Weymouth Harbour Fisherman Cottages
A walk along the stone pier, takes you past the Nothe Fort, along Nothe Parade and past the sailing club. Next you come to the first row of neat colourful Weymouth fisherman cottages - once the homes of the fishermen who made their living out of Weymouth harbour, now they are Weymouth holiday cottages, residents homes and a few are have become Weymouth harbour holiday cottages for let. Walking on, past the Weymouth lifeboat station, we come to more traditional, colourful Weymouth fisherman cottages before arriving at Hope Square and the Brewers Quay. Around the corner is one of the oldest houses in Weymouth - The Tudor house museum, a merchants house that once stood right on the harbourside. The harbour inlet has been filled in long ago and the Tudor house museum stands on the road that takes its place - a number of buildings around here are very old and full of character. Hope Square with its bars and cafes is extremely popular in the summer and bands can often be heard playing in the square.
Weymouth harbour boat trips and a swinging bridge
Walking back out of Hope Square onto the Weymouth harbourside, we walk past yet more colourful Weymouth fisherman cottages, shops, cafes and inns. Along this side of the harbour, you can catch the Weymouth harbour ferry to Portland or join a Weymouth RIB ride around Weymouth bay, a sea-fishing trip or a Weymouth boat ride for a cruise around the Jurassic coast can also be taken from Weymouth harbour. The much photographed Weymouth harbour bridge/Weymouth town bridge/Weymouth swinging bridge comes next - here a plaque commemorates one of the biggest events in Weymouths history - the unification of the two ports of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis by Elizabeth 1st. Weymouth town bridge connects what used to be the two seperate trading ports of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis across Weymouth harbour, this is where Weymouth old harbour finishes, with Weymouth marina the other side of the bridge, taking us up to Radipole.
Weymouth harbour history
The tall ship in the picture takes us back to a time when Weymouth harbour was a busy trading port, back to the time when the Tudor House would have been just one of the many houses standing on the harbourside belonging to busy and succesful Weymouth harbour merchants, waiting to welcome back their ships, full of trade goods from across the seas. Many centuries previously of course, one such trade ship was responsible for the arrival of the black death in Weymouth, causing the first outbreak of the black death and spreading throughout the country over the following years as residents tried to flee its wake. Tall ships like the one seen here coming into Weymouth harbour are a regular sight, mooring up in the deeper water moorings, they always attract sightseers and occasionally some of the tall ships in Weymouth harbour are open to the public, allowing those going aboard to see inside the ships that regularly used to trade on the Dorset coast. Of course, this part of the coast is also well known for its shipwrecks, the sea off Chesil beach and Portland is the graveyard of many an unfortunate ship trying to make its way succesfully around the Dorset coast. Next time you visit Weymouth harbour, keep an eye out for some of the more historic boats and tall ships that may be present in the beautiful Weymouth old harbour.
Free attractions in Weymouth....
There is always plenty of things to do in Weymouth. Spending a day in Weymouth need not be expensive with a beautiful beach, the pier, walks around the Nothe gardens and the Radipole lake nature reserve all amongst the free things you can do in Weymouth.
The beautiful Weymouth beach.
