I know that Portland is not technically an island, (the Chesil causeway connects it to Weymouth), but it’s treated as such in many respects, not least that the folks on the island (I.m sure that being a proud race, they won’t mind me saying) have a long history of being fairly insular! nd When a…
Tag: portland
1866; Portland quarry men and boys…theyz toils ‘n toils.
Portland is world famous for it’s quarries. This Isle is littered with immense craters in the ground, and large roughly hewn blocks of stone tumble in seemingly haphazard piles across the almost lunar landscape. There’s absolutely no doubt that those men and boys who slogged away day in day out in the quarries at Portland earnt…
1828; Chesil beach gives up her riches.
Now, if you’ve ever been stood on Chesil beach and watched nature’s fury as she crashes in on this huge pebbled bank, you’ll know why treasure hunters love to visit after a storm. West Bay was referred to as ‘Deadman’s Bay’ by our own world renown local author, Thomas Hardy, and for very good reason….
St George’s churchyard at Portland. Murder in 1803
Now I.m not one of these people who normally likes to wander from church to church, but was stopped in my tracks (well, the car was stopped in it’s tracks really) when we parked opposite St George’s church on the top of Portland. The sun was just beginning to set in the sky, going down…
Portland’s Own Glorious Cheddar Caves…Ooopps, But Then Again, Maybe Not! 1869
When ever I research items of local history, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of articles in local papers of the time that tell of new or rare things that the Victorians discovered, but despite all their curiosity of the amazing natural world around them…their first reaction would be to grab their gun and…
Weymouths beginnings as a sea bathing resort 1750
When ever Weymouth is talked about concerning it’s seaside status, generally it is said that George III made it what it is today, that’s partly true, but there is a little more to it than that. Weymouth was becoming popular long before the end of the 18th c. A certain Bath gentleman, Ralph Allen had…
Portlands own Jurassic finds 1837
One day, while quarrymen were hard at work, a large block of stone was removed from its bed some 40 odd foot below the surface. To everyones amazement it’s removal revealed a hidden and secret world, for beneath was the opening to a huge cavern.
Introduction to my blogging world.
Well, here I am at last…I’m a silver surfer blogger! Why? A multitude of reasons really. I was born and have lived In Weymouth, Dorset for most of my life, and have always been fascinated by the history of the town. A few years ago my hubby brought me a super camera, which made me…
VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND 