Fossils, Fiction and Films in Lyme Regis, Lyme Regis, England (B)

Fossils, fiction and films are just three facets of the fame association with the pretty seaside town of Lyme Regis on the UNESCO Jurassic Coast.

Writer John Fowles was a long-time resident here, and Jane Austen, who stayed in Lyme Regis, found inspiration there. It was used as the setting for the film The French Lieutenant’s Women and film adaptions of Persuasion by Jane Austen. Mary Anning, a famous palaeontologist lived in the town and became renowned for her work with fossils. She is commemorated by a bronze statue at the eastern end of the Long Entry. Also on Long Entry is a plaque recording and attempt by the famous novelist and playwright, Henry Fielding, to run away with Sarah Andrew the ward of a local merchant. Following the failure of this escapade Fielding fled the town the following day.

Mary Anning, a famous palaeontologist and fossil collector, was born in Lyme Regis in 1799. As a child she would collect fossils from the town’s beaches and then sell them from her home. Mary was still very young when her father died and from that time the sale of fossils was the family’s only income. Mary also made some significant discoveries – the fossilised remains of marine reptiles. However, as she was a woman from a lower social class in Georgian England the importance of her work was not recognised until a long time after her death. But she has been honoured by a statue on the sea front depicting her and her dog. Fossils on the hem of her skirt are reminiscent of her habit of storing her finds in the hem of her skirt. Some of her finds are on display in the Natural History Museum in London as well as the Lyme Regis Philpot Museum. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).