Our June holiday in The Hague started well but became a bit of a nightmare when H and I both went down with a nasty bout of covid, overshadowing much of the summer. We decided a short, easy break in Lyme Regis would finish off our recuperation. Things didn’t get off to a brilliant start thanks to persistent drizzle but we live in the west so we’re used to that kind of thing.
Tuesday’s weather was much better, certainly good enough to walk down to town from our temporary home near Uplyme along a path we know well. I have such fond memories of Lyme Regis, still unspoilt although it seemed a little more touristy than it once was. For many years it was home to John Fowles who set his best-known novel, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, there. It’s also the place where Louisa Musgrove suffers a serious concussion after an ill-advised leap from the Cobb Wall in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Not something either of us had plans to try.
The sun came out in the afternoon when a quick trip to buy supper ingredients took us to Colyton with its striking church 
tower. It’s a sweet little town which seemed to have coped well with the high street woes of recent years thanks, perhaps, to the spirit of solidarity shown in 2018 when an anonymous complaint to a resident about hanging washing out to dry riled the rest of the town so much they all hung their knickers outside. Lots of gardens were showing off the rich colours of late summer, full of michaelmas daisies, verbena, black-eyed Susans and echinacea with its pink shuttlecock flowers, but no laundry to be seen.
tower. It’s a sweet little town which seemed to have coped well with the high street woes of recent years thanks, perhaps, to the spirit of solidarity shown in 2018 when an anonymous complaint to a resident about hanging washing out to dry riled the rest of the town so much they all hung their knickers outside. Lots of gardens were showing off the rich colours of late summer, full of michaelmas daisies, verbena, black-eyed Susans and echinacea with its pink shuttlecock flowers, but no laundry to be seen.With a deluge forecast for the next day, we spent most of Wednesday outside enjoying stunning views of rolling countryside on our morning walk inland then a visit to Seaton Wetlands where we saw very few birds but enjoyed ourselves anyway.
We both had fond memories of Honiton and fancied escaping Thursday’s rain with a trip to the town’s museum which houses a gallery devoted to lace. Before the advent of mechanisation, Honiton had a reputation for exquisite handmade lacework, samples of which were on display alongside lace from all over Europe. The museum was crammed with all sorts of other artifacts including a hornets’ nest which resembled a rather beautiful piece of sculpture. We trudged back to the car park, glad we’d made the effort but ready for a cosy afternoon indoors.
Just dry enough for a quick walk around Lyme on Friday morning before a very wet drive home, arriving in under two hours. Mischief seemed surprised but pleased to see us and it wasn’t even feeding time.
And the book? The seductive cover of Gianfranco Calligarich’s Last Summer in the City (transl. Howard Curtis) set me up for an undemanding read about a summer fling but turned into something much darker. It sees a self-assured young man fall for a vain, beautiful woman one hot summer in 1960s Rome which ends very badly for them both. Atmospheric and powerful but a bit too stylised for me.
Back to books on Friday…
Result! You’ve sold Lyme Regis as a possible destination. The book? Not so much. We’ve recently had a case of Washing Line Wars in our village too. That creative solution wasn’t proposed. Next time maybe?
Excellent! We’ve been visiting for decades. I warmed to the residents of Colyton who clearly have both a sense of humour and solidarity. Please post photographs should you decide to follow their example.
I will. But it won’t now be any time soon.
A well-deserved break by the sounds of it!
Thank you! We refused to let the rain deter us.
It’s a great area to visit. I’ve been to Honiton’s lace museum and your destination reminded me of Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Isn’t it, and relatively unvisited. The museum was a delight. So much crammed into such a small space. I’ve not read that one but will look it up.
Me, too on Remarkable Creatures
I love it down there, we go to Bournemouth quite often as the remnants of my family are all that way.
Great to have a reason to visit. It’s been ages since we went to Dorset despite it being practically on our doorstep. We’ll definitely be going back soon.
I think I’ve only been to that region once, when our daughter was young. I tend to remember pubs more than flowers, but in any case, your photos are charming!
Thank you, Jennifer. All credit to H for the photos. He has a better eye than me. I think holidaymakers often rush through Dorset on their way to Devon and Cornwall, missing a treat.
Sounds really lovely! I’ve not been to Lyme Regis in years, I’m very tempted to visit now. The washing story is great!
Highly recommended for a short break – very restorative. It was such a brilliant response, wasn’t it.
I remember spending about five days hanging around outside a dress shop waiting for it to open and it never did although according to the locals it was always just about to! Then we ate fudge from the fudge shop and bought a book in the bookshop. As you say it’s still lovely there.
How odd! I wonder what they were up to. I was delighted to see the bookshop still going strong.
Oooh – Lyme Regis sounds lovely!!!
It is, indeed. An off-season treat!
French Lieutenant’s Woman was one of my first assigned novels at Indiana University–I loved it. This post brings to mind The Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, too. It is my favorite of her books. The town sounds very nice! I’m glad you had a good time.
Thank you! Fowles summons up the town and period beautifully. Yours is the second recommendation of the Chevalier. Adding it to my list.
It’s so good. I can still remember reading French Lt Woman in my dorm room, loving the book and thinking “this is homework?” Later Jeremy Irons was in the movie–he’d been in the Pallisers which I’d watched on PBS with my folks–bit part. I was smitten when I saw that face in the movie poster! [Still in love lol]
Quite a feat to film such a book so well, too.
Dorset is a lovely place for a short break – spectacular coast and beautiful rolling hills inland. What more can you want.
I’d not heard that story about Colyton and its imaginative residents. It reminded me of an episode in the book The Help where the maids (all black women) take revenge on one madam over her refusal to allow them to use their indoor toilets. They buy up lots of pans and leave them on the lawn!
It’s gorgeous! I’m lucky to have it so close to home.
I’m all for creative solutions and humour always helps!
I have never been to Dorset or Cornwall. My sister lives in Portsmouth so I tend to tour around the Hampshire region and east of Portsmouth. I have Fowles book on my bookshelf for years, and now you have encouraged me to read it. The Italian book sounds like a Fellini film from that era. Not sure it’s a book I would want to read. The Hummingbird has set the bar for me now regarding Italian literature.
Ah, but Hampshire’s lovely, too. Nicely wooded. I’m pretty sure that’s what the cover designers had in mind and it certainly lured me in. The Hummingbird’s on my list!
What lovely photos Susan, so glad to hear you enjoyed your break.
Thanks, Cathy! All credit due to H for the photos.
A well-deserved break by the sounds of it!
Thank you!
Sounds like the perfect way to recuperate – hope you’re both well recovered now! I’ve only spent one day in Lyme Regis some years ago but still remember it fondly as an attractive and relatively unspoiled place.
Thank you! We’re both much better. Lyme Regis has been very lucky in escaping the commercialisation of some seaside resorts.
When Mr Books and I travelled to the UK in 2007, Lyme Regis was high on my places to visit. We only had the one night there just after our long flight from Australia, so our day wandering around the town and along the Cobb was rather foggy with jetlag, but I simply had to see the steps that Louisa Musgrove fell down, walk along the undercliff with Fowles and search the beach for ammonites à la Mary Anning!
That sounds like a perfect Lyme Regis day! I’m glad you made it there.
I’m glad you had a good break in and around Lyme Regis, Susan. Bournemouth was our usual holiday / weekend destination (as I grew up Southampton), but occasionally we ventured further. Such a lovely area.
Thanks, Jacqui. I’m very lucky to have such beautiful landscape so close to home.
I’ve never been to Lyme Regis though I’ve read both the books! It was lovely to read this account of your break and as other sufferers of Covid earlier this summer, I send huge solidarity. It’s such a pig of a virus. And I really must visit Lyme Regis, also to see the place where Louisa Musgrove jumps off the wall, and take care NOT to do it, haha.
I’m not sure how Lyme’s managed to remain quite so unspoilt but long may it last, and definitely avoid that wall! Covid certainly threw a long shadow over our summer. I hope it left no lasting effects for you.