About 5 miles

I. Start at the clock tower, go behind the Cobb Fish Bar and through the metal black swing gate (no way through traffic).
Continue along the walkway, past the modern black museum and the spiral steps to the Marine Theatre. Read the Jurassic Coast Information table whilst looking across to Golden Cap and beyond. Then onwards to the New Wall, where there are built-in seats along the way. Go past the slipway. A short way along the wall, at the Lifeguard information signage, take the 114 steps up to Charmouth Road car park I/4 mile away. A quirky wooden bench awaits you at the top of the first flight of stairs.

2. Walk towards the top left corner of the car park, past an electric car charger, towards a "Coaches/Commercial Vehicles"
sign. Remain on the right up the hill past the Football Club and through the kissing gate signposted with an acorn icon to the coast path Charmouth 21/2 miles, leaving Lyme Regis behind you.

3. Cross a small wooden bridge to three open fields separated by a wooden gate and little bridge. Go up the middle track in the 3rd field, stopping to gain panoramic views all the way from Portland Bill to Uplyme, then through the metal bar gate into the pine wood at the top. Turn left out of the wood back onto the main road. Turn right and walk through Timbervale Caravan Park on your left.

4. When you come to the end of the track along the bottom of the park, go straight ahead to Penn 11/4; behind you is the
A3052. Ahead there is a large telegraph pole and a white house over to your left. Then keep walking on the small tarmacked drive under a shady tree canopy. A little further, Coppers Cottages, on your right. There is a large red bricked house, covered in ivy on your left.

5. Take a step to your left, signposted Penn Im and Rhode Hill l/2m, with Hole Common straight ahead. There is a large
wooden gate (when closed, it indicates cattle in the field) and a wooden stile. Go over the stile veer left along the single track under a beautiful conker tree. A little further on, you will see open pasture with a fallen tree and a farm ahead. Follow the path slightly left (excellent blackberry-picking here) over a wooden bridge and the River Lym, with a stile at the end. 

6. Follow the small, green Rhode Barton sign straight ahead. Go up to the top of the field where you will see a small gate signed Marlow on your right. Follow the signpost here to Rhode Hill/Harcombe through a small wooden gate, veer right
into a woody copse, then through another wooden gate onto Rhode Hill Farm's driveway. Walk up the driveway, over a mini cattle grid and through an open, big farm gate. Carry on past a brick house and longbrick wall until the drive meets the
main road.

7. Turn left and continue down past the Old Dairy House. Stop to admire the views across to Uplyme. Further down the hill,
go past White Ley at the white metal gates. Around the corner is Hele Lane, where a red post box is built into the wall
adjacent to a Public Footpath sign. Go straight ahead past the 30 speed limit sign and the Mulberry long stone wall. At the end of this, turn immediately left, down a white tarmac driveway opening to gravel. This is a no-through road. Past the orchard on your left, there is a right-hand bend. Carry on through the open wooden gate. There is a signpost for Lyme Regis / Dragon's Hill.

8. Go over the little bridge (illustrated in the Tale of Pig Robinson by Beatrix Potter) to the field beyond and through the small, wooden gate next to the river. Follow this path all the way, with the river on your right, until you cross over Colway Lane at Home Bridge. Continue along Windsor Terrace, with Higher Mill on your left. This opens into a road which winds down to Coombe Street at the crossroads. Taking a left turn and following past the cottages and handful of shops, will take you back to Broad Street at the centre of Lyme.

Walk & map courtesy of Pug & Puffin, & Helen Edwards