Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff

The Undercliff, previousy grazed farmland, can be considered an early (although unintended) example of rewilding. Following large landslides in the 19th century, the area was abandoned and has since been left to nature. The Undercliff is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a National Nature Reserve (NNR), and part of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site. The only current traversal of the Undercliff is the South West Coast Path.

Conybeare's 1840 diagram of the Undercliff from the sea shows grazed grassland, in contrast to the naturally regenerated woodland of today.

Overview

• Locations and Features on the Undercliff
  • Chapel Rock
  • Chimney Rock
  • Pinhay House
  • Washing Rock
• The Undercliff and the French Lieutenant`s Woman
  • Pinhay House
  • The Undercliff
  • White Chapel Rock
• Undercliff Activities

Locations (East to West)

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, 22/06/2025.

Underhill Farm

Underhill Farm, circa 1936.

Underhill Farm, circa 1937.

The author John Fowles lived at Underhill Farm from 19th October 1965 to September 1968, and it was here that he wrote the French Lieutenant’s Woman.

In early 1968 10 acres of fields were lsot from the farm due to a landslip. Fowles sold the property at a discount, and moved to Belmont House.

John Fowles at Underhill Farm

Ravine Pond

Donkey’s Green

East Cliff Cottage

Pinhay House

Pinhay House, 22/06/2025. From Pinhay Permissive Loop.

Rock Orchard

Pinahy Lake

Chapel Rock

The site of non-conformist worship in the 1660s, Chapel Rock is a prominent feature of the Undercliff. It is currently well off, and not visible from, the South West Coast Path. Since then landslips have caused Chapel Rock to be offset from this location both horizontally and vertically.

Chapel Rock in the Pinhay landslide from Grainger 1996.

The current location can be discerned from older maps, but there are currently no paths to it, and access without a guide is not recommended. The scene in the French Lieutenant`s Woman at a location known as White Chapel Rock was filmed slightly to the east.

Chapel Rock, 22/06/2025.

Longbottom

Old Fish Pond

Pumping Station

West Cliff Cottage

Humble Pond

Humble Green

Washing Rock

Washing Rock is a large rock in the Undercliff, and probably gets its name from being white-washed as a navigation aid when the undercliff was an open area of farmland. Natural England have recently (2025) created a new path to the rock from the South West Coast Path, and cleared some of the surrounding vegetation. This makes the rock both much more accessible, and much more visible.

View of Washing Rock from the Undercliff, 22/06/2025.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman

‘The Undercliff’

Scene from the French Lieutenant's Woman overlooking Pinhay Bay.

From what I can tell this view has probaby gone forever due to the continual landslip and erosion of the Undercliff (would be very happy to be corrected). The view below (22/06/2025) is a view of the same cliffs from a similar location and angle.

View of Pinhay Bay from the Undercliff, 22/06/2025.

White Chapel Rock

Whit Chapel Rock, known locally and on Ordnance Survey maps as Chapel Rock, is the location of 1660s non-conformist worship, and is to the west of the location used in the film.

Scene from the French Lieutenant's Woman at White Chapel Rock.

Again, there seems to be some amount of ground movement, but this is the closest view I can find to the one in the film. There is fresh rock fall (visible to the left, and by the relaive cleanliess of the cliff face to the left), but this is the best match in the ara of White Chapel Rock.

View of White Chapel Rock from the Undercliff, 22/06/2025.

Activities

• 2011 e-monocot walks as part of the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Media items