note: If the tide is high along the beach in Seaton, you can take the steps up from the end of the Esplanade next to a tea room. It is signposted ‘Coast Path Inland Route for high tides’ and it will take you to the cliff top from where you can continue the walk.

Route continues along the shady path and down to Beer (more refreshments) and then onto Branscombe beach which has a bar (The Sea Shanty Beach Café open 9am to 4.30) serving snacks, meals and drinks and facilities for refilling water bottles.   From here we turn inland walking past streams and the Manor Mill now grinding animal feed (open to public Wed and Sun only) through the picturesque village of Branscombe, and climb up through woodlands, around fields back to Seaton. 

There is a new extension (courtesy of Thomas G) which goes initially along the coast, then inland through a couple of scenic coombes, and past a very remote pub in Street. This adds 3.9 km and 129m ascent/descent.

Options 2 and 3 can be done on other days if you wish.

Travel:  Meet at the bus stop by the Clocktower, Marine Parade on the Lyme Regis seafront.  Bus 378 departs at 9.25am or Holmbush Carpark (west bound) at 9.26.  Journey is about 25 minutes long.  Get off at Seaton seafront.

Return buses from Seaton to Lyme Regis:  Bus378 at 13.35; 15.05 and 17.10 from Seaton seafront.

For details of map, GPX etc, click here:  https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/seaton-circular-via-branscombe/

Elevenses/Lunch/Tea:  There are plenty (maybe too many) options for stopping for tea, icecream etc on this route. 

The Mason’s Arms in Branscombe – a pretty thatched roofed inn.  https://www.masonsarms.co.uk/

The Fountainhead pub, in Street, on the extension route - https://thefountainheadinn.co.uk/pub-food-menus-branscombe/

Swimming opportunities in Beer and Branscombe.

Things to see and do around Branscombe:

Forge

The working forge was built in the 18th century and is believed to be the oldest in Devon. Simon Hall is the resident blacksmith.  Opening times: TBC 01297 680481

Watermill

A restored, working, 19th-century watermill. Open every Sunday and Wednesday afternoon from 06 April until late October. No admission fee.

Bakery (with tearoom)

A stone-built thatched building, previously the village bakery, with an original collection of baking equipment. 

Closed Sun, Mon, Tues.  Other days open 10-4.

Closed

 

Options for the Seaton Circular walk:

Option 1: You can do a longer version of the return walk to Seaton from Branscombe after lunch.  This extension is marked on the GPX and will add about 2 miles to the walk back to Seaton seafront.  Please be mindful of the last bus from Seaton back to Lyme Regis

Option 2: Once you return to Seaton you can continue the walk to Lyme Regis along the Undercliff (landslip). 7 MILES back to Lyme Regis from Seaton so please time this carefully.   

This is a very lovely but steeply undulating walk above the sea, under a dense green forest canopy with glimpses of the sea.  Many steps have been laid along this route, making this walk somewhat less challenging than it used to be.  Please be aware, once on this path you cannot get off (cliffs on one side and sea on the other. 

Directions to get onto the Undercliff path from Seaton seafront:  From the Seaton seafront, continue walking along the Esplanade eastwards.  Turn left into Trevelyan Road, and then right into Harbour Rd.  Walk over Axmouth Bridge and curve left with the road.  You can then pick up the SWC route/map/gpx for this Undercliff extension which you will find here:  https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/seaton-to-lyme-regis-via-the-undercliff/

 Option 3 for Sightseeing on the Seaton Tramway

For those who don’t want to walk today, or only want a short walk, there is a lovely little tramway which covers 3 miles of unspoilt countryside along the beautiful Axe Valley.  It’s a narrow gauge heritage tram running between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton through River Axe estuary and two nature reserves along the river.  The trams are usually open topped so you can get a really good view of the surroundings. The Tramway station is located 5 minutes from the bus stop on the Esplanade near Tesco Superstore.

Details for the tram are here: https://www.tram.co.uk/.

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 #2026-06-27T09:25

 

 

 

 

Axminster to Lyme Regis walk

Map Led walk

Length:  7.2 miles (11.4 km)

Difficulty: 4/10 Mainly across fields, woodlands and alongside streams.

Travel: Take the 10.20 train from Waterloo; Clapham J 10.27; Woking 10.46; arriving Axminster 13.02

Option:  If you want to go directly to Lyme Regis without walking, take the 13.15pm X53bus from Axminster station forecourt to Lyme Regis.  Its around 20  minute journey to Lyme Regis (Post Office stop).  Bus timetable here: Bus Times

Lunch: Bring a picnic as no pubs or shops until Uplyme.

Railway Kitchen Café in Axminster station is open Fri, Sat 7.30am - 3pm; Sun 8.30-2pm; Mon Closed

Tea/Dinner – plenty of options in Lyme Regis

This is a map/GPX led walk.  It was last checked June 2025.

Description:  This is a delightful walk from Axminster to Lyme Regis via the Prescott Pinetum.  The walk is through fields, and quiet lanes, and then through the Uplyme or Prescott Pinetum where you can enjoy a wander among magnificent oak and beech trees, and views across to the Viaduct.  

In summary, you walk briefly through Axminster, and then follow the Monmouth Rebellion Walk across fields and woodlands.  Leave the MRW at Hoyton Hill and continue towards Yawl, mainly along country lanes, until you enter the Pinetum (just beyond Cathole Farm)  where you can explore this magnificent wooded area with glimpses of the Cannington Viaduct.  Despite it’s title most of the woodland is mature oak and beech trees.  You will find the original Pinetum area in the lower slopes in the south east quarter of the wood.  After this, pick up the East Devon Way, which takes you along a very pretty riverside path into the heart of Lyme Regis.

Eating out in Lyme Regis:  There are many places to eat in Lyme.

Harbour Inn, Marine Parade (very near the Cobb).  Good idea to book. https://www.harbourinnlymeregis.co.uk/

Millside:  Modern British Menu 1 Mill Ln, Lyme Regis DT7 3PU Need to book in advance as this is very popular. https://www.eatatmillside.co.uk/

Herbies: fish and chip kiosk in between the Cobb Arms and Harbour Inn on Marine Parade. The best fish and chip kiosk in my opinion.

https://therockfish.co.uk/ Fish restaurant with great views.  Should book.

….And many other places.

GPX, map and further information can be found here: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/axminster-to-lyme-regis-via-the-pinetum/

 

#2026-06-26T10:20

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