Pound Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset

This exceptional Grade II-listed house is within Lyme Regis' West Hill conservation area, a short walk from the characterful town centre. Among the works undertaken by the current owners, a row of marine-grade Crittall windows was added to the top floor, enabling exceptional south-easterly views towards Golden Cap and the Jurassic Coast. An L-shaped walled garden has been divided into different rooms and landscaped with silver, green and white plantings. Rail connections to the capital are great via Axminster station, a 16-minute drive away.



Setting the Scene



This house is one of a pair of early 19th-century houses. It has plenty of features associated with the period, including a fanlight above the door, and round-headed sash windows that sit in arched tracery on the ground floor.



Next door is the plaster-pink Belmont, an earlier Grade II*-listed villa which once belonged to businesswoman Eleanor Coade, who had a workshop in Lambeth making composite stone architectural embellishments; it was later home to author John Fowles.



The Grand Tour



The front door opens onto a lobby, where a glazed doorway leads into an entrance hall lined with panelling and hooks and with chequerboard-painted floorboards.



To the right is a dining room, with walls painted in 'Salon Drab' by Farrow and Ball. The room is wonderfully atmospheric, a feeling enhanced by the open fire. The window has original shutters, and on the other side of the room is a French-grey glass-fronted cabinet - perfect for glassware and cutlery.



The former servants' entrance, a small bootroom, is located under the staircase from the kitchen. It has a large pantry cupboard (painted 'Chocolate' by Little Greene) handy for tins and dried goods.



The bright kitchen lies beyond and is lit by a sash window and a glazed stable door that opens onto the garden. Outside, a terrace provides opportunities for outdoor dining and entertaining. There is also a guest WC on this floor, as well as a utility room with a dishwasher, chest freezer and washing machine.



An original staircase leads to the first floor, where there is a wonderful sitting room with a tall window, high ceilings, and an elegant Georgian carved fireplace surround. There is a secondary living space/study on this storey, which also doubles as a bedroom and is fitted with a warming wood-burning stove. Original (now 'Chocolate'-painted) floorboards run throughout.



On the second floor are two evenly sized bedrooms (one with an en suite bathroom), a shower room and a separate WC.



Inspired by New England beach cabins, the top floor is occupied by the principal bedroom suite. Its walls are painted in 'Slipper Satin' from Farrow and Ball, an off-white colour with a subtle sheen. Its sublime quality of light would lend it well to use as an artist's studio, with inspiring views out to sea.



The Great Outdoors



Care and consideration have gone into the cultivation of this home's garden. Divided into sections, it presents a series of 'rooms', each planted with a considered array of species.



Silvery topiary ball shapes of teucrium fruticans (silver leaf) and weeping pears are met by the verdant shades of an evergreen box (buxus balls), with hornbeam lolllipops at the end of the garden.



An avenue of lime trees runs down both sides of the narrow garden before opening out into a large rectangular space. On the right is a stone wall, and on the left is woven hazel fencing. Here, white hydrangeas are planted alongside white cosmos and white hollyhocks. Fennel and angelica give height, and mint and marjoram grow in galvanised tubs. There are also espaliered apple trees here.



There is a 'working' garden at the far end, with raised vegetable beds and raspberry canes. There are also beehives here, and a galvanised trough for the current owners' Aylesbury ducks.



Out and About



Lyme Regis is on the border of east Devon and west Dorset, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known for its dramatic rolling hills, ancient woodlands and Roman forts. The beaches around Lyme Regis are a wonderful dock for fishing, rowing, and swimming year-round.



It is an area known for beautiful beaches - and, close to the house, Shoreline Sauna makes for a wonderful dip spot. Sea swimming groups gather at Lyme, where calmer waters are sheltered by the 'arm' of the Cobb, and there is also a gig rowing club, a sailing club and a boat building school.



Lyme Regis has a great selection of independent shops, including Lyme Regis Book Shop, a wonderful fishmonger near the harbour, and Ryder and Hope. There is also a museum and a theatre for music, theatre, comedy, and National Theatre Live screenings.



The area is renowned for local food producers and independently run cafés and restaurants. Trill Farm Garden is a community of local organic market gardeners who offer weekly boxes of fresh vegetables, while In My Back Yard delivers food from various nearby producers.



Tom’s Lyme Regis is a lovely restaurant on the seafront specialising in local produce; it’s also a great spot for a morning coffee with a sea view. Tapas restaurant, Strawberry Tree, brings a slice of southern Spain to west Dorset, while friendly neighbourhood spot Poco Pizza has an upstairs terrace overlooking the beach. Newer opening Rockfish also serves delicious seafood. By the water, Kiosk is a popular spot for coffee among dog walkers and brave sea-swimming locals.



The South West Coast Path is also easily accessible. Stonebarrow, owned by the National Trust, is a five-minute drive away in Charmouth. The location also provides ease of access to the Jurassic Coast, a hugely diverse and beautiful landscape underpinned by the incredible geology of global importance. In 2001, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its rocks, fossils and landforms. A wonderful circular walk traces part of the path and meanders around Pinhay Warren, through beautiful trees and along the sandy coast with its butterflies and wildflowers.



The handsome market town of Bridport is around 15-20 minutes’ drive away. The town has gained a reputation as the gateway to the Jurassic Coast, with West Bay beach within walking distance of Bridport’s bustling centre. Here, dramatic golden cliffs rise above the fine shingle strand and views along Chesil beach and Portland island are spectacular.



Bridport also has twice-weekly brocantes, as well as food markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Nearby Axminster also has an excellent market on Thursdays for buying fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and plants.



There are state-run primary and secondary schools in Lyme Regis, and a grammar school in nearby Colyton. There are also private options within driving distance.



The nearest train station is at Axminster, a 16-minute drive away, with direct services running to London in around two hours and 45 minutes.



Council Tax Band: E