At last, I’ve been to Weymouth. A place on my ‘to-go-to’ list for decades. On day two of our cruise around the British Isles, Mr Word Loft and I disembarked at Portland and took the shuttle bus into the resort.
I was instantly enchanted. The river sparkled in the sunshine, where an assortment of boats bobbed around. On either side, a variety of historical buildings reflected in the ripples, and I was intrigued by a row of cottages with convex bay windows. I imagine the curved glass would be costly to replace.
We crossed the bridge, which lifts when necessary to allow vessels in and out of the harbour. After a brief walk, we encountered St Mary’s Church holding an arts and crafts market. I can’t believe I did Christmas shopping in summertime, but particular handmade wares were perfect for our great-nieces. I also couldn’t resist a hand-painted pebble depicting a midnight waterfront scene. It looks delightful on our patio table and is a great memento of Weymouth. Further along was a pop-up museum where we perused exhibits before carrying on to the esplanade and shoreline. The honey-gold sands were swathed with beachgoers; in the distance, pearly-white cliffs rose from the waves like majestic, undulating sculpted walls that form part of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. If the weather had been cooler, it would have been nice to explore further, but we ambled along the promenade instead, and promised ourselves to return in Ivy, our campervan, for a short break in the autumn.
Statues are dotted along its length, and a gilt-decorated clock tower erected to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1887 looks down on passersby. It’s quite a contrast to the modern funfair set up in front of it.
There were still a few hours to go before the Majestic Princess sailed, and we had noticed a fort on the opposite side of town that couldn’t be missed. We entered under an arched entrance to Nothe Fort, constructed between 1860 and 1872 when Lord Palmerston was fortifying Southern England against a French invasion.
The Victorian barracks, packed with military memorabilia, illustrate life in those difficult years. However, there was a brighter element in the form of ‘The Longest Yarn’ knitting extravaganza. A thread through history – Britain at war – 80th Anniversary, the pocket guide to the exhibition declared. Scenes and characters at home and abroad during World War Two, worked in intricate knitting stitches, were wondrous.
Time drifted by. Eager not to be late, we returned to the shuttle bus via Nothe Fort’s beautiful Elizabeth Gardens, where the shade from mature trees was welcome.
Best wishes,
Sue. X