Weymouth

History

The modern town of Weymouth originated as the two settlements of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, on opposite sides of Weymouth Harbour in Dorset. The older of the two, on the south side, was referred to as Weymouth as early as the 10th century, as part of the parish of Wyke Regis, and by 1252 had become a chartered borough and established seaport, trading in imported wine. Melcombe Regis, on the north side, was first noted in the 11th century. It developed separately from the mid 12th century onwards and in 1310 was a licensed wool port. However, French raiders found the port so accessible that in 1433 the staple was transferred to Poole. Melcombe Regis is thought to be the first port at which the Black Death came into England in June or July 1348, possibly aboard either a spice ship or an army ship from Calais, where fighting was taking place in the Hundred Years' War. In their early history, the two towns were rivals for trade and industry, and many arguments broke out over use of the harbour. In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I became so tired of the petitioning that she united the two towns in an Act of Parliament, to form a double borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. Both towns have become known as Weymouth, despite Melcombe Regis being the main centre. The villages of Upwey, Broadwey, Preston, Wyke Regis, Chickerell, Southill, Radipole and Littlemoor have since become part of the built-up area. In 1635, around 100 emigrants from the town crossed the Atlantic Ocean on board the ship Charity and settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts. More townspeople emigrated to the Americas to bolster the population of Weymouth, Nova Scotia and Salem, Massachusetts, then called Naumking. During the English Civil War, control of Weymouth changed a number of times and the town was much…

Geography

Weymouth is built on weak sand and clay rock which in most places along the Dorset coast, except for narrow bands at Lulworth Cove, Swanage and Durdle Door, has been eroded and transported away. This weak rock has been protected at Weymouth by Chesil Beach and the strong limestone Isle of Portland that lies offshore, south of Wyke Regis. The island affects the tides of the area, producing a double low tide in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour. The maximum tidal range is small, at around . There are 11 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the borough, which cover an area of , and there are 37 other Nature Conservation Designations. Situated approximately midway, Weymouth is a gateway town to the Jurassic Coast. The of the Dorset and east Devon coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is important for its geology and landforms. The South West Coast Path has two routes around Weymouth and Portland—one around its coast, and one along the South Dorset Downs, which reduces the path's length by . The steep ridge of chalk, locally known as The Ridgeway, separates Dorchester and Weymouth. Weymouth is the largest town in the area, larger than the county town of Dorchester, which lies to the north, and hence is a centre of activity for the nearby population. Weymouth's esplanade is composed of Georgian terraces, which have been converted into apartments, shops, hotels and guest houses. In the centre of the town lies Weymouth Harbour, separating the two areas of Melcombe Regis (the main town centre) and Weymouth (the southern harbourside) from each other. Since the 18th century they have been linked by successive bridges over the narrowest part of the harbour. The present Town Bridge, built in 1930, is a lifting bascule bridge allowing boats to access the inner…

Most-observed species

• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  5,747
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,062
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,929
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,257
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,872
• Great Cormorant/European Shag

  Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,859
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,605
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,530

Most recent

• M 3.4 — 2019-12-05
  1 km ESE of Taunton, United Kingdom
• M 3 — 2019-05-19
  7 km ESE of Swanage, United Kingdom
• M 2.9 — 2015-01-27
  1 km ENE of Winchester, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2011-06-23
  4 km WSW of Bovey Tracey, United Kingdom
• M 2.5 — 2006-08-14
  1 km E of North Petherton, United Kingdom
• M 3.7 — 2004-01-29
  2 km E of North Petherton, United Kingdom