Charmouth Beach

Popular on account of its size and having a little more sand than Charmouth West Beach, Charmouth’s East Beach is also a good place to find fossils. Maybe not as famous for its reptile finds as its neighbour there are still plenty of small Ammonites and Belemnites to be found in the pyrite along the shoreline. This is particularly the case in the winter months when more fossils are revealed by the rough seas.

The east beach at Charmouth is generally the more popular choice for families. The pebbles here are somewhat smaller and the beach becomes increasingly sandy below the tide mark. When the tide is right out a good-sized expanse of flat sand stretches the length of the beach. This provides a great surface to take a hike along the coast past the towering cliffs of Stonebarrow and on to th base of Golden Cap - the highest cliff on the south coast.

Charmouth is located around 2 miles east of Lyme Regis and 6 miles west of Bridport. Access is either over a footbridge, or by wading through the river at low tide. The river can be deeper and faster flowing than it looks, so caution is advised.

Safe swimming but frequent landslides, so avoid sitting directly under the cliffs or looking for fossils near recent falls. Also be aware you may get cut off by the tide if you walk too far up the beach on an incoming tide, so check the tide times before heading off.