LYME-REGIS, a sea port town of Dorsetshire in
England, 148 miles from London. It lies near the
sea, on the very borders of Devonshire, in a cavity
between two rocky hills, which makes it difficult of
access. As it lies on the declivity of a hill, the houses
make a good show, rising one above another; and
some of them are built of free-stone, and covered with
blue slate. The number of inhabitants in 1801 was
estimated at 1451. The corporation consists of a
mayor (who is justice of peace during his mayoralty
and the year after, and in the third year both justice
and coroner), a recorder, 15 capital burgesses, and a
town clerk. This place had formerly a very flourish-
ing trade to France, Spain, the Straits, Newfound-
land, and the West Indies; during which, the customs
amounted some years to 16,000. But it stands on
such a high steep rock, that the merchants are obliged
to load and unload their goods at a place a quarter of
a mile off, called the Cobb, originally built in the
reign of Edward III. which costs a great sum to main-
tain, but forms such a harbour as perhaps is not to
be equalled in the world, the ships being sheltered
by a high thick stone wall, raised in the main sea
a good way from the shore, broad enough for carriages
and warehouses, and the customhouse officers have one
upon it. The cellars of the low part of the town, near
the sea, are however often overflowed by the spring
tides 10 or 12 feet. There are guns planted for de-
fence both of the Cobb and the town, the shore here
being very proper for batteries. The customhouse
stands on pillars, with the corn market under it. There
is an almshouse in Church-street, also Presbyterian and
Anabaptist meeting-houses. The town hall is near
Broad-street. The church stands at the east end of
the town on a rising ground. The market here is on
Friday, and there are two fairs in the year. We read,
that in 774, the Saxon king Kinwulf gave land here-
abouts to the church of Sherborn, for the boiling of salt
there to supply its necessities. At this place the duke
of Monmouth landed in 1685. A few years ago above
2000. worth of gold and silver coin of Char. I. and II.
were discovered by some labourers.