Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Weymouth (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Nothe Fort, The Esplanade, and Jubilee Clock. Also, be sure to include Weymouth Old Town Hall in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Weymouth (England).
Table of Contents
Nothe Fort
Fort in Weymouth, England. Nothe Fort is a fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England, situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, which juts eastwards from the town of Weymouth, and Weymouth Harbour, into the sea to the north of the ex-military Portland Harbour. The fort is located next to Nothe Gardens.
The coastal defence was built between 1860 and 1872 by 26 Company of the Royal Engineers to protect Portland and Weymouth Harbours, with Portland then becoming an important Royal Navy base. Shaped like the letter D, the fort was built with bomb-proof casemates and deep magazines. The fort was abandoned in 1956 and purchased by the local council in 1961. It is now a museum and remains one of the best-preserved forts of its kind in the country.
The fort and its outer gateway have been Grade II* listed since 1974. Its fusee steps, located in Nothe Gardens, have been Grade II listed since 2000, and was constructed for hauling trolleys transporting ammunition, spares and stores from the quay to Nothe Fort. In 1978, the Nothe Fort, tramway and searchlight battery at The Nothe, also became scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.[1]
Address: Barrack Rd, DT4 8UF Weymouth
The Esplanade
Street in Weymouth, England. The Esplanade is a wide walkway and street on the seafront at Weymouth, Dorset on the south coast of England.[2]
Jubilee Clock
Tower in Weymouth, England. The Jubilee Clock Tower is a free-standing clock tower on the Esplanade of Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built and erected in 1888 to commemorate the Golden jubilee of Queen Victoria and became Grade II Listed in 1974. Historic England described the clock as being a "florid but characteristic enrichment to the sea-front" and "boldy coloured". It is built of cast and wrought-iron and set on a Portland stone base.[3]
Weymouth Old Town Hall
City or town hall in Weymouth, England. Weymouth Old Town Hall is a former town hall at Weymouth, Dorset, England. The building, which was built with Portland stone in the 1770s, has been Grade II listed since 1953. The bell turret is believed to date from the 17th century. Since 2009, the hall has been operated for community use by the Guardians of the Old Town Hall.[4]
Fantasy Island Fun Park
Theme park, Amusement park
Address: Bowleaze Cove Bowleaze Coveway, DT3 6PW Weymouth
Weymouth Marina
Weymouth Marina occupies most of the inner backwater of Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, England. The marina was refurbished to accommodate more vessels in the 1990s, and today houses hundreds of pleasure cruisers, fishing boats, yachts, dinghies and speedboats. Access to the marina is via a lifting road bridge across the harbour between Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.[5]
Sandsfoot Castle
Castle ruins with sweeping sea views. Sandsfoot Castle, also known historically as Weymouth Castle, is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Weymouth, Dorset. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Weymouth Bay anchorage. The stone castle had an octagonal gun platform, linked to a residential blockhouse, and was completed by 1542 at a cost of £3,887. Earthwork defences were built around the landward side of the castle, probably in 1623. Sandsfoot saw service during the English Civil War, when it was held by Parliament and Royalists in turn during the conflict. It survived the interregnum but, following Charles II's restoration to the throne, the fortress was withdrawn from military use in 1665.
By the early 18th century, Sandsfoot was in ruins, its stonework taken for use in local building projects. The clay cliffs on which the castle had been built had always been unstable and subject to erosion. The castle's gun platform began to collapse into the sea and, by the 1950s, had been entirely destroyed. The ruins were closed to visitors on safety grounds, although civic gardens were planted alongside it in 1951. Repairs were undertaken between 2009 and 2012 at a total cost of £217,800, enabling the site to be reopened to the public. Historic England considers Sandsfoot to be "one of the most substantial examples" of the 16th-century blockhouses to survive in England.[6]
Address: 39 Old Castle Rd, DT4 8QE Weymouth
Jurassic Skyline
Tower in Weymouth, England. The Jurassic Skyline tower was an observation tower on Weymouth Pier in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was situated next to Weymouth Beach and the Weymouth Pavilion, where it overlooked Weymouth town, the beach, the Pavilion, the Old Harbour, Nothe Gardens, the Nothe Fort, and Portland Harbour. It opened on 22 June 2012.
The tower stood 53 metres (174 feet) high. The clear-fronted passenger gondola could turn a full 360 degrees as it rose during operation, and accommodated 69 passengers at a time. Each tower session lasted approximately 15 minutes. A total of 1,100 tons of concrete was used during building; the tower itself weighed 140 tons. It offered views of the English Channel and the surrounding countryside; on a clear day, views at the highest point were said to extend down the Dorset coast to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.
The tower received national attention in September 2017 after the gondola became stuck and could not descend; 13 people were winched off by helicopter as the weather prevented other modes of safe rescue.
In August 2019, the tower was announced to be permanently closed and was subsequently removed.[7]
Address: Festival Pier, DT4 8DX Weymouth
Tudor House Museum
Museum in Weymouth, England. The Tudor House Museum, often simply known as Tudor House, is an early 17th-century building, which remains a museum and one of the UK's best preserved Tudor buildings. It is in Weymouth, Dorset, close to Brewers Quay and Weymouth Harbour. The house has been a Grade II Listed building since December 1953.[8]
Address: 3 Trinity St, DT4 8TW Weymouth
Weymouth Baptist Church
Baptist church in Weymouth, England. Weymouth Baptist Church is a Baptist Church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built in 1813-14 by George Welsford as part of the terrace known as Bank Buildings, found at the southern end of Weymouth Esplanade. The church has been Grade II Listed since 1953, with the attached schoolroom being added to the listing in 1974.[9]
Brewers Quay
Shopping complex in Weymouth, England. Brewers Quay is a converted Victorian brewery on the south side of Hope Square near the Old Harbour in Weymouth, Dorset, southern England. Much of the complex dates from 1903–04, when it was built as the Hope Brewery for John Groves & Sons Ltd. It was later taken over by Devenish Brewery in 1960 and opened in 1990 as an indoor shopping complex with around twenty specialty shops together with heritage and science exhibits, until it closed in 2010. From 2013-17, the building housed an antiques emporium. It currently awaits redevelopment.
Brewers Quay has been a Grade II listed building since 1974. 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.[10]
Address: Brewers Quay Hope Square, DT4 8TR Weymouth
King's Statue
Monument in Weymouth, England. King's Statue is a tribute statue to King George III, located within Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was installed in 1809, the year which marked the Golden Jubilee of King George III. The buildings on the seafront are mostly of Georgian architecture dating from the period he was in power. It is a Grade I listed monument.[11]
Weymouth Pavilion
Theatre in Weymouth, England. The Weymouth Pavilion, formerly the Ritz, is a theatre in Weymouth, Dorset. The complex contains a 988-seat theatre, 600 capacity ballroom known as the Ocean Room, the Piano Bar restaurant, Ritz Cafe and other function and meeting rooms.
The original pavilion, constructed in 1908, was destroyed in a fire in 1954 and the current theatre was built in its place in 1958. It was owned and operated by Weymouth & Portland Borough Council until 2013 and is now operated by a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. The theatre is located at the end of The Esplanade between Weymouth Harbour and Weymouth Beach.[12]
Address: Weymouth, The Esplanade, Weymouth DT4 8ED, England
Weymouth Peace Garden
Burial ground. Weymouth Peace Garden is garden dedicated to peace in the seaside town of Weymouth in Dorset, southern England.
The Peace Garden is a multifaith community garden. It located to the south of Weymouth Harbour, close to Nothe Gardens and Nothe Fort. Immediately adjacent to the garden is Wellington Court, formerly Red Barracks.
The garden was opened on 24 April 2010 on the site of a former Quaker burial ground.[13]
Sandworld
Amusement, Amusement park
Address: Lodmoor Country Park Preston Beach Road, DT4 7SX Weymouth
Weymouth Museum
Museum in Weymouth, England. Weymouth Museum is a museum in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It is located within Brewers Quay on the south side of Hope Square near Weymouth Harbour. The museum currently uses temporary space to display a small part of its collection prior to carrying out planned expansion and redevelopment plans.[14]
Address: Brewers Quay, Hope Square, DT4 8TR, Weymouth
Bennetts Water Gardens
Museum in Chickerell, England. Bennetts Water Gardens is an 8-acre garden in Chickerell, near Weymouth, Dorset, in southern England. It holds national and international collections of water lilies which flower from late May through to September. The plants are displayed in a series of ponds and lakes. A feature of the garden is a blue Japanese bridge built in 1999 to celebrate 100 years since Claude Monet painted his famous piece Water Lily Pond 1899.
The site was originally a clay pit as far back as 1859; Oxford Clay was dug by hand from the ground for brickmaking. Today a museum on the site details this local history, including Chickerell village, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book; Chesil Beach; and The Fleet lagoon.
The collection of Nymphaea (Water Lily) is accredited with Plant Heritage as a National Plant Collection.[15]
Address: Putton Lane, DT3 4AF Weymouth
Weymouth Bay Methodist Church
Methodist church in Weymouth, England. Weymouth Bay Methodist Church is a Methodist church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built in 2008–09 to replace a church of 1866–1870 which was gutted by fire in 2002.[16]
St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church is a Church of England parish church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. Built of Portland stone in 1815–1817, the church has been described as having an "austere design in Palladian mode". It has been a Grade I listed building since 1953.[17]
Address: St Mary St, DT4 8PU Weymouth
Wyke Regis Methodist Church
Church in Weymouth, England. Wyke Regis Methodist Church is a former Methodist church in Wyke Regis, Dorset, England. Designed by Ford & Slater of Burslem, it was built in 1903 and remained in use until 2021.[18]