C h e s i l B e a c hC e n t r e

P o r t l a n d

O s p r e y Q u a y

N a v a lC e m e t a r y

H i g hA n g l e

B a t t e r y

H M P r i s o n

T h e V e r n e

V e r n e L o c a l N a t u r e R e s e r v e

K i n g B a r r o wQ u a r r i e s

N a t u r eR e s e r v e

To u t Q u a r r y

E a s t W e a r e

Merch an t ’s I n c l i n e

CHES I L B EACH

C a s t l e

I n m o s t h a yQ u a r r i e s

Q u a r r i e s

A d m i r a l t yQ u a r r i e s

N a t i o n a lS a i l i n g

A c a d e m y

P o r t l a n dM a r i n a

P o r t l a n d H a r b o u r

W e s t B a y

P o r t l a n d P o r t

B a l a c l a v a B a y

I n n e r B r e a k w a t e r

C h e s i l C o v e

W e s t W e a r e

W e s t C l i f f

PO

RT LA

ND

BEA

CH RO

AD

A3 5 4

PORT LAND BEACH ROAD

V I C T O R Y RD

CH

ISW

EL L

H I G H S T

F O RTUNESWEL L

N E W R

O AD

EASTO

N LA

NE

A3 5 4W

I DE

ST

RE

ET

GR O V E R O A D

Y E AT E S ROAD

N E W GR O U N D

GLAC ISV E R N E H I L L R D

VE

NTN

OR

RD

VE

RN

E C

OM

MO

N R

D

CA

ST

LE R

OA

D

C A S TL E T O W N

H A M M B E ACH ROAD

C O O D E WA Y

MERES IDE

MU

LBE R

RY

AV

E

P R I O R Y R O A D

INC

L INE R

OA

D

weymouth and portland

Map 2 portland

weymouth and portland

map 2 portland

These routes will be subject to change during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some routes may not be accessible from June to September 2012.

For more walks and

to track your progress visit

www.walk4life.info

South West Coast Path

Hamm Beach Mile 1 mile / 20 mins

Osprey Quay Walk 2.6 miles / 52 mins

Merchant’s Incline Walk 1.4 miles / 28 mins

Battery Circular 1.4 miles / 28 mins

Art and Adventure 1.9 miles / 38 mins

West Weare Mile 1 mile / 20 mins

Weymouth and Portland: Map 2 Portland

This map is one of a pair showing walking routes in Weymouth and Portland. Portland is a limestone island connected to the mainland via a gravel bank, over which runs the A354 and the South West Coast Path.

A good place to start exploring Portland is at Ferrybridge where you will find the new Chesil Beach Visitor Centre providing refreshments and an opportunity to learn more about Dorset’s important marine wildlife. From Chesil Beach you’ll be rewarded with stunning views across Lyme Bay and along the 28km sweep of pebble beach that forms part of the fabulous Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Behind the beach lies the Fleet, an internationally important tidal lagoon. In summer look out for the rare little terns that nest on the beach near the Visitor Centre.

The South West Coast Path follows the disused Weymouth to Portland railway line and takes you up the Merchant’s Incline, built in 1826 to transport stone off the island, but now makes an interesting footpath climbing up from Underhill to Tophill. The path levels out through the Verne Local Nature Reserve past the Verne Citadel, now a prison hidden behind grassy banks. Horse drawn tramways, now footpaths, brought stone from the quarries to join the Merchant’s Railway.

Portland is famous for its stone. One of the finest building stones in the world it has been quarried here since Roman times. The Isle has several fascinating restored quarries with interesting gullies and tunnels. King Barrow Quarry is now a nature reserve with a host of wildflowers and butterflies and lots of fossils. The gully from Verne Local Nature Reserve to King Barrow Quarries is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is a permissive path which may be closed on occasions. Towards the eastern coast from King Barrow you’ll find the High Angle Battery, a Victorian gun emplacement designed to protect shipping in Portland Harbour.

Be sure to visit Tout Quarry to discover the hidden sculptures carved into the rocks including “Still Falling” by Anthony Gormley, creator of the Angel of the North. From Tout the Coast Path heads to Portland Bill with spectacular coastal views. Watch out for peregrines hunting on the cliffs, while further south, seabirds nest on rock ledges below.

Accessibility Information

Due to the nature of Portland some of the walks have slopes and uneven surfaces, particularly within the quarries and the gully between Verne Local Nature Reserve and King Barrow Quarries.

Hamm Beach Mile and West Weare Mile are flat and level with firm surfaces. Merchant’s Incline is wide and barrier free with a good surface but has a long steady slope.

About this map

The Olympic and Paralympic Games offer an opportunity to inspire everyone across the UK to do something different, including the way we travel. The London 2012 Active Travel programme aims to build on the opportunities offered by the Games to encourage more walking and cycling in the lead-up to, during and after the Games. It is a UK wide programme jointly delivered by Transport for London, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

This map is one of a series of 12 that have been delivered as part of the London 2012 Active Travel programme. They carry the London 2012 Inspire mark; a mark of excellence awarded to projects that encourage participation in opportunities inspired by the Games. The maps have been specially designed to encourage short local walks around the venues that will be used to host the London 2012 Games. Getting around by foot or bike is a great way to incorporate physical activity into busy lives and we hope these maps may inspire you to explore on foot, helping London 2012 meet its aim of delivering a truly sustainable Games.

Thanks to Wild About Weymouth & Portland for their help in producing this

leaflet. Photos: Bryan Edwards / Wild About Weymouth & Portland

Portland Stone

Thrift - Ferrybridge

Tout Quarry