An ammonite from Lyme Regis

Beach Renovations at Lyme Regis
(80 images)
An ammonite from Lyme Regis

During 2005 and 2006 the main beach and promenade of the historic seaside town of Lyme Regis in West Dorset were extensively renovated as part of a multi-million pound coastal protection scheme.

Click below for a selection of photographs taken during the renovations.

Link to the slides

The original sea wall and the lower walkway known as Cart Road were extended westwards towards the famous Cobb. A new stone jetty was constructed part way along the beach and the eastern side was raised to the level of the original Cart Road with about 75,000 tonnes of shingle from the Isle of Wight.

The western side of the new jetty was re-surfaced with about 35,000 tonnes of sand imported from France to make a large sandy beach. The original upper promenade known as Marine Parade was reinforced with steel piling and concrete to help protect against landslips which are a regular feature of this part of the coastline.

Remains of a 190 million year old Ichthyosaur were discovered while foundations were being dug for the new jetty, and details were sent to experts at the Natural History Museum in London. The complete fossil would have been in the region of 15 feet in length.

The new beach and promenade were eventually re-opened to the public on July 1st 2006 by the Mayor and other civic leaders, with an announcement from the Lyme Regis town crier. On April 4th 2007, HRH The Princess Royal also unveiled a plaque on the seafront to officially open this phase of the multi million pound improvements scheme.



All photographs © 2006 to 2021 inclusive