Portland Castle

Welcome to my web site which contains maps, stories, history, advice and over 800 photographs to help you explore Portland, Dorset - The Jewel of the Jurassic Coast

The Mere and Portland Castle

Portland, Dorset

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 aerial photograph taken in 1999 shows The Mere marked out for helicopter operations; reduced by 2002 to being the home of Weymouth Whiskey Bravo Search and Rescue helicopter.

This area is reclaimed from swampy land known as The Mere where Victorian Portland shepherds bought their sheep to be washed and dipped.

On the coast of Portland Harbour and on the right-hand edge of the red area is Portland castle, built by King Henry VIII to defend the South Dorset coastline along with Sandsfoot Castle in Weymouth.

Please click here for a detailed map. Click the BACK button on your browser to return to this page.

Please click here to visit the satellite image of this area on Google Maps. Click the BACK button on your browser to return to this page.

GENERAL VIEWS
A view across the ex-Royal Naval Air Station and the oil storage tanks taken in 2003 before the Sailing Academy was built.
This view was taken in July 2008 after the oil tanks had been demolished.

THE WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND SAILING ACADEMY

http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/

For amazing panoramic views of the Sailing Academy please click on the links below

http://www.weymouthpanorama.co.uk/wp099.htm

http://www.weymouthpanorama.co.uk/wp100.htm

These excellent new buildings are the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. This will be the base for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Events.

EX-MOD ACCOMMODATION BLOCKS

These huge blocks were built for the use of Royal Navy personnel. However, they were in use for a short time before the Royal Navy left Portland in 1995 and the blocks became vandalised and derelict. Plans were put forward by the Government to house several hundred immigrants but, within twenty minutes of a protest meeting ending, arsonists had set fire to the buildings!

In 2006 the abandoned blocks were bought by brothers Luke and Brian Comer and work started to convert them into luxury apartments with amazing sea views. The £100 million scheme includes 554 apartments ranging from £169,000 to penthouses for £605,000. Luke Comer reportedly received 2,500 inquiries for the apartments in the days after the apartments were publicised. The Comer brothers rank Portland as being one of their most important sites even though they have sites in New York, Belgium and London.

Work in Progress - 2007

For pictures taken inside these buildings during their demolition please click here.

In 2008 rapid progress was made turning these monstrous blocks into attractive seaside apartments.


The above pair of pictures was taken in June 2008.

PORTLAND'S MILLENNIUM SEAGULL SANCTUARY

This pair of decorative pillars were erected to provide seagulls with ideal vantage points in which to nest safe from predators.

Although originally intended as a 'Gateway to Portland' years of wrangling resulted in the pillars being erected a very long way from Ferrybridge where Portland and Weymouth meet and in an insignificant location.

Please click here for pictures of the official opening ceremony.

A copy of this website has been buried in a time capsule under one of the pillars.

Almost buried in the grass surrounding the Millennium Seagull Sanctuary I found this iron cylinder flush with the ground.

I wonder if this is a remnant of the old railway station that stood on this site, please click here for a picture.

THE RAILWAY

The road from Victoria Square to Castletown goes over a small bridge.

Until 1965 the railway ran under the road at this point.

There is now no trace of the old railway track which approximately followed the line of these oil pipes leading off towards the Portland Beach Road in the distance slightly north of Victoria Square.

Please click here for a general view of this area a century ago and here for more excellent old railway pictures in this area.



Portland Castle is not only open for visitors to tour but many events are staged there such as this hands-on Medieval science show in 2005 - above right. On Hallowe'en 2005 I went to a scary telling of spooky stories by candle light. Great fun!
	From the Castle ramparts a small beach can be seen from which motor boat trips to Weymouth can be taken in the Summer see http://www.whitemotorboat.freeuk.com/

PORTLAND CASTLE GARDENS

Please scroll horizontally to see all the picture when viewed at high resolution.

No, those are not identical triplets walking in the garden. It's the same man triplicated by the way my camera took the three pictures used to make up this panorama.

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THE HELICOPTER BASE

This is the old Air Traffic Control building for the Royal Navy Helicopters when they were based in Portland.

PORTLAND'S SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER