We headed south west to Dorset, and the seaside town of Lyme Regis. The weather was noticeably milder – there was no snow on the ground, only rain in the air. Lyme Regis has been a popular destination for holidaying Brits since the 18th Century. My favourite author, Jane Austen, holidayed here with her family, and hubby was excited to be in the area where the sciences of geology and paleontology was born.

Lyme is another one of those towns in England that has been wonderfully preserved. The old town contained the same narrow streets and terraces, mills and bridges, as two hundred years ago, albeit with a few alterations. We stayed at the cute Old Lyme Guest House, which in the early 1800’s was the town’s post office. Being a 17th Century building, the rooms were atmospheric, if very cosy, with sloping floors and ceilings. You can imagine Jane Austen coming here to post her letters.

We took a walk at dusk down the canals that used to feed the old mill (now a cheesemonger and a brewery).

It didn’t take long to reach the sea, and a view of that wonderful Dorset coastline they called the Jurassic Coast.