The Palace, Lyme Regis, Dorset

The information we have been provided with estimates build costs to be in the region of £200,000. More information is available on request.

The proposed plans by the London-based architectural practice New-works offer the opportunity for an exciting modern home set in the medieval walls of this stone barn on Coombe Street in Lyme Regis. The plans comprise a light-filled living space with a mezzanine floor housing one or two bedrooms, where extensive glazing on the front and rear walls tunnel abundant light throughout. Moments from the highlights of the town centre and its beaches, the plot is perfectly positioned for easy access to the wider Jurassic Coastline and the surrounding countryside.

Please note that the images are artist's renders. Please refer to the planning documents for full planning permissions, full details of which can be found here.

The Architect

New-works was founded in 2024 by Doug Hodgson and Tom Lewith (the team formerly behind TDO) along with architect Ben Rowe. The practice specialises in contemporary additions to historic settings, with an idiosyncratic combination of retrofitting and new build techniques. They work across residential, workplace and community buildings.

The Tour

The site is positioned on a private walkway off Coombe Street, a particularly characterful street in the heart of Lyme Regis. Accessed via a leafy passageway, the setting feels secluded and private, out of sight from the roadside.

The architectural plans seek to create a warm, inviting, and distinctly modern home while retaining the site’s visual heritage. The building has been used historically as a dairy, a carpenter's workshop and, most recently, an artist's studio. Two long flank walls to the north-west and south-east appear to be historic burgage walls dating to between the 12th and 15th centuries.

Although the planning permission allows for a wide variety of material finishes, New-works have suggested that an external lime render be applied to the exterior to pair sensitively with the historic stonework. The roof will be finished in reclaimed steel sheets painted green, and the internal walls of hemp block walls will be left exposed. The existing full-height timber barn doors will be reconfigured to form the primary entrance.

Pavers will run on the horizontal and vertical planes, pairing with bespoke poplar plywood joinery to bring a gently modern material finish. A long skylight running the length of the vaulted ceiling will direct the eye pleasingly through the space, bringing with it an excellent quality of natural light.

At the front of the plan, a dining kitchen area will be positioned at the foot of the mezzanine staircase, in line with the roof of the rear wall. A living area with high ceilings will be positioned on the opposite side and will be beautifully lit by the glazed rear wall and long rectangular windows.

The primary living space will be sensitively bisected by a wide wooden staircase leading up to the mezzanine floor, which could comprise one larger bedroom or two smaller spaces, and an en suite bathroom. This area will be flooded with light by an arrangement of both reeded and clear glass blocks spanning the entirety of the rear wall. Grid-style glazing units will intersect pleasingly with the geometry of the steel beams and bring excellent solar gain through the course of the day.

The Area

The town of Lyme Regis is on the border of east Devon and west Dorset, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known for its dramatic rolling hills, ancient woodlands, and Roman forts. The beaches around Lyme Regis are a wonderful dock for fishing, rowing, and swimming year-round.

Sea swimming groups gather at Lyme, where calmer waters are sheltered by the arm of the Cobb, and there is also a gig rowing club, a sailing club and a boat building school. Lyme Regis has a great selection of independent shops, including Lyme Book Shop, a wonderful fishmonger near the harbour, Papa Luca Vintage and Ryder and Hope. There is also a museum and a theatre for music, theatre, comedy, National Theatre Live screenings and host to the Lyme Regis Film Society.

The area is renowned for local food producers and independently-run cafés and restaurants. Trill Farm Garden is a community of local organic market gardeners who offer weekly boxes of fresh vegetables, while In My Back Yard delivers food from various nearby producers. Tom’s Lyme Regis is a lovely restaurant on the seafront specialising in local produce; it's also a great spot for a morning coffee with a sea view. Tapas restaurant Strawberry Tree brings a slice of southern Spain to west Dorset, while Lilac’s wine bar and restaurant offers excellent food. For pizza, there is Poco’s, which has an upstairs terrace overlooking the beach. Town Mill Bakery's breakfasts come highly recommended and are conveniently located on Coombe Road.

The South West Coast Path is also easily accessible. Stonebarrow in Charmouth, owned by the National Trust, is a 10-minute drive away in Charmouth. The location also provides ease of access to the Jurassic Coast, a hugely diverse and beautiful landscape underpinned by incredible geology of global importance. In 2001 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its rocks, fossils and landforms. The Jurassic Coast begins at Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon, and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset.

The nearest train station is at Axminster, a 10-minute drive away, with direct services running to London in around two hours and 40 minutes.

Please note that this property is owned by an employee of The Modern House Ltd.