Explore Local Walks
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🐾 Planning a walk today? Our Dog Utilities page has a too hot to walk? check that estimates pavement temperature and suggests the coolest hours, plus today's tide times if your route drops down to the shore. You can also draw and save your own route on the Dog-Friendly Walk Mapper, marking water stops as you go.
Lyme Regis is a wonderful place to walk a dog and an honestly demanding one. The town is built on a hillside, so almost every route out of the centre goes either steeply up or steeply down, and the walk you enjoy on the way out is the climb you have to do on the way back. Away from the town you have river valley paths, ancient landslip woodland, open clifftop and some of the finest coast path in England.
The walks below are the ones we come back to, written from walking them regularly with an elderly black Labrador — so where a route is hard work, it says so.
Easy · about 3 miles there and back · mostly flat
The kindest walk in Lyme Regis and the one we recommend first. The path follows the River Lim inland from the town up to the neighbouring village of Uplyme, on a mostly level, largely surfaced route through trees and old mill sites. Shade in summer, water alongside for most of it, and no serious climbing.
Best for: older dogs, hot days, anyone who has already done the hills once today. There are pubs at the Uplyme end if you want a halfway stop.
Easy · 20–40 minutes · paths and steps
The terraced gardens rising above the seafront, with winding paths, benches and panoramic views across Lyme Bay, the Cobb and the beaches. A gentle option right in the middle of town, and a good way to get from the seafront up to Broad Street without walking the road.
Best for: a short leg-stretch, wet days when the beach is unpleasant, and visitors who want the view without the commitment. Leads on — it is a formal garden with plenty of people about.
Moderate · 1–2 hours · uneven ground, steady climb
Head west past Monmouth Beach and up onto Ware Cliff, where the coast path climbs towards the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve. This is a genuinely strange and beautiful landscape — a wooded landslip, dense and jungly, formed when whole sections of cliff slipped towards the sea.
Best for: dogs who like a proper walk and owners who want somewhere that feels remote within twenty minutes of the town. Note that the full Undercliffs route to Axmouth is around seven miles with no exit points once you commit, so treat it as a serious walk rather than an afternoon stroll.
Easy · 30 minutes · flat, paved
The obvious one, and still lovely: along Marine Parade, out along the Cobb harbour wall, and back. Flat, paved and manageable in any weather. Dogs must be on a lead the whole way — along Marine Parade, Cart Road, the harbour, the Cobb itself and the sea walls.
Best for: evenings, gentle exercise, and dogs who like an audience. The Cobb is exposed in wind and the upper wall has no railing, so keep small dogs close.
Strenuous · half a day · steep, exposed
The coast path east climbs towards Charmouth and on to Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England. Superb views, hard work, and a proper day out rather than a walk.
Best for: fit dogs and fit owners. Carry water — there is none on the route — and remember that if you drop down to the beach at any point, the tide can cut off the sand below Black Ven and East Cliff. See our beaches page for tide notes before you plan a shoreline return.
🐑 Livestock, and why it matters here. Many inland paths around Lyme Regis and Uplyme cross grazing land. Dogs must be on a lead near sheep and cattle. If cattle move towards you — most likely in spring when calves are about — the standard advice is to let go of the lead and let your dog run rather than be dragged. Keep to marked footpaths, and shut gates behind you.
If your dog is elderly or arthritic, the hills and the many flights of steps are the thing to plan around, not the distance. The Lim Valley path is the best option by far — flat, shaded and soft underfoot. Langmoor Gardens works if you approach from the top and walk down. What we would avoid on a warm day: the long climb back up from Monmouth Beach, and the steps between Church Cliff and Charmouth Road car park. Park at the top and walk down where you can.
Where you park decides how much climbing you do. Charmouth Road is the main long-stay car park above the town with steps down to the front; Holmbush sits high on the west side; Cobb Gate and Monmouth Beach are closer to the water and fill early in summer. Charges and locations are on the Dorset Council parking pages, and local facilities are listed by Lyme Regis Town Council.
The X51 and X53 buses link Lyme Regis with Axminster, Bridport and Dorchester, and Axminster is the nearest station, roughly five miles away. Dogs usually travel free at the driver's discretion. Timetables: Traveline South West. Route details for the coast path are published by the South West Coast Path Association.
For most dogs, the Lim Valley path to Uplyme — flat, shaded, water alongside, and no hills. For a bigger walk, Ware Cliff and the edge of the Undercliffs. For a short one, Langmoor and Lister Gardens.
Yes, the Lim Valley path. It is the only substantial walk in the town that stays mostly level, which makes it the standard choice for older dogs and anyone with mobility difficulties.
On many inland paths and on the dog-friendly beaches, yes, if they are under close control. Leads are required through the town, along Marine Parade, the harbour and the Cobb, and around any livestock.
There are bins at the main beach accesses and along the seafront, but far fewer once you are out on the coast path or up the Lim Valley. Carry bags and expect to bring waste back with you on longer routes.
The Lim Valley path has the river alongside for much of its length. On clifftop and coast path routes there is nothing, so carry water — Lyme Regis is exposed and hotter than it feels in a sea breeze. Several cafés will fill a bowl on request; see our dog-friendly cafés.
This is a community site, run locally and free to use — no adverts, nothing for sale. If you have a favourite route, please add a review so other dog owners can find it. You might also like our dog-friendly beaches guide, the Dog-Friendly Walk Mapper for drawing your own routes, the Dog Utilities page for tides and heat warnings, and Angel Dogs, our free camera that gives your dog a halo.
Paths, access and livestock change with the seasons. Please follow signage and the Countryside Code on the day. Coast path conditions can change after landslips — check the South West Coast Path Association for diversions. Last reviewed: July 2026.