Weymouth Nothe Fort is one of the towns biggest and best museums and is well worth a visit. The Nothe Fort, a victorian fort built to protect Portland harbour and Weymouth harbour as well as the bay; dominates the scenery from many parts of Weymouth including the seafront, the old harbour and Newtons cove and today it is a big attraction in the town. A visit to the Nothe Fort offers plenty to do and if you are interested in history, it is a visit you will not want to miss. You will find displays detailing the military history of Weymouth from the Roman invasion of Weymouth, the effects of the civil war in Weymouth through to Weymouth in World War 2 and the blitz, all told through life size models, sound and artifacts. The life size models and displays laid out as they would have been in that particular part of the Nothes history bring the fort to life and are particularly interesting.

Fantastic views from the Nothe Gardens and Nothe Fort
The Nothe fort can be found standing proud on the headland known as the White Nothe peninsula, on one side of Weymouths old harbour where the harbour meets the stone pier. The Nothe Fort is open to the public throughout the summer and sundays during winter when the weather permits (except for a few months in the harshest part of winter) and is a big tourist attraction in the town. It is found in the beautiful Nothe gardens, originally these formed part of the Forts grounds. What would once have been part of the barracks and gun bases now gives way to carparks and beautiful gardens for picnics and relaxing. The Nothe gardens are beautiful where they overlook the Isle of Portland and cliffs towards Lulworth on one side and the old harbour and beach from the other but nothing can compare to the fantastic views over the coast that you can see from the Nothe Forts ramparts. The Nothe gardens are a special part of Weymouth where locals and visitors alike enjoy the calm and tranquility of nature. Squirrels and different species of birds can be found in particular abundance.

Plenty to do at the Nothe Fort
The Nothe fort is a mix of underground tunnels, a courtyard parade ground now holding a few WW2 vehicles as well as regular artillery displays and ramparts with fantastic views across Weymouth beach and the cliffs towards Lulworth. The ramparts feature huge guns as they would have been protecting Weymouth bay and harbour from the enemy during world war 2. The Nothe fort has a small childrens assault course, a picnic area and cafe where you can choose from a selection of snacks and drinks. Throughout the summer months when the Nothe fort is open daily it hosts a number of special displays and exhibitions in addition to the usual ones including the matchstick fleet - a huge collection of scale model war ships expertly put together from matchsticks, there are victorian artillery displays. There are a number of themed events throughout the year held at the Nothe Fort.

How to find the Nothe Fort
For the small entrance fee, you can easily spend all day exploring the Nothe fort, from the displays in the underground tunnels, the courtyard, the superb views from the top and the gun emplacements, a day in the Nothe fort will be one well spent for all the family and will leave you wanting to visit again. You can find the Nothe Fort either by car on Barrack Road, where there are plenty of carparks or on foot you can also reach it by climbing one of the many steps you will find as you walk alongside Weymouth old harbour towards the stone pier (Jetty) or you can follow the walk around Newtons cove, taking in the Nothe gardens before you arrive at the Nothe Fort. Get a taste of whats on offer by taking a look below at our pictures of Weymouths Nothe Fort.

The Nothe Fort is best visited on a dry day when you can visit the indoor and outdoor parts but there is plenty to do in the rain and for this reason makes our list of great things to do in Weymouth in the rain. Click the link for the rest of our list of things to do in Weymouth in the rain.