19/04: The Three Cups - Lyme Regis
The Three Cups at Lyme Regis is a beautiful Georgian building. It was where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote much of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Celebrated literary figures such as GK Chesterton visited there and it was the scene in 1981 of several film sequences of the iconic ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’. This building has been shut by the owners, and left empty, for a period of nearly twenty years. The building continues to dilapidate and has become an “eyesore”.

Andrew T wrote:
However, the commercial potential of the hotel should not be considered in isolation. The position of The Three Cups on Broad Street in the centre of Lyme Regis has an impact on the surrounding businesses in this central location. The Three Cups should be the jewel of the Jurassic Coast, attracting visitors from around the world. As things stand, it is an eye-sore hindering local business people in their attempts to attract visitors and serve the local community.
The owners of The Three Cups should consider the cost to them of not re-opening the hotel for trade and the effect of the continued closure on other businesses in the area. It will be a win-win situation when tourists can once again book into and visit the famous Three Cups Hotel.