Valleys on the eastern edge
One of the most beautiful of the valleys is that of Harcombe. It has a feeling of being secluded - is sometimes referred to as the "hidden valley" - yet is the most vulnerable, because it is on the eastern edge of the parish and county. Overlooking it from across the boundary is the ridge that carries the main road inland from Lyme Regis. Lyme already extends some way up this road, and there have been two recent initiatives to build sports or commercial facilities on the highest part of the overlooking skyline. These applications were withdrawn or refused, but there will have to be constant vigilance in case of future intrusive developments. For Uplyme, such development would ruin the peace and character of a lovely valley. For Lyme, they would transform an attractive small town nestling by the sea, discovered suddenly out of a high green hinterland, into just another urban sprawl.