14K views · 198 reactions | ⚠ A yellow weather warning has been issued for heavy rain and strong winds across the South West. ⚠ This was the scene at the Cobb in Lyme Regis a little earlier on, where our weather presenter Kate Haskell will be bringing you the latest forecast in our programme at 6pm. More here: https://bit.ly/32N3Qld | ITV News West Country | Facebook

In 1811, a discovery by twelve year old Mary Anning on the cliffs of Lyme Regis offered a valuable opportunity. She and her brother unearthed a massive ichthyosaur skeleton, a creature from a lost time. For her poor family, this was not just a scientific find; it was the foundation of a new enterprise. Selling these fossils became their family business and a critical investment in their financial survival, a small trade against the odds. With little formal education, Mary fueled her own intellec