Jurassic joy in January — Emma Kathryn Luther

Starting a new year beside the sea is pure joy.

Watching the tide roll in while wondering what the next 12 months will bring, comes with a salty sea air tang of excitement, hope and wonder.

The swirling beauty of the sights and sounds that surround you, stir up a magical potion of possibility. You get the sense that magic could unfold.

And so, we found ourselves in Dorset’s beauty spot of Lyme Regis, for the first weekend of 2024, determined to welcome a fresh start with smiles on our faces.

We were blessed with bright sunshine which makes absolutely everything better - from beers overlooking the ocean to the sparkling views across the bay.

Home for the weekend was the stunningly positioned Rock Point Inn, owned by St Austell Brewery and pretty exclusive with just seven bedrooms above the pub and restaurant.

We pushed the boat out (pun intended!) and chose the best room - right at the top of the 18th century building with double windows giving magnificent views across the pebbled beach all the way over to the iconic Cobb harbour wall.

If you’ve never visited Lyme Regis, you’ll likely have seen the Cobb on the telly. Either in The French Lieutenant's Woman or the latest Willy Wonka movie that’s in cinemas right now.

Being able to soak up incredible views from our glorious green, historic beamed bedroom was a game plan in case the weather turned against us. But fortune favoured the brave in booking a British seaside break in January and gave us three days of stunning sunshine.

It meant we could meander around the pretty streets at ease, choosing our old favourite The Town Mill Bakery for a vibrant hearty lunch. My green brunch of grilled tenderstem broccoli along with sugar snap peas, hummus and avocado on freshly baked sourdough and scattered with toasted almonds and sesame seeds was scrumptious and made me feel ever so slightly virtuous.

My fella already knew what he wanted, his classic favourite of smoked salmon and scrambled egg was made even more delicious with a few stems of broccoli - giving him the ‘aren’t we being so healthy for the new year’ vibes.

We wandered along beside the sea and appreciated how compact the town is. You can easily duck back into your room for a quick snooze or pick-me-up coffee before diving back into it all again.

This visit (we come to Lyme Regis regularly) we stumbled across a new cocktail bar, tucked away in the cellar of The Lyme Bay’s bustling cafe and restaurant. Down the spiral staircase we climbed to uncover exposed brick walls, an urban, edgy atmosphere and the friendliest waitress and mixologist we’ve come across in quite some time.

If you get your timings right you can nab a cocktail for a fiver and we were so impressed we had more than one sip of bargain booze.

It’s an appealing addition to the town which can often attract an older crowd and gives it a shot of swagger. The fab fish and chips in its restaurant are also worth a shout for fresh favours and generous portions.

Breakfast is included with stays at the Rock Point Inn and we enjoyed a fantastic continental spread as well as a very hearty cooked breakfast.

The smiley staff and stunning views of the sea make it the most uplifting start to the day.

You can easily ‘do’ Lyme within a day or two, so we took a 30 minute drive over to beautiful Beer to walk off our cocktails and cooked breakfast excess.

The cliff climb walks leading to the pretty little harbour give you enough of a challenge to feel like you’re strolling off some calories but it’s the spectacular views across Seaton and the cliffs beyond Beer that make it an extra special place to visit.