Walk 117 Weymouth and
Portland (Dorset)
(Second leg of
English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End)
Map: L/R 194
Distance: 17 miles or 25km
Difficulty: moderate
Terrain: road, cliff and other paths
Access: Parking in Weymouth.
Public transport: Plenty of buses between Weymouth and
Portland.
This is a bit longer than the normal walks I do as it
involves a circular walk around the island of Portland. Start off on the
coastal path near to the George 111 statue in Weymouth and walk along the
coastal path adjacent to the beach.
Look out for varied architecture including The New Vic Hotel
which has a rather smart bust of Queen Victoria above its entrance. There are
good views to the sheltered Weymouth Bay from here and soon the River Wey will
have to be crossed for the walk to Nothe Fort. On the hills near Weymouth is a
chalk carving of a horse meant to represent George 111 – dismayed that the work
generated royal disapproval the artist killed himself. Fortunately, these days
we are a little more sanguine about royal criticism – there would be an
architect’s bloodbath if Prince Charles comments about some modern buildings
were taken too much to heart!
The bridge across the Wey gives a good view up and down the
river – lifeboats and old sailing vessels were in evidence when I was there. A
plaque near here states that Captain Richard Clark departed from Weymouth to
join Sir Humphrey Gilbert in his discovery of Newfoundland. Continue the walk
up to and along the pier where ferries leave for the Channel Islands and
Brittany. A less welcome visitor arrived here in 1348 as it was near Weymouth
that the Black Death entered Britain killing nearly half the population in one
year!
Weymouth Harbour was once a major port in the UK for both
fishing and cargo – less so now although the catch is still the third largest
in England. The bridge here is raised every two hours to let shipping through.
Continue the walk to Nothe Fort. This was built in 1860 by
the Royal Engineers, with help from prisoners from Portland Prison, as part of
the defence of Portland Harbour. It housed 12 gun batteries with 70 rooms on 3
levels. It remained in active service until 1956 and is now owned by the
council.
Walk westwards and after about a mile is Sandsfoot or Weymouth Castle and gardens. This was completed on the orders of Henry V111 in about 1539 to support Portland Castle in the protection of Portland Harbour. It has 2 storeys, dungeons, cannons and quarters for 50 men. The castle was in bad repair by 1584 due to damage by the sea and remedial work had to be done. It was held for the king in the Civil War and was then used as a mint. It then became a storehouse and never saw serious military action.
Portland Harbour was built in Victorian times and was an important naval base during the times of the Spanish Armada. It was closed (under the then name of HMS Osprey) in 1999 and the work transferred to Somerset. The cycle track along this stretch is part of The Rodwell Trail and follows part of the old Weymouth to Portland railway line which was closed in 1965. Look out for the platform and a sign of one of the old stations.
The walk along the road to Portland is a bit tedious. It
becomes better near the end where there is a good view of Chesil Cave. This
point, which lies at the end of Chesil Beach, gets the full blast of the
Atlantic and is the site of many shipwrecks. The walk on the west side of the
island starts with a rather steep and difficult climb alongside some houses to
West Cliff. The path wasn’t entirely clear and it is possible that I took a
route that was more difficult than it should have been. There is a very good
view back to Chesil Beach which is one of the greatest examples of a tombolo in
the world (a tombolo is a spit of land formed by longshore drift that has
completely sealed in a section of the coast). The beach is 17 miles long and
has been built up by a steady deposition of pebbles, the bulkiest near to
Portland and the smaller down the coast at Abbotsbury. Local fishermen can tell
exactly where on the beach a pebble comes from by its size.
Continue the walk along the path adjacent to the rugged coastline
past Blacknor and towards Portland Bill. The scaly cricket’s only British home
is in this area possibly brought here on a World War2 landing craft.
The 115 ft high lighthouse at Portland Bill was built in
1906 although there is an older disused one a little bit inland. To the right
of it is an obelisk constructed in 1844 and warning of a low ledge stretching
out 30 metres into the sea. Look out for Pulpit Rock further to the west which
is a popular attraction because of its shape.
Continue the walk around the island where a mixture of
erosion and quarrying has resulted in unusual rock formations. The area has
been quarried for centuries to extract limestone. This has been used in such
notable places as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the United
Nations HQ in New York. Further round near Freshwater Bay there appears to be
some new quarrying going on – a crane with a load still attached was abandoned –
must have been knocking-off time!
Further up the east coast is Rufus Castle which is at the
top of a steep climb from Church Ope Cove. The castle was built for William
Rufus, king of England from 1087-1100, and is also known as Bow and Arrow
Castle because of the many spaces for these weapons in the 7 ft thick walls.
All that is left is a ruin and the arch is the only original part that remains.
Look out for the grim facades of the Young Offenders Institution and prison at Grove with the barbed wire and cameras. Near the end of the walk, on a hill near Fortuneswell, is an impressive sculpture of a quarryman. Descend into Fortunewell where there are buses back to Weymouth if needed.
Photos show: Chesil Beach from Portland; Portland Bill lighthouse; Quarrying areas on the south coast; sculpture of quarryman near Fortuneswell.
