Amenities
Charmouth Parish Council owns a stretch of beach from the "Vine Yard" below the head of Evans Cliff to the East (at the present fall) to "Canary Ledges" in the West "Black Ven".
The Parish Council as owners of the Foreshore, grant permission to carry out fossil walks on and across it's beaches provided that the Council's (Not for Profit) Fossil Walks Policy and also West Dorset Fossil Code is adhered to. Organisers of paid for walks must contact the Council to apply for permission and abide by the Council's Code of Practice.
The Parish Council is part of the Dorset Council Dog related Public Space Protection Order and as such dogs should be on leads at all times in all car parks and footpaths around the beach. You can view the dog rules map here. Dogs are permitted off leads on East Beach (east of the River Char) at any time of the year, however, dogs are not permitted on West Beach (West of the River Char to level with the end of the promenade) from 1 May-30 September. Council staff have authority to issue fixed penalty notices for breach of these restrictions and for dog fouling offences.
A distinction of Charmouth is that the Parish owns its own foreshore with all the rights from low to high tide. Metal detecting permission is required through a daily licence. A yearly licence is also available. The land and the buildings had been the property of the Pass estate of Wootton Fitzpaine and were purchased by the Parish Council in 1937. Other smaller parcels of land, including Evans Cliff, were given as gifts to the Council by Miss Gertrude Evans (owner of the house 'Hammonds Mead', later a hotel then demolished for the building of housing in new roads named Double Common and Hammonds Mead). The largest of the buildings on the property had been built in the 1850s for the manufacture of cement. The venture failed and the Old Cement Factory, as the building is still known, fell into disrepair. It has recently gained far greater prominence. The ground floor now houses a café and retail units, including a fossil shop with a wide selection of fossils from the adjacent cliffs.
The Council owns and operates the Foreshore Car Park which consists of 50 'pay and display' spaces (charges apply from 9am-9pm / £7 per day or £1.50 per hour) plus 2 motorcycle bays and 25 'pay and display' spaces in the overflow car park. No vehicles over 3050kg. There are dedicated disabled spaces but there are no parking concessions for blue badge holders. Vehicles over 4.8m are not allowed and overnight parking of all vehicles is prohibited. The large Beach and Field car parks surrounding the Foreshore Car Park, are privately owned and operated.
The upper floor houses one of the foremost geological and paleontological interpretative centres in the country, the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. This exceptional resource has a permanent professional staff and has recently been extended to provide guidance and instruction for visitors and school parties in geology, fossiling and environmental studies. It is the gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Boats and Kayaks
Boats and kayaks can be launced from the beach at Charmouth and can be kept here on purchase of an annual licence. To request a licence, please contact us. There is no charge for daily launching of kayaks and paddleboards. There is a daily launching fee for other craft. Please see our prices.
Beach Huts
** PLEASE NOTE THAT SEASONAL HUTS ARE FULLY BOOKED FOR THIS YEAR AND THE SUBSTANTIAL WAITING LIST IS CURRENTLY CLOSED**
Beach huts are available to hire on a daily or weekly basis between May-September. Our beach hut prices can be found here. If you would like to hire a beach hut for the day than this can be done by speaking to our Beach Attendant at the foreshore on the day you require the hut. You cannot pre-book a daily hire. The beach office is located at the Heritage Centre building and is manned seven days a week starting from 8am. If you would like to hire a beach hut for more than a day please contact us at the Parish Council Offices.
Full time residents of Charmouth Parish may enter an annual lottery for a number of huts that are made available for the summer season at 50% of the full price. These are normally located on the grass area. The lottery also includes blue huts on the beach which are restricted initially to residents with children aged under 18. The lottery takes place at the beginning of April each year. To enter please complete the application form which is available from the Parish Council Office or can be downloaded here and return it to the Council Office by the 31st of March.
The Elms
This is the "hub" of the Parish Council – located in the centre of the village with Parish Office open to the public between 9am and 10.30am Monday-Friday. The Conference Room is available for hire to groups and individuals. The room, which includes a fully equipped small kitchen, can accommodate up to 40 people in various styles (board room, lecture theatre, dining) for business meetings, social functions or family gatherings. For more information about hiring this comfortable facility, please use our contact form.
The Cemetery
Located at the western end of the village, this peaceful area includes a renovated chapel which is available for intimate funeral services. Please use our contact form to request more information.
Again sited at the western end of the village adjacent to the cemetery, this area is leased to Charmouth Allotment Association. Please contact their Secretary, Dave Fiendly at davefiendly@talktalk.net for more information and availability.
The Parish Council is responsible for all four bus shelters in the village as well as all dog waste bins. It is also responsible for any litter and recycling bins at its own facilities. Dorset Council is responsible for the street litter bins.
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