Charmouth Hotels - Smooth Hound Hotel Directory

The English village of Charmouth is located on the banks of the River Char within the western part of the county of Dorset. The village of Charmouth has a population of about two thousand. The cliffs that are located above the beach within the village are famous for Jurassic fossils. The heritage centre for the Charmouth coast also acts as a world heritage site for the Jurassic Coast and this area identifies all the fossils that are found around the local area.

The village is very popular with walkers and also with people that want to hunt for fossils between the area of Lyme Regis and the village of Charmouth. The fossil hunters within this area have to be very careful and watch for landslips and the change in tidal wave. One of the landmarks that are well known within the village is the hill that is known as Golden Cap. This hill is located on the coast to the east of Charmouth. There is a vast number of shops located along the coast which are used by both tourists and locals. The coast is home to the fossil ship and also a cafe.

The history of the village of Charmouth dates back to the Iron Ages. A Celtic tribe that is known as Durotriges first founded the settlement. Even nowadays there is still evidence of the hill forts that date back to the time of the Celtic tribe. The name Charmouth actually originates in the Saxon language and it means stony river. During the Saxon time the village was known as Cernmunde.