West Weares, Portland, Dorset

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West Weares

Portland, Dorset

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All the pictures on this page showing a thick border are thumbnails. Clicking on the picture will produce a larger version. Use your browser BACK button to return to this page.

The above image is copyright Dorset County Council 2000 and is reproduced here with permission .

This area contains part of the South-West Coastal Path as it runs along the edge of precipitous cliffs.

St George's Church is just outside the lower right-hand corner of the red square.

The main area in the centre of the red square is part of the abandoned Tout Quarry. Much of this was filled with municipal rubbish and then consolidated in the 1970s. A small industrial estate is being built on this compacted rubbish.

The largest building in this area is the massive stone cutting and working factory later taken over by a fibreglass moulding company.

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Two views of the magnificently rugged cliffs along West Weares.

Thousands of people walked along the path at the cliff-edge by West Weares. There is one section which was deeply rutted where the Victorian quarry tramway used to run, see the foreground of this picture.

But...

...how many of those walkers realised that on this length of path the heavy stones upon which they walked were propped up with wooden posts? This picture was taken with a 200 mm lens from the sea's edge.

In fact, this section was closed (October 2002) for examination by structural engineers.

In June 2003 an order was made by the Weymouth and Portland Council closing this footpath.

This may be understandable looking at the picture at left!

This is the 'bridge' seen in the previous picture. It looked substantial enough from up on the path but it is understandable that the Council had to be cautious and warn walkers.

In fact, there was no substantial fence to stop walkers - or even cyclists - from continuing to use this part of the South-West Coastal Path.

In 2004 the South-West Coastal Path around Portland's spectacular coastline was reopened.

The Council had a bridge constructed.

The picture above shows me in my Lycra cycling shorts - keep calm ladies! - testing the new bridge's weight bearing qualities.

At right, my best friend Sandy shows that the path is now fully re-opened.

There is another section of the South-West Coastal Path on West Weares that shows the effects of old railway tracks used to transport stone. The indentation due to the tracks is clearly seen at left.

There are many deep ravines running away from the cliff edge into Tout and Bowers Quarries.

These used to be the tracks for the tramway system that was used to transport stone out of the quarries either for waste to be tipped over the cliffs or useful stone to be transported to Priory Corner where the Merchants'' Railway would take it down to Castletown and the waiting ships which would take it all over the world.

There is an old tramway tunnel on this section of the coastal walk. The entrance is also blocked up with rubble but it can be entered with care.

This is the view inside. It can be seen that the tunnel was substantially built with stone blocks.

It is now blocked where it would have run through to Bowers Quarry.


This bison and the elephant guard the entrance to Tout Quarry Sculpture park. The park is described elsewhere on this website - please click here.

An eerie statue stands guard over a grave in St George's churchyard silhouetted against the sun setting over West Weares.

For more pictures of St George's church and graveyard see the next square east.

A carved cylinder of Portland stone abandoned near the cliff-edge close to Bowers Quarry.

What was it intended to be used for and why was it left here?

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