- Town and island rich in heritage and historical significance
- Dramatic Jurassic coast and island scenery
- Fabulous natural and sea life attractions
Weymouth town and Portland island are steeped in history. From Roman Galleys to Spanish Galleons the harbour and Island have seen more than their fair share of naval history and Royal patronage. While Henry VIII contented himself building forts to stave off foreign invasion, George III made Weymouth his summer holiday residence, attracting many wealthy ladies and gentlemen to the fashionable seaside town, and influencing its architecture leaving many magnificent buildings, statues and landmarks.
Blessed with beaches that range from the pebble rich 18 mile Chesil Beach tombolo, to Weymouth Beach’s sandy shores, Weymouth and Portland have a great choice of places to visit and enjoy in both the hot summer months and the wild winter weeks. Add this to miles of stunning Jurassic coastline, a great range of family friendly attractions and a good choice of museums, and you have a surprisingly rich range of activities to keep you busy during your stay in the area.
Food and Drink
Farmers Market
Every second Sunday a great little Farmers Market takes place at Westham Bridge, by the harbour, between 10am and 3pm. Here you can find a splendid range of Dorset’s finest fresh fish, free-range and organic meat and eggs, seasonal fruit and vegetables, a wide selection of regional cheeses, chutneys and preserves, hand-made bread and cakes as well as many other local specialities.
Dining on the Island or in town
Portland and Weymouth have a great range of places to eat out and dine in. Cosy pubs and lovely restaurants and cafes can be found in abundance.
If you wish to dine out, the Blue Fish restaurant comes highly recommended by locals. The Brazilian-born head Chef Luciano De Silva brings fresh and exciting tastes to his food, influenced by his time spent working in top-class restaurants in New York and London, including L’escargot and Daphne’s.
For yummy comfort food and a great atmosphere, the Boat That Rocks on Portland, situated next to the marina, is hard to beat. You can also try The Cove House Inn on Chesil Beach, which offers good local beer and a sumptuous selection of food including fresh fish and ‘catch of the day’ specials.
If you want to travel that little bit further the Sienna Restaurant in nearby Dorchester has a good reputation holding three AA rosettes since January 2007. This small British restaurant serves seasonal foods utilising local produce. Its Chef proprietor Russell Brown, is a Fellow of the Masterchefs of Great Britain.
Speaking of Masterchefs, why not visit the Wild Garlic restaurant in Beaminster, which belongs to the 2009 Masterchef champion, Matt Folas. Matt has created a highly personal repertoire of dishes using ingredients that are naturally available from the local area whether farmed, gathered or hunted.
Family Attractions
Abbotsbury Swannery is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. Here you can participate in the daily mass feeding, and if you visit between mid-May and June you can see hundreds of cygnets hatch on site. While there you can visit the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, which were established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester, initially as a kitchen garden, but which have subsequently been transformed into a magnificent 20 acre garden filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world. Combine this with a visit to Abbotsbury Children’s Farm where the little ones can cuddle guinea pigs, ride ponies, race toy tractors, play in the soft play area and watch the famous goat racing, and you have a perfect day for the whole family.
Portland Museum, based in two thatched 17th century cottages above Church Ope, is well worth a visit if history inspires you and your children. Here you’ll find exhibitions on shipwrecks, the history of Portland stone, and local archaeology. There’s a great fossil collection, garden and picnic area too, with refreshments area to boot.
Weymouth Sea Life Park & Marine Sanctuary has a great range of marine life exhibitions, which are housed in separate pods including what was one of the first National Seahorse Breeding and Conservation Centres, and the newly launched Turtle Sanctuary, which houses several captive-bred Green Sea Turtles from the Cayman Islands. This facility offers incredible views of these endearing, ancient animals. Add to this the fantasy Adventure Island, which includes four impressive children’s rides including a tugboat, pirate ship, a seal-themed roundabout and a drop ride, and you have a great mix of educational adventures and fun-filled rides all rolled into one.
Shopping
Weymouth’s main shopping centre is located in Melcombe Regis where New Bond Street, St Thomas Street and St Mary Street form a large pedestrian area bursting with shops and more than the occasional street performer. Designer clothes, phones, music, films, and food shops can all be found along the esplanade and the harbourside.
For a good range of smaller more individual shops Great George Street, St Alban Street, and the harbour end of St Thomas Street are all well worth a visit. And if you prefer a quieter shopping atmosphere, Brewers Quay on the Old Harbour is a good place to browse. This shopping village is jam-packed with specialist craft shops from around the world, including items from India, South East Asia, Peru and China. Here you’ll find a superb range stores that sell crafted leatherwork, woodwork, jewellery, patchwork, souvenirs, potpourri, glassware, scarves, candles, scented oil, collectables, and cards.
History and Heritage
Weymouth has been a port for many Centuries and evidence shows that Roman Galleys sailed up the River Wey as far as Radipole where they could be beached and cargo unloaded for transport to the Roman Town of Durnovaria (Dorchester). Since the 1800s various reclamation schemes have increased the size of the harbour at the seaward end, which included construction of two piers. In addition to seaward reclamation the port has seen many changes at the inshore end. Originally tidal all the way to Radipole, a dam was constructed across the Harbour in 1872 to assist in maintaining an adequate level of water in the upper reaches of the Inner Harbour and Radipole Lake.
Weymouth originated as a settlement to the south and west of Weymouth Harbour, on an outlying part known as Wyke Regis. The town itself developed from the mid-12th century onwards and by 1252 it was established as a seaport.
In their early history Weymouth and Melcombe Regis - which developed separately on the peninsula to the north of the harbour - were rivals for trade and industry, but the towns were united in an Act of Parliament in 1571. Both towns have become known as Weymouth, despite Melcombe Regis being the main town centre.
King Henry VIII had two Device Forts built to protect the south Dorset coast from invasion in the 1530s: Portland Castle in Castletown and Sandsfoot Castle in Wyke Regis. In 1635, on board the ship Charity, around 100 emigrants from the town crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts. This set something of a trend and more townspeople emigrated to the Americas to bolster the population of Weymouth, Nova Scotia and Salem, Massachusetts, both of which are commemorated on memorials on the side of Weymouth Harbour and near Weymouth Pavilion.
The architect Sir Christopher Wren was the Member of Parliament for Weymouth in 1702. He controlled nearby quarries on the island of Portland from 1675 to 1717 and when he designed St Paul's Cathedral, he constructed it using Portland Stone, hewn from the famous quarries on the island.
The resort of Weymouth became one of the first modern tourist destinations after King George III made Weymouth his summer holiday residence between 1789 and 1805. Today a painted statue of the king stands on the seafront.
Thomas Hardy used Portland as the location for his novel “The Well Beloved”, calling it the Isle of Slingers – the name derived from the islander’s skill of slinging stones at strangers to keep them away. He also described Portland as “carved by time out of single stone”.
The quarrying and masonry of Portland stone has been carried out for centuries and was once the main source of employment for local people. Today you can see statues on the island to the quarrymen of old and although the ‘boom’ years of quarrying have gone, the stone industry still remains an essential and integral part of Portland’s history.
Weymouth's esplanade is composed of Georgian terraces, constructed in the Georgian and Regency periods between 1770 and 1855. These terraces form a long, continuous arc of buildings that face Weymouth Bay along the esplanade. Another feature of this period is the multi-coloured Jubilee Clock, erected in 1887 to mark the 50th year of Queen Victoria's reign. Statues of George III, Victoria, and Sir Henry Edwards, Member of Parliament for the borough from 1867 to 1885, and two war memorials stand along the Esplanade.
Both Weymouth and Portland were bombed by the Luftwaffe as both played an important role in World War II; Portland harbour had a large naval base, and Weymouth was home to Nothe Fort - the Bouncing bomb was also tested in the Fleet lagoon to the west of town.
Beaches
Weymouth Beach is located adjacent to the Weymouth town centre and harbour and benefits from a gradually sloping sea bed, which makes it a great location for swimming and sunbathing during the long summer months. This popular sandy beach plays host to the incredibly popular international kite festival, the beach volleyball classic held on the beach every July, the International handball championships and even beach motocross. It is also close to a great range of activities and amusements on the sea front.
Greenhill is a lovely shingle beach that uncovers sand at low tide. In July and August the local council tie two rafts in the water 50m from the beach to encourage swimming.
Preston Beach is an attractive shingle resort beach, and while less popular than the main Weymouth beach, because of its location away from the town centre, can provide a quieter retreat on hot summer afternoons.
Bowleaze Cove lies just to the East of Weymouth, and can be reached via Preston Beach. It is situated within the parish of Preston, which is known for the Roman relics discovered over the years. From the top of the hill, there are fantastic views of Weymouth Bay, Overcombe and Portland. The cove itself is rocky and is formed from the steep cliff on its eastern side. The beach is pebble and shingle leading to soft sand.
Church Ope Cove is a beach formed from a large expanse of limestone pebbles backed by cliffs on three sides that shelter bathers from the prevailing winds. Rufus Castle overlooks the beach, which is south facing and safe for swimming, and the ruins of Old St Andrew’s church can be reached by steps and footpaths from the cove. The area is also a haven for bird watchers and dolphins have been sighted in the Channel.
Chesil Beach is a stunning example of the natural environment in action. It stretches 18 miles, is 160 metres wide in places and rises to 12 metres in height. It is the largest pebble and shingle tomobolo in the UK and connects Portland to Abbotsbury, continuing north-westwards to West Bay near Bridport. The pebbles decrease in size from fist-sized stones at Portland to pea-sized pebbles at Bridport. In the main the pebbles are a mix of flint and chert however quartzite pebbles can also be found, which emanate from Buddleigh Salterton. Close to the south end of the beach you’ll find a great little spot for rock-pooling. Here you can clamber over the enormous boulders that litter the very Southern tip of the beach. In between are little pools with sea anemones, small fish, crabs all manner of seaweed.
Chesil Beach shelters Weymouth from the prevailing wind and waves and prevents the area being eroded by wave action. The beach forms part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site, known as the Jurassic Coast.
Events and Entertainment
The history of the area is documented at the fascinating Timewalk Museum in Brewers Quay. This award-winning attraction takes visitors on an unforgettable voyage to experience the sights, sounds and smells of six hundred years of Weymouth and Portland's fascinating past.
Weymouth & Portland’s third ‘Spirit of the Sea’ Maritime Festival is set to be a great event; one not to be missed. Taking place from 3-16 July 2010 this event celebrates the area’s close relationship with the sea bringing together a range of sporting activities, cultural events and entertainment. Forming part of this event is the Dorset Seafood festival. Held on the old harbourside on the Waterfront at Weymouth this food fiesta is set to see a range of cooking demonstrations from top chefs; a wine matching exhibition; a fresh fish auction and book signings by the famous chef authors. There are also two days of live folk music giving the festival a real carnival atmosphere.
For sailing fans, one of the most important events of the year takes place between 08 and 14 August when the Sail For Gold Regatta takes place in Weymouth harbour, a prelude to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will also be held on Weymouth’s waters.
In early September the Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship is set to take place, providing a two-day surfing spectacular, which regularly draws huge crowds of spectators.
In the first full week of November, thousands of locals and tourists will gather along the Esplanade to enjoy stunning seafront fireworks and other family related events, such as a fun Guy Fawkes contest. If you’re in the area, this is well worth a visit.
Activities
The 'isle' of Portland, located on the World Heritage Coast, is an ideal place to visit for a host of activities, whether you're into adrenaline sports or relaxation. The waters provide the perfect setting for angling, wreck diving and sailing and will host the sailing events for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Rich in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and historical architecture built from Portland Stone, the history and nature of this rocky 'island' provides a superb range of activities to enjoy. The coastline, long recognised as beautiful, classic and unspoilt, and acknowledged as England's first natural World Heritage Site, is littered with stunning geology, fossils and range of coastal bays and cliffs. Known as the "Jurassic Coast", it holds 185 million years of geology in 95 miles of coastline, covering the evolution of life on earth up to the dinosaur era, and is rated seventh on the list of 'must see' UK Tourist attractions.
While in the area, the Island of Portland is well worth a visit. To the far South lies Portland Bill where you’ll find two of the three lighthouses on the island. Sitting on the headland you can look out across the ocean toward Guernsey, overlooking the boiling sea that crashes onto the rocks at Portland Bill. Small sail boats can often be seen in the near distance, but on the horizon you’ll find monster yachts, carving the waters and mastering the winds. Apart from the towering red and white lighthouse, the view from this point is dominated by the Pulpit Rock at the Western Edge of Portland Bill. This rock juts out and up from the headland, and is a favourite place for the brave and the foolish to climb.
Venturing back towards the north of the Island, you’ll find the Verne Citadel, a fortress which encloses 56 acres of land. This impressive piece of period engineering is surrounded by a man-made stone-lined moat so deep that you could stand two Double Decker busses end on end, and they still wouldn’t appear above the top of the outer wall. Started in 1847 as a temporary building for the prisoners that were constructing the breakwater, the Verne is made up of 3 million convict made bricks. When you consider the size of each brick and the depth of the moat, you can’t help but wonder how, in an age without heavy machinery, they managed to manoeuvre such enormous slabs into place in only two years. Today the Verne is a prison, and while you can’t enter, it remains a stunning place to visit.
Travel
Weymouth railway has regular links to and from London Waterloo, Westbury and Bristol. Local bus services run from Weymouth to the Isle of Portland, Dorchester, Bournemouth, Wool, Beaminster, Axminster and other villages and the town's in the local area.
The A345 connects the town to the A35 in Dorchester. Drop down from the A303 through Yeovil or Sherborne and within 40 minutes you find yourself on the outskirts of Weymouth and Portland.