Places to Visit

Seaton

Seaton is the closest seaside town to Colyton, just five minutes by car or a short ride on the Seaton Tramway from nearby Colyton Station. Seaton offers a charming mix of cafes and independent shops, with access to water-sports including kayaking, sailing and paddle boarding. Also, don’t miss the newly opened Jurassic Discovery centre, which includes an exciting exhibition of life-size animatronic dinosaur models and an amazing fossil exhibition.

This is also a great starting point for exploring the world famous Jurassic Coast, walk the mile-long pebble shoreline then climb the cliff path from Seaton Hole. From the highest point take in spectacular views across the bay and west to the fishing village of Beer.

Lyme Regis

Bustling seaside town with something for everyone, including fashionable boutique shops, sandy beaches for sunbathers and rocky ones for fossil hunters. About ten minutes from Colyton, the highlight is the Cobb Harbour, a 13th century breakwater made famous by Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep in the 1981 film The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

The town is also home to the Lyme Regis Museum, site of the celebrated Victoria palaeontologist Mary Anning. She is immortalised in a statue close to her famous discoveries.

Branscombe

Gorgeous village ten minutes drive from Colyton, with a wonderful beach, great for cliff top walks, sunbathing or swimming. Very much a jewel on the Jurassic coast with a lovely beachside café, too.

Beer

Classic English harbour village with a steep pebble beach, just a ten-minute drive from The Old Bakehouse. Enjoy a swim or walk along  the picturesque cliffs, including Beer Head, part of the South West Coast Path.

Visitor attractions include the complex Beer Quarry Caves and the award-winning gardens and model trains of Pecorama.

Axminster

Overlooking the River Axe, this busy market town is famous for its carpets and home to the main railway station in the area serving London and the south-west. The town includes a charming selection of independent shops, pubs and coffee houses as well as the Guildhall Theatre, which hosts a range of films, musicals and talk events.

Sidmouth

Attractive resort town with stunning pebble beach, a once favourite destination for Queen Victoria. Walk the shoreline and climb Jacob’s Ladder, a series of steep steps leading up to Connaught Gardens, providing spectacular views of the sea below. Other attractions include The Byes Riverside Park, a beautiful walk leading from the outskirts to the centre of Sidmouth.

As well as hosting a range of wonderful seaside pubs and cafes, the town is host to the annual Sidmouth International Jazz and Blues Festival and Sidmouth Folk Festival.

Just outside town is the Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary, home to hundreds of donkeys free to roam in award-winning gardens.