Portland
Portland maps (2 available)
Map of Dorset
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Portland books (19 available)
- 6 photos on Portland appear in 3 Frith books - View photos of Portland
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Portland and Dorset
Portland memories
Read and share memories of Portland and Dorset inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Dorset below.
Dorset memories
First visit to Weymouth 1948.
I first visited Weymouth in 1948 with my mother, father, brother Terry and sister Joan. We travelled down from Chesterfield in Derbyshire in dad's pre-war Morris 8 saloon, and camped at Waterside in Bowleaze Cove, which was then owned by Mr. A.H.Pheby.
We were amazed at our first view of Weymouth and Portland from the hill overlooking the town, and we all came to love the place so much that we all continued to visit for many years afterwards. I have brought my children and grandchildren here many times, sometimes twice in a year, and will be coming again this year (2008) in my 70th year, 60 years after the first visit!
We particularly enjoyed the Jazz in June concert in ...read more here
A memory of Weymouth contributed by Jefre Kay
Weymouth - Chapelhay and the corner of Buxton Road bombsites
I was only small when we moved to Longfield Road but old enough to remember walking through the bombsites and noticing wallflowers, buddliea and butterflies among the heaps of rubble and being concerned when coming across a fireplace or something that looked like a part of someone`s house.
A memory of Weymouth contributed by Sarah Smith
1962 Vacation - 1968
It was the year before I married that my husband to be and myself went on a vacation to Weymouth. We had a lovely time, the weather was just glorious for us. We always said that when we married we would revisit Weymouth. Well, we did in the year 1968 with our first born she was 4 years old at that time. I remember so well enjoying a day on the beach, and my little daughter had such fun watching Punch & Judy shows. I would like to visit Weymouth again one of these days to relive all those memories of bygone days.
A memory of Weymouth contributed by Brenda Vanderwert
The floods
I have lived in Weymouth since 1947 when I was 2 years old. In July 1955 one of my brothers was born. This was about a week after a massive thunder storm causing a flood. The water at Westham bridge was a foot deep. It's good to to look at these photographs to see how things have changed.
A memory of Weymouth contributed by Alan Smith
Extracts From Portland & Dorset books
This is a spectacular view from the top of Portland, with the expanse of the Chesil Bank on the left, stretching
16 miles along the Dorset coast to Barton Cliff, and the broad expanse of Portland Harbour to the right with the
Weymouth suburbs beyond. The fishing boats drawn up on the steep shingle bank at Chesilton are clearly visible,
while the island`s main village of Fortune`s Well is immediately ahead. The great blocks of quarried stone, some
70,000 tons of which were transported from here annually, were utilised not only in the construction of many
famous buildings in London from the time of James I, but also in the breakwater enclosing Portland harbour. It took
23 years to build, using mainly convict labour from the Verne Prison on the island, cost £1m, and was formally
opened in 1872. It remains one of the largest naval harbours in the world.
An extract from from"Victorian and Edwardian Dorset Photographic Memories".
Chesil Beach, seen here from the Isle of Portland, is a great ridge of shingle eight miles long, with a lagoon of brackish water between it and the mainland. Its stones tend to be much larger at one end than the other. John Meade Faulkner immortalised the area in his famous smuggling novel ‘Moonfleet’.
An extract from from"Dorset Pocket Album".
Chesil Beach, seen here from the Isle of
Portland, is a great ridge of shingle eight
miles long, with a lagoon of brackish
water between it and the mainland.
Its stones tend to be much larger at
one end than the other. John Meade
Faulkner immortalised the area in his
famous smuggling novel ‘Moonfleet’.
An extract from from"Dorset Photographic Memories".
Fortuneswell 1894
The Isle’s main town of Fortuneswell
grew up, as the name implies, around
a supply of fresh water, as did many
of the Portland settlements. On this
barren rock, surrounded by salt water,
such wells were hard to come by and
exploited to the full when they were.
An extract from from"Dorset Photographic Memories".
The Isle’s main town of Fortuneswell grew up, as the name implies, around a supply of fresh water, as did many of the Portland settlements. On this barren rock, surrounded by salt water, such wells were hard to come by and exploited to the full when they were.
An extract from from"Dorset Pocket Album".