20 Attractions to Explore Near Portland Bill Lighthouse

Church Ope Cove is located on the Isle of Portland near Weymouth. The beach consists of soft limestone pebbles and is surrounded by cliffs on three sides which provide shelter from the often strong breeze in the area. Being surrounded three-ways by cliffs, often shelters the strong winds that tend to blow over Portland. You’ll also notice an array of vintage-style beach huts on the hill.

Portland Museum is a museum on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, southern England. This annual exhibition showcases the incredible work produced by K-12 students throughout the state, representing a wide variety of youth perspectives and artistic practices in Maine. The museum has four distinct themes; the history of Portland stone, the Jurassic Coast, shipwrecks around Portland's coast and famous people linked with the island. It also displays examples of the island's archaeology from the Stone

The Isle of Portland is the Jurassic Coast’s most southerly point, and is joined to the mainland by just a thin strip at the southern end of the sweeping arc of Chesil Beach. Its isolated location and beautiful scenery make it a real explorer’s island, while the comparatively mild climate enables a wide variety of flora and fauna to thrive.

Portland fort is an artillery fort which was built for King Henry in 1539-41, together with sand foot castle, to guard the natural anchorage known as portland roads. The castle is located in the northern region of the island, on the edge of Castletown, which was named after the castle. It was constructed to protect against European invaders including the French and Spanish, and re-used in the First and Second World Wars. Overlooking Portland Harbour, magnificent views can be captured it's beaut

Sandsfoot Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1539 to protect his kingdom from foreign invasion. It was designed specifically as part of the king's network of coastal defenses to protect against both French and Spanish attacks, based on the possibility of attacks by Roman Catholic enemies due to the change in the established religion in England.

This former brewery site has been converted to a complex including a museum, shops and a public house. The main building dates from 1903 / 1904. Brewing took place on this site from 1252 until the 1980s. There were 3 separate breweries. The building is located at Hope Square, which holds a range of cafes, bars, bistros, while close by is the Tudor House Museum, and facing out to sea is Nothe Fort and its gardens.

Weymouth Harbour is a busy harbour at the heart of Weymouth’s Old Town, which retains much of its historic seafaring character, particularly along the seventeenth century waterfront. It is acclaimed for its fresh seafood including crabs, lobster and a range of sea fish landed daily. Weymouth Harbour has included cross-channel ferries, and is now home to pleasure boats and private yachts.

Nothe Fort, a three-tiered fortification on a raised promontory next to Weymouth Harbour, is an unmistakable landmark in the region. Learn about military history and World War II in its museum, which is mostly set in a labyrinth of subterranean passageways. Enjoy the stunning views of the Jurassic Coast from the picnic areas on the ramparts and newly-opened terrace, or go underground and explore the many tunnels and secret passageways beneath the fort, including the spooky ghost tunnel.

Weymouth Beach is a curving arc of golden sand adjacent to the town centre, with Weymouth pier at the southern end. Weymouth has had a strong tourism tradition since the 18th century and the beach remains a busy place, home to a sand sculptor, a Punch and Judy show, a helter-skelter, swing boats and donkey rides. One of the family friendly beach in this area and attracts a lot of tourists.

The Esplanade is a wide walkway and street on the seafront at Weymouth, Dorset on the south coast of England. The Esplanade is immediately next to the sandy Weymouth Beach, It is the section of the Legacy Trail that joins wildlife sites in the Lorton Valley Nature Park to Radipole Lake reserve. To the south at the end of the Esplanade are Weymouth Pier,the Condor Ferries terminal for ferry service to the Channel Islands and the Pavilion Theatre.

RSPB Radipole Lake is an 83-hectare nature reserve owned by Weymouth and Portland Council and managed by the RSPB for wildlife since 1976. It is a quiet ‘wildlife oasis' in the heart of Weymouth and a great place to get close up with nature. Look for otter prints, go pond dipping and visit the bird hides.

Bennetts Water Gardens is a visitor attraction in Dorset. Set over 8 acres the gardens hold the National Plant Collection® of Water Lilies with a Claude Monet style Japanese Bridge, Tropical House, Woodland Walks, and Museum. The gardens hold the National Plant Collection© of Water Lilies with a Monet-style Bridge as the centerpiece. If you have never seen over 140 different varieties of water lilies producing thousands of flowers spread across acres of water.

Greenhill is a suburb to the northeast of Weymouth in Dorset, England, with a sand and shingle beach. Most of the beach is pebbles rather than sand but on the shoreline between tides, there’s plenty of sand for the sandcastle building. The entire beach is bordered by a pleasant promenade, take a lookout for the renovated Victorian lamp stands these were originally the lighting on the main Esplanade.

Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park offers you an amazing underwater world and takes a fascinating journey to the ocean depths. Meet the world’s smallest penguins in their new interactive Fairy Penguin Island walk-through adventure. It aims to combine modern display technology, biological expertise, and entertainment to provide themed journeys through European and tropical waters.

Bowleaze Cove is a sand and pebble beach just over two miles northeast from Weymouth. In summer the beach is popular with families as well as jet-ski enthusiasts and the water is zoned for the safety of bathers. Children might enjoy paddling in the shallow waters of the cove or in the River Jordan which enters the sea at the beach. A short pier leading out from the beach makes a good spot for fishing and the views towards Portland on a clear evening are quite spectacular.

Durdle Door is one of Dorset’s most photographed and iconic landmarks. It is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and is an extremely popular beauty spot. It was created when the sea pierced through the Portland limestone around 10,000 years ago. Looking west over the beach, isolated stacks out at sea show where an older coastline once lay. The arch has formed on a concordant coastline where bands of rock run parallel to the shoreline.

Abbotsbury Swannery is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. Visitors to the Swannery can help hand feed over 600 swans at 12.00 noon and 4.00pm daily, which is an experience not to be missed. The accompanying talk from the swanherd provides an enaging and informative insight into these graceful birds.

Lulworth Cove is world-famous for its unique geology and landforms including the Lulworth Crumple and Stair Hole. The pebble beach and blue waters of Lulworth Cove make it an extremely popular destination. The Cove and surrounding countryside are hugely popular with walkers. You can walk to the cove along the South West Coast Path national trail.

One of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe. Its huge multiple ramparts, mostly built in the 1st century BC, once protected hundreds of residents. When it was first built, the gleaming white chalk ramparts would have towered over the surrounding landscape. It is situated just 2 miles south of Dorchester in Dorset. It is truly an amazing place: even after more than 2000 years, the earthworks are immense, some ramparts rising to a height of 6 meters.

Magnificent Victorian walled garden set in 20 acres of the woodland valley. It was probably one of the best gardens of its type in the world. Winner of the silver medal at Chelsea and silver-gilt at Hampton Court Show. The gardens are in a wooded and sheltered valley, leading down towards the sea at Chesil Beach; this combination produces a microclimate in which more delicate plants than are usually grown in southern England can flourish, and plants that would otherwise need greenhouses can be