HAMPSHIRE & DORSET - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 320

from the property's own garden where possible. Reservations are essential on week-
ends or during holiday periods.
Ferrymans Way, Portland Rd., Wyke Regis. & 01305/788867. www.crabhousecafe.co.uk. MC, V. Res-
ervations highly recommended. Main courses £13-£26. Wed-Thurs noon-2pm and 6-8:30pm; Fri-Sat
noon-2:30pm and 6-9pm; Sun noon-3:30pm. Closed mid-Dec-mid-Feb. From Weymouth, follow signs
toward Portland; restaurant is on the right before the causeway.
Where to Stay
For a refined take on the English seaside experience, B+B Weymouth , 68 The
Esplanade, Weymouth DT4 7AA ( www.bb-weymouth.com ; & 01305/761190),
offers simple, contemporary, Scandinavian-inspired rooms opposite the beach. Dou-
bles range from £70 to £100 depending on the season; there's a £10 supplement for
a Saturday stay or for a sea view.
IN LYME REGIS
Alexandra Hotel A major 2008 revamp gave this hotel, built in 1753, a chic,
contemporary edge to lift its classy Georgian styling to the next level. Perched on a
hill about 5 minutes from both the center and the harbor beach, it has the best bed-
rooms and amenities in town. In rooms once occupied by such “blue-bloods” as
Dowager Countess Poulett and Duc du Stacpoole, you'll sleep in grand comfort in the
Alex's handsome beds. Most rooms command superb sea views over Lyme Bay, but
paying a little extra for one of the two Gould Rooms guarantees the best full-length
bay window panorama in Dorset.
Pound St., Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3HZ. www.hotelalexandra.co.uk. & 01297/442010. Fax [phone].
26 units. £125-£215 double. Rates include English breakfast. MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Restaurant;
bar; babysitting; room service; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer, MP3 docking station (in some).
Kersbrook Built of stone in 1789 and crowned by a thatched roof, the Kersbrook
sits on a ledge above Lyme, on small, quaint gardens landscaped according to original
18th-century plans. All the comfortable, small to medium-size bedrooms have a tra-
ditional charm, but those up in the eaves have the most character and the best views.
Pound Rd., Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3HX. www.kersbrook.co.uk. & fax [phone] units. £85-£95
double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Bar. In room: TV, hair dryer, no phone.

7

SHERBORNE
128 miles SW of London; 19 miles NW of Dorchester
A little gem of a town with well-preserved medieval, Tudor, Stuart, and Georgian
buildings, Sherborne is in the northwestern corner of Dorset, surrounded by gentle
hills, wooded glades, and chalk downs. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh lived before
his fall from fortune, in Sherborne Castle. There are 13 centuries of local Christian
history, much of it is encapsulated in the stones of Gothic Sherborne Abbey.
Essentials
GETTING THERE Frequent direct trains depart from London's Waterloo Station
through the day, stopping at Salisbury en route. The trip takes 2 1 ⁄ 4 hours and costs
around £51 for a round-trip.
If you're driving from London, take the M3 west, continuing southwest on the
A303 and then joining the southbound B3145 beyond Wincanton. Plan for a journey
time of around 3 hours.