Weekend in Weymouth, where tog o and what to do?

[naffa]

Wifey and I are heading down to Weymouth for a long weekend next month. Neither of us have been before so its all going to be new to us.

Anyone have any (clean) suggestions of places to go, things to see and do etc?

Thanks Nath.

[43034]

I go every Saturday in the summer for the last 2 years (it's mainly for a train, but with 5hrs there each weekend we usually find something to do).

Route 501 open top bus to Portland, go to the lighthouse, there's a pub nearby, it's quite chingy but nice!
Walk the disused railway line, Rodwell Trail http://www.visitweymouth.co.uk/downloadForms/Railw...
The Beach
Arcades ( for the child in you!)

After doing those a few times, I usually just go to Wetherspoons

[littlegreenfairy]

Nothe Forte is nice to walk along, and from there you can follow the old railway line on to Portland/Chesil beach.

There is an awesome ice cream place along the beach front - way way way up the beach and past the clock tower... a long way past. It's on the left as you walk up. Proper amazing ice cream.

The nature reserve is a nice walk around too.

A walk around the harbour at night and fish and chips from the Marlborough, followed by a deep fried mars bar from Bennetts on the Sea Front.

[Crafty_]

Portland Bill and the castle..

Up near Dorchester: http://www.athelhampton.co.uk

English Heritage have a few sites out that way, including http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/propert...

Going east:

Durdle Door
Lulworth house http://www.lulworth.com/castle_park/castle_park.ht...
Tank Museum at Bovington, probably not popular with the better half though !
Monkey World

[The_Burg]

A drive through Lulworth army ranges, (if open of course), some great views. Finish off at Corfe Castle for lunch.
There is a abandoned village too, can't think of the names but worth a visit.

[P7ERM]

As a biased local good choice
Second the Nothe fort also visit the sailing accedemy on Portland while its still quiet.
And restaurants Perrys on the harbour for Dinner
And Sunday morning walk to Oasis Cafe at overcombe corner on the beach .
As for outside of town
Is there any life anywhere else ?
You have chosen the best time to see the town before the crowds arrive so enjoy it.

[Boosted LS1]

The_Burg said:

A drive through Lulworth army ranges, (if open of course), some great views. Finish off at Corfe Castle for lunch.
There is a abandoned village too, can't think of the names but worth a visit.

It's Tynham. The army took it during the war for training, evicted everybody and never handed it back. The church is quite interesting. I like the range road views looking across towards Poole harbour and Wareham. Fantastic place to spot buzzards and deer grazing in the fields by Tynham village during the daytime.

[munky]

lots!

Bovington tank musem http://www.tankmuseum.org/

Steam railway from Norden to Swanage, stops at Corfe Castle so you can see the castle and hop on the train or vice versa http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/

One thing you absolutely have to do without fail is have lunch at the Crab House Café. It's the best place to eat for miles. It's just outside Weymouth, on the way to Portland, basically right on Chesil Beach

http://www.restaurant-guide.com/crab-house-cafe.ht...
http://www.crabhousecafe.co.uk/

Also worth going to Portland and up the hill to get stunning views of Chesil Beach (it's not a normal beach - it has the sea on both sides http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3290369 )

Poundbury is interesting, as it's just odd. It's Prince Charles' housing estate, a new (and still growing) development of old-looking but new unidentical houses. It does work though - if housing estates have to be built, this is what they should look like. The 'village' shop has some interesting things if you want to pick up some local jam/chutney/confectionary type stuff

Dorchester has the teracotta army museum, a lot more convenient than travelling to Xian
http://www.terracottawarriors.co.uk/
There's also a county museum with a victorian hall and a roman mosaic floor http://www.dorsetcountymuseum.org/victorian_hall
And a dinosaur museum http://www.thedinosaurmuseum.com/

And there's the picturesque and geologically interesting Lulworth Cove http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulworth_Cove and very nearby is the Durdle Door rock arch as seen in various films: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durdle_Door and also in the area is Lulworth Castle http://www.lulworth.com/castle_park/castle_park.ht...

How about a trial flying lesson at the Dorset Gliding club - they'll even do you a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie, and it's amusingly next to the tank ranges so you get a good view of them from up there http://www.dorsetglidingclub.co.uk/dgc/

If you just want to go ape, then http://www.monkeyworld.org/

that should keep you busy, took me a few weekends to do all that

[43034]

munky said:

Also worth going to Portland and up the hill to get stunning views of Chesil Beach (it's not a normal beach - it has the sea on both sides http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3290369 )

Blatant plug, but here is the type of views munky is speaking about: http://scott2007.fotopic.net/p51146728.html

[S7Paul]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Abbotsbury Swannery yet:

http://www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk/swannery/index...

[DBSV8]

munky said:

lots!

Bovington tank musem http://www.tankmuseum.org/

Steam railway from Norden to Swanage, stops at Corfe Castle so you can see the castle and hop on the train or vice versa http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/

One thing you absolutely have to do without fail is have lunch at the Crab House Café. It's the best place to eat for miles. It's just outside Weymouth, on the way to Portland, basically right on Chesil Beach

http://www.restaurant-guide.com/crab-house-cafe.ht...
http://www.crabhousecafe.co.uk/

Also worth going to Portland and up the hill to get stunning views of Chesil Beach (it's not a normal beach - it has the sea on both sides http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3290369 )

Poundbury is interesting, as it's just odd. It's Prince Charles' housing estate, a new (and still growing) development of old-looking but new unidentical houses. It does work though - if housing estates have to be built, this is what they should look like. The 'village' shop has some interesting things if you want to pick up some local jam/chutney/confectionary type stuff

Dorchester has the teracotta army museum, a lot more convenient than travelling to Xian
http://www.terracottawarriors.co.uk/
There's also a county museum with a victorian hall and a roman mosaic floor http://www.dorsetcountymuseum.org/victorian_hall
And a dinosaur museum http://www.thedinosaurmuseum.com/

And there's the picturesque and geologically interesting Lulworth Cove http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulworth_Cove and very nearby is the Durdle Door rock arch as seen in various films: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durdle_Door and also in the area is Lulworth Castle http://www.lulworth.com/castle_park/castle_park.ht...

How about a trial flying lesson at the Dorset Gliding club - they'll even do you a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie, and it's amusingly next to the tank ranges so you get a good view of them from up there http://www.dorsetglidingclub.co.uk/dgc/

If you just want to go ape, then http://www.monkeyworld.org/

that should keep you busy, took me a few weekends to do all that

seconded

however don't visit Weymouth Sealife centre , its an "expensive" waste of time ,

Other pubs in the area , "Smugglers" right on the sea outside Osmington

worth visiting the Isle of Purbeck ,as mentioned durdle door ( famous cliff arch ) , Lulworth cove , Corfe Castle - Square and compass pub near Kimmeridge . Studland Nudist beach - Ferry over to Sandbanks ( most expensive property in UK ) Sandbanks beach , Bournemouth - Poole - Brownsea island ,

enjoy

[munky]

ah yes indeed forgot Brownsea Island - one of the few places you can still see red squirrels. It's National Trust as far as I remember, in case the OP is a member

[naffa]

Some great suggestions there, thanks.

Keep 'em coming please.

I'm gonna go through each suggestion so we can pick something worthwhile to do.

[DBSV8]

To get an idea of Dorset , Heres a good web site from a local photographer , might help


http://www.imagesofdorset.org.uk/picindex.htm


and for pubs

http://www.westcountry-restaurants.com/pubs-dorset...

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/guide/dorset....

Edited by DBSV8 on Tuesday 8th March 03:27