Weymouth (England)

Weymouth was one of my family's regular holiday destinations when I was a child, including the year that I got my "O" level results via a telephone call home to my elder sister. Thankfully, my Gran was with us that year, and her purse was well and truly drained dry by my string of A's and B's (remember, this was when the exams were tough!!). However, when I looked back at my holidays there it wasn't just this financially rewarding experience ...
...is Weymouth?

Weymouth is situated on the south Dorset coast, or the UK's Jurassic Coast, approximately 6 miles south of the county town, Dorchester, and 25 miles to the west of Poole and Bournemouth. These days Weymouth is quite a large town in its own right, served by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, so there are plenty of attractions, night life and activities to keep everyone entertained.

Getting there
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Weymouth was one of my family's regular holiday destinations when I was a child, including the year that I got my "O" level results via a telephone call home to my elder sister. Thankfully, my Gran was with us that year, and her purse was well and truly drained dry by my string of A's and B's (remember, this was when the exams were tough!!). However, when I looked back at my holidays there it wasn't just this financially rewarding experience that gave me fond memories of the place, but memories of long, sunny and exciting holidays. With this in mind, I decided to take my children there for a short break a few years ago and, I'm pleased to say, that we've been back every year since. The place is ideal for a family break!!

Where is Weymouth?

Weymouth is situated on the south Dorset coast, or the UK's Jurassic Coast, approximately 6 miles south of the county town, Dorchester, and 25 miles to the west of Poole and Bournemouth. These days Weymouth is quite a large town in its own right, served by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, so there are plenty of attractions, night life and activities to keep everyone entertained.

Getting there

By road

Weymouth is not directly served by any motorway, but the A roads that lead into the area are generally dual carriageway and fairly free flowing, even in the height of the summer season. I find that the best route into the town is via the A354 from Dorchester, which leads directly into town. Dorchester itself is very well served by the A35 from the west, A37 from the north (leading to Yeovil and the M5) and the A31 from the east. All major coach companies now have routes to, and through, Weymouth, so it is easily accessed.

The main routes through town do become fairly congested and the Esplanade can be very stop/start, so I would recommend that you park slightly out of town in one of the very well signposted car parks (the best I have found is at Lodmoor Park, which offers a free park and ride service) and then enjoy a walk into town, or a short bus ride.

By rail

Weymouth has a fairly small, but certainly sufficient, rail station that is situated in the middle of town, about 100 yards behind the Esplanade and seafront. The station is served by regular (hourly in the summer) direct services from both Bristol and Waterloo, and an hourly service from Birmingham goes into the area, which will require a change of train at Southampton or Castle Cary.

A Short History

Weymouth's large, natural, and ancient harbour means that the town's origins are based on the fishing industry, and this sustained the town for many centuries. More recently, it thrived as a port for both freight and passengers and the daily, in summer, SeaCat service to the Channel Islands is still available today. It is rumoured that the Black Death entered these shores through Weymouth port, so it's been an active part of the local economy for a very long time!!

Weymouth generally grew in popularity as a holiday resort during the reign of King George III, who regularly visited in the early years of his illnesses to "take the waters". Accordingly, the town has a very Georgian look and feel about it, with the Esplanade boasting a long row of traditional Georgian buildings, all of which have been turned into very tasteful, and very individual, hotels.

The centre of town, just off the Esplanade, continues with the Georgian "feel", with the main shopping streets also having row upon row of symmetrical Georgian buildings. However, the small alleys and streets of the older part of the town, which have many smaller gift shops, are a throwback to much murkier times!

Improvements in road and rail access over the last 100 years have made Weymouth a very popular and developing seaside destination and the attractions have grown, as a result, to attract more and more visitors to the town.

Places Not to Miss

Despite the growth in its tourist attractions, Weymouth's main asset is still its large, sandy beach, which annually gains cleanliness awards, and is raked and cleaned every morning. The bay itself is very sheltered, having a north-south aspect, the chalk downs to the north shielding it from the colder winds. This sheltering means that the beach is very well protected and calm on all but the most blustery of days. The beach is stony at the north end, but this soon gives way to, what I feel, is one of the best stretches of resort beach in the country. It is covered in soft, golden sand that is ideal for sandcastles, in fact, there is a resident sculptor who sculpts some amazing scenes. The beach also has a string of cabins selling hot and cold drinks, hot food and sandwiches, as well as buckets and spades and sweets!! Thankfully, there are litter bins at very regular intervals along the length of the beach, so it is kept very clean. Dogs are not allowed on the main area of the beach, but there is a dedicated area for dogs at the south end, by the Harbour.

A short walk through town will bring you to my favourite part of Weymouth, the harbour. It is still an active fishing port, so those hardy enough to make an early start can watch the catch come in, and maybe purchase a sample from the quayside fish market! The outer harbour is lined on both sides by various pubs, bistros and restaurants, and can get very busy at the height of summer, but all of the restaurants and pubs are family friendly, so this is the best area to go to for an evening meal. The inner harbour now acts as a marina, with a wide range of boats of all sizes on show. The 2 halves of the harbour are separated by the Town Bridge, which itself is something of an attraction, as it is lifted at regular intervals during the day to allow the boats to pass between the marina and the outer harbour. A word of warning, if you are planning to move between the 2 sides of the harbour, make sure you know when the bridge is due to be raised (there are plenty of signs) or you could find yourself waiting to cross the river for up to half an hour!

Brewers Quay

On the south quay of the harbour is Brewers Quay which, as the name suggests used to be a brewery, but has now been converted into a large indoor attraction. Brewers Quay houses the award winning "Timewalk", which is a walk-through attraction, tracing the history and various stages of Weymouth's development using waxworks and an excellent commentary, although I would not recommend this for the very young, as some of the areas are dark (and smelly) at times and very loud!!

Also in the quay are "Discovery" which is a hands-on, science based educational attraction and a wide range of shops and food outlets.

Family tickets are available for either or both of these attractions, and £35 allowed my family of 6 to spend an excellent day there.

Lodmoor Park

Lodmoor Park, at the north end of town, houses the Weymouth Sealife Centre, a fantastic, pirate-based miniature golf course, a 9 hole pitch and putt course and a small karting track. The Sealife centre is excellent, with its main theme being conservation and protection of the coastline environment. The shark "sanctuary" is superb, with many activities for children and the centre has many regular "shows" where the customers can get very close to the animals that are protected there. Again, a fairly inexpensive (£40 for a day ticket for my family) and very entertaining full day out.

Where to stay

Weymouth offers a wide range of variously priced types of accommodation. My advice would be to get the accommodation guide from the Tourist Information Centre, which is located in the centre of the Esplanade, as there are that many to choose from.

The Esplanade has many hotels, but I would recommend the Hotel Rex or the Prince Regent, which are slightly more expensive than others (approximately £300+ per person per week for B&B in the summer), but it's definitely worth the price.

At the south end of the Esplanade (by the harbour) is a row of very attractive guest houses offering bed and breakfast facilities at around £30 per person, per night and many of them also offer evening meals. However, whilst some have a couple of parking spaces at the rear, the majority don't and there is no car park available. A one way system operates in this part of town, with quite expensive on street metered parking the only option available.

Outside of the town there are many camping and caravan sites, although I have no experience of these. They all offer static and tourer options, with shops and entertainment onsite.

Where to eat

The centre of town, and the area around the harbour, has a wide range of reasonably priced restaurants, with all of the main fast food outlets (McDonald's, KFC) available in town, offering their standard menus.

Around the harbour there are many pubs that offer "steakhouse" style menus as well as fish based daily specials. All of these welcome families and I would recommend that you give "The Ship" a try, an excellently priced family restaurant, with many main meals at less than £8 per head.

Also on the harbour are a couple of chip shops, for al fresco dining, which serve just about the best fish and chips that I have every tasted. Try "The Waterfront", which has a seating area, and a huge menu at very reasonable prices, £2-£3 for an excellent, and large, cod and chips.

Finally, for a real treat, the harbour has a couple of small bistros, offering mainly specialist seafood dishes at around £30 per head. Both are very intimate, and the service, and knowledge of the staff, was superb.

Overall, then, Weymouth has just about everything for everybody. It is an ideal location for a fantastic family holiday, with plenty to see and do in a very pleasant climate. If you should ever venture there, please check with Tourist Information for the weekly attractions in the bay. There is a weekly "international" firework display over the bay (usually on a Monday night), and regular "fairs" on the beach and Esplanade, with classic cars, steam engines and water sports (obviously) being regular attractions.
 

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