Lyme Regis
Enjoy the Jurassic Coast’s fantastic roads before the school summer holidays begin
Our motorcycle route from Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a town with real atmosphere. Built around the sweep of sandy beach from the clock-tower to the Cobb — the famous harbour with its built-up wall — it’s the kind of iconic Victorian seaside resort that has aged gracefully.
Yet behind the narrow streets, above the fossil-rich cliffs, there is some fabulous riding. The trick is steering clear of the convoys of caravans and other holidaymakers. That means avoiding the school holidays of course, and riding on some of the smaller lanes.
You could pass a morning devouring tiny lanes between Lyme and Crewkerne. But this route is all about rolling through the leafy Dorset countryside.
Where to stay: The Royal Lion Hotel, Broad Street, Lyme Regis, DT7 3QF
STAGE ONE
Lyme Regis to Pines Café: 42 miles
Leave Lyme on the B3165 (from Broad Street it’s signposted for Axminster and the A3070). When it meets the A35, go right then left to continue to Crewkerne, where you turn left on the A30. Two miles later, turn right on the minor road towards Dowlish Wake (look for the brown sign for Perry’s Cider Mill) and take this to Ilminster.Go straight through Ilminster and at the A303 roundabout, take the second exit for the A358 to Horton, past the services. In Horton, take the second right after the pub: Pound Road. After three miles, turn right at the first T-junction, then turn left at the next one. At the crossroads in Staple Fitzlane, turn right and take this one road into Taunton. Go through the town centre, past the station, then when the A358 goes left, go straight on towards Kingston St Mary.
Morning Coffee: The Pines Café - Two miles past Kingston St Mary. Top quality fry-up.
STAGE TWO
Pines Caféto Sherborne: 47 miles
Turn left out of the café, towards Enmore, and continue into Bridgwater, turning right onto the town centre dual carriageway. Then turn right after crossing the bridge to pick up the A372. When it meets the A361, go right then left to carry on along the A372 to Langport. At the T-junction turn left towards Wincanton, then go straight over the roundabout onthe B3153 to Somerton. Go straight through the village and, at the T-junction, turn right to Ilchester on the B3151. When it reaches a T-junction above a railway, turn right on the A371 around Castle Carey. This bypasses Wincanton and, half a mile after passing under the A303, turn right onto the B3145 towards Sherborne.
Lunch: Oliver’s Cheap Street, Sherborne. Good sandwiches and great coffee.
STAGE THREE
Sherborne to Bridport Harbour: 41 miles
Head south from Sherborne on the A352. Look out when you come into Cerne Abbas: park on the left to get a good picture of the giant. Turn right on the A37, then left on the A356 back towards Crewekerne (first turning after leaving the 30mph limit). At the crossroads, about six miles after Maiden Newton, turn right on the B3163 to Beauminster. At the T-junction in the village, turn left on the B3066 to Bridport. Carry straight on through the town, following signs for West Bay and the B3157.
Afternoon tea: Watch House Café, West Beach, Bridport.
STAGE FOUR
Bridport Harbour to Lyme Regis: 11 miles
To be honest, the final tea stop is an optional one: it’s a short run back to Lyme along the A35, turning onto the A3059 at the roundabout for the final sweep down into Lyme Regis again.
Route summary
Start/finish: Lyme Regis
Distance: 141 miles
Download the GPX file
Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Great Britain which was published in October 2017. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device).