Portland & Weymouth

In the late eighties, Liz & I cycled round this way, on a trip from Salisbury to South Devon.  We must have done many of the same hills but I don't remember most of it.  I remember visiting Abbotsbury Swannery, and I remember the hill out of Lyme Regis!  The Swannery was closed this morning, as it didn't open till 10am, and I was well on my way by then.   A mix of quiet lanes full of the sound of skylarks and goldfinches, with views over to Chesil Beach, and a bit more of the Jurassic Tourist Route, which was rather too busy this morning.

My legs were still feeling yesterday's hill-fest, but eventually I arrived at the causeway to Portland, stopping at a delightful cafe overlooking the end of Chesil Beach and The Fleet, the enclosed lake.

It looked OK on the map!

View of Chesil Beach from the cafe

Portland stone circle

From the top of the hill at Portland

Portland is basically a huge lump of the famous Portland stone, quite a big island with a high plateau in the middle.  There seems to be only one way to the south, over the top, on a steep and busy trunk road.  I don't know where everyone was going, but they all waited patiently behind me as I climbed up.  The plateau is cratered all over by quarries new and old, and the various communities named Weston, Easton and Southwell, are around the edge.   Excellent views from the top both back over Lyme Bay, all the way to Brixham,  and ahead to Studland Bay.

Old Admiralty College, now flats, hotel
And a school

Nice address ... flat, 007 anyone?

The settlements weren't that exciting, but Portland Bill is a wild, special place, in the same way that the Lizard or Cape Wrath are.  A couple of lighthouses, a cafe or two, and the tide rushing past the low rocky cliffs.  It really feels like the end of the land.  There's also an impressive Napoleonic Fort in the middle, which I half visited (the other half was up another big hill,  so I'm saving that bit till I'm older).

Portland Bill

 

Studland Bay

Quarry

 

Portland, D-Day centre

Multi-storey boat bark!

Back over the causeway/bridge was Weymouth, with some very nice coastal properties leading into town.   The main "old harbour" is a bustling, sunny place on either side of the river.  The train used to run along the quayside, and you can still see the platform.

Old harbour

Panorama from the pier
(which is not a pier)

After the harbour, there's a lovely long, wide, empty promenade with amazing views to the east, but I can't recommend it, or even gives you any pictures,  as cycling is banned for its whole length.  I could show you pictures of the sea wall, and the busy main road behind it,  but I won't. 

Tonight I struggled a bit for campsites, but found a nice one a few miles after Weymouth, at Osmington Mills.  It's due to rain tonight and tomorrow,  so I'm not looking forward to that.  But there was a nice pub down by the beach.  It was so posh that the beach has been upgraded to "the secret cove".

The Smugglers Inn, Osmington Mills