LYME Regis's own pioneering geologist Mary Anning is to be honoured with her own name-day.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage team and Lyme Regis Museum have united to celebrate one of Dorset's most famous people in her hometown.

They are hosting a day of special events on March 26 to commemorate Mary's ground-breaking scientific work during the 19th century and are inviting everyone to take part.

Mary is widely recognised as providing the basic material for the emerging science of geology by finding the first examples in the world of several extinct creatures from the Lias of Lyme and studying them.

She was born in 1799 and became a well-known figure throughout Europe, particularly because women scientists were so rare at the time.

The King of Saxony even visited her shop in 1844.

On Mary Anning Day, Mayor of Lyme Barbara Austin, a Natural History Museum actress, will dress as Mary to unveil a blue plaque at Lyme Regis Museum to mark where her birthplace and first shop once stood.

The museum is to hold talks, walks and demonstrations on how to make baskets similar to the one Mary carries in her famed portrait.

And geologists will be on hand to identify fossils and speak about Mary's studies.

Museum worker Jo Draper is using the event to launch her new book called Mary Anning's Town - Lyme Regis and will be available to sign copies.

She said: "Lyme Regis today is suprisingly like the Lyme Mary Anning knew and loved all her life.

"If she came back, she would be able to find her way around easily."

The video of The Amazing, Mysterious and True Story of Mary Anning and her Monsters, using puppets to tell her story, will be aired at the museum and its producer Laura Heit is due to talk about her work afterwards.