Weymouth - February 2001

Weymouth and Portland - February 2001

These are my photos from a long weekend spent with H in Weymouth in February. Sim also made an appearance later in the week. Despite the being a very beautiful and interesting place, Weymouth is not the quaint small seaside town I expected. Even in this very low season, it was very busy. I heard more glasses being smashed outside my Window on Friday night than anywhere else I've stayed. Was I just unlucky? Anyway it's a really nice place during the day.

This page is far too big and I should break it up. I really like some of the photos on this page, particularly the ones of Portland Bill. I wonder how much better they could be with a modern more sensitive camera?

Weymouth Harbour

Melcombe Regis

Northe Fort

Portland Harbour

Portland - Fortuneswell

Portland - HM Prison The Verne

Portland Bill

Weymouth Harbour

The harbour is busy and bustling and harbours the catamarans to the Channel Islands, (which are proper 'big' ferries, much to my surprise.)

The lights in the harbour, taken from the South Pier, (which actually is a breakwater.)

The road climbs very steeply over Town Bridge.

The boat enters the old harbour through the Town Bridge.

Graffiti 'artists' deal with deep topics in Weymouth.

The commercial Pier, opposite the South Pier. This is where the Ferries leave from.

The old harbour 'backwater.' It's nice to see a full gasometer for a change, although it could do with a lick of paint.

See, I'm working on the links! These are the guys from the opening sequence of Red Dwarf, doing some freelance work for Condor. They didn't seem to have any red or blue paint, so I think the logo doesn't get a paint job.

There's my sister, H, on the 'pleasure pier.' This is actually a promenade and a small section of the commercial pier fenced off from the rest by a passport control fence.

Steps up from the quay.

Under the pier

The end of the pleasure pier

Melcombe Regis

The part of Weymouth next to the beach.

The clock.

A very odd electrical feature for an outside wall. A 35 mm surface mounting patress and blanking plate. Odd - and not really water resistant. Just ignore me.

A sandbag gets back to its roots.

The most reliable vandals in the UK.

This is the weirdest shape hotel I've seen. It's at Bowleaze Cove.

The South West Coastal Path has coastal path has dropped a long way at Broadrock. Some bits are treacherous and there are no warnings or diversions. Beware!

I don't really do wildlife photography, but there were plenty of people who did at the RSBP Lodmoor Nature Reserve.

Northe Fort

Northe Fort is on Northe point, a few yards from the start of the South Pier in Weymouth. It's an old sea fortification which carried large fixed guns in the empire building days and was of extreme importance in the great wars.

The area it covers is small, but it is a tardis. The sealed magazines below the courtyard are huge. The fort has been transformed into a museum of coastal defence, open during the summer and on Sundays and bank holidays off season. The fort is a maze of passageways, stairs and even the original cells and toilets.

There is something for everyone here. The views from the top of the fort over Weymouth and Portland harbour are excellent. The ground level rooms and magazines are filled with excellent displays and models showing life in the fort, the weapons and equipment used, the importance o f Portland harbour during the wars and real torpedoes, fixed guns, searchlights etc.

The staff are all very helpful and cheerful and the admission price is low. It is highly recommended!

A view down into the ground level of the fort.

The towards Portland Harbour.

Portland Harbour

If you take a peek at the map, you will see how huge Portland Harbour is. I was hoping to get a good view and some pictures from Weymouth. Bincleaves Groyne is connected to the mainland but you can't get anywhere near it, because of the DERA establishment at the end. No pictures.

Portland - Fortuneswell

I've been trying to work out if Portland is actually an island or not. It's connected to Chisel Beach, (you know the Geography lessons, the 6 miles of natural shingle beach with a lagoon behind.) But as the beach isn't connected to the mainland, then I suppose Portland and Chesil Beach are one big island? Anyway 'Ferry Bridge' joins Portland to the mainland at Weymouth.

Portland seems an amazingly interesting place. Fortuneswell, (the main town,) is on a very steep hill and has both industrial, urban, countryside and docks. The western coast is littered with military and industrial history, but we saw none of this on this visit.

The main settlements in the centre of the island are Weston, Easton and Southwell and there locations are exactly as you would expect. Beware - as all roads do a U-turn or circle at some stage, all signposts on the island point to Weymouth!

We only went to the island for a few hours during sunset. Definitely somewhere to return to.

Sunset at the viewpoint at the top of Fortuneswell.

And again.

The view over Fortuneswell from Verne Yeates.

Another view, I think that is Chesil Cove.

Portland - HM Prison The Verne

Weymouth turned its sea fort into a museum, Portland decided that a medium security prison would be more appropriate. This is one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen from the outside. We didn't knock on the door.

The 'drawbridge' over the moat and the entrance.
Look at the front door, it's just a door into a hill.

Note the depth on the moat. There is no need for a fence (and there isn't one.)

I knew the remote control would come in handy. We (Hen & Sim) had to stand very still for this one.

The front door.

Portland Bill

Famous for its lighthouse, it was very dark by the time we got here.

These digital cameras amaze me. It really was dark, but after 16 seconds we get this picture. It certainly didn't look like this.

This is what it actually looked like. Much more moody!

Then we started playing, trying to capture the light. (4 seconds exposure)

Not too bad I think.

A quick trip to the moon? This appeared to be complete darkness and I think this is more infrared than anything. I think the random noise almost adds to the picture - I love it!

No comment.

The lights in the harbour, taken from the South Pier, (which actually is a breakwater.)	The road climbs very steeply over Town Bridge.
The boat enters the old harbour through the Town Bridge.	Graffiti 'artists' deal with deep topics in Weymouth.
The commercial Pier, opposite the South Pier. This is where the Ferries leave from.	The old harbour 'backwater.' It's nice to see a full gasometer for a change, although it could do with a lick of paint.
See, I'm working on the links! These are the guys from the opening sequence of Red Dwarf, doing some freelance work for Condor. They didn't seem to have any red or blue paint, so I think the logo doesn't get a paint job.	There's my sister, H, on the 'pleasure pier.' This is actually a promenade and a small section of the commercial pier fenced off from the rest by a passport control fence.
Steps up from the quay.	Under the pier
The end of the pleasure pier

The clock.	A very odd electrical feature for an outside wall. A 35 mm surface mounting patress and blanking plate. Odd - and not really water resistant. Just ignore me.
A sandbag gets back to its roots.	The most reliable vandals in the UK.
This is the weirdest shape hotel I've seen. It's at Bowleaze Cove.
The South West Coastal Path has coastal path has dropped a long way at Broadrock. Some bits are treacherous and there are no warnings or diversions. Beware!	I don't really do wildlife photography, but there were plenty of people who did at the RSBP Lodmoor Nature Reserve.

Sunset at the viewpoint at the top of Fortuneswell.	And again.
The view over Fortuneswell from Verne Yeates.	Another view, I think that is Chesil Cove.

The 'drawbridge' over the moat and the entrance. Look at the front door, it's just a door into a hill.	Note the depth on the moat. There is no need for a fence (and there isn't one.)
I knew the remote control would come in handy. We (Hen & Sim) had to stand very still for this one.	The front door.

These digital cameras amaze me. It really was dark, but after 16 seconds we get this picture. It certainly didn't look like this.	This is what it actually looked like. Much more moody!
Then we started playing, trying to capture the light. (4 seconds exposure)	Not too bad I think.
A quick trip to the moon? This appeared to be complete darkness and I think this is more infrared than anything. I think the random noise almost adds to the picture - I love it!	No comment.