Weymouth
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- For other places with the same name, see Weymouth (disambiguation).
Weymouth is a town in Dorset, a county on the south coast of the West Country, in England.
Get in
By car
From the South and London: Follow the A35 towards Dorchester, but turn off on the junction for the A354 (that has signs for Weymouth). Then simply follow the signs into the town. From the West Country: Follow signs for Bridport, then take the A35 towards Dorchester. At the roundabout junction with the A354 take the third exit towards Weymouth. At the next roundabout near Morrisons take the coast road towards Weymouth.
By train
Weymouth is served by hourly trains from London Waterloo and a less frequent service from Bristol. Connections can be made from the north by changing trains at London, Bristol, Bournemouth or Southampton. The railway station is close to the beach and just a few minutes walk from the town centre. There is another station at Upwey about 4 km (2.5 miles) further north on the same line.
By bus
National Express operates a coach service to and from Weymouth's seafront. Services run to London Victoria, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Blackpool and Helston with connections to other locations from those towns. First runs regular services (X53) along the Jurassic Coast to Exeter and Poole. The 31 operates from Weymouth to Axminster via Dorchester and Bridport.
By ferry
Condor Ferries operates a direct ferry service from Jersey and Guernsey. Easy connections can be made with the St Malo (France) ferry at Jersey. The ferry terminal is only a few minutes walk from the town centre. Services to Cherbourg by fast or traditional ferry are provided by Brittany Ferries from Poole. There are good rail, bus and road links between Poole and Weymouth. - Due to a Landslide the ferry terminal is non-operational until early 2013. Ferries will instead operate from Poole or Portsmouth.
Get around
A regular bus service is provided by First within the area. Unlimited travel on First buses in Weymouth costs £2.80 for an adult, and £2.20 for a child. All day travel around Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester is £4.00 for an adult on First Buses. Both the X31 & X53 routes are excellent for sightseeing. X53 All Day Ticket £7/adult. Route 501 is operated by an open topped bus during the holiday season from Weymouth to Portland Bill
There are many taxi companies in Weymouth that are fairly cheap. One is Weyline, tel: +44 1305 777777.
See
- Bennetts Water Gardens, Putton Lane, Chickerell (From Weymouth town centre take the B3157 towards Abbotsbury. Brown tourist signs give directions from this road. Bus services 8 and X53 stop at the nearby army camp. Brown tourist signs then provide directions for the 1/4 mile walk.), ☏ +44 1305 785150. Open 10.00AM to 5.00PM, Easter to October Mo Tu W Th F Su.. A landscaped attractions, with many varieties of plants including water lilly's. Disabled access is available around some of the attraction. £7.25, Children £3.95, Senior Citizen £6.55. Family tickets available. Group discounts available..
- Nothe Fort, Barrack Road (Follow brown tourist signs from Weymouth town centre), ☏ +44 1305 766626. 1 May to 30 September, 10.30AM to 5.30PM, Autumn half term, 11.00AM to 5.30PM.. The Nothe Fort is a fort built at the entrance to Weymouth harbour, now a major tourist attraction featuring exhibitions and a trail for children. Provides spectacular views of Weymouth and Portland's harbours. £6.00 Adult (Senior Citizen £5.00, Children £1.00. Family tickets available.)..
- Sea Life Park & Marine Sanctuary, Lodmoor Country Park (Follow brown tourist signs from Weymouth town centre to Seafront, then follow signs to Lodmoor Country Park. A land train operates from outside the tourist information centre during the summer. Bus service 4 stops outside the venue), ☏ +44 1305 788255, fax: +44 1305 760165. Every day from 10AM (Open late during summer holidays, contact venue for more information). Many different species of marine life can be found at this attraction, including otters, seals, penguins, rays and crabs. There are also water based activities for children. The attraction is fully wheelchair accessible. £19.80 Adult (Children £16.20. Family tickets available.). Note that parking is in an adjacent (and pricey!) Council-operated pay and display car park, where you need to decide in advance how many hours you intend to stay!.
Do
- Visit the nearby Isle of Portland
- Sail! The National Sailing Academy on Portland is the venue for the 2012 Olympics Sailing Competitions as well as the place for the big national dinghy class competitions, and the BUSA finals.
Buy
The main shopping streets in the town are St Mary Street, St Thomas Street and New Bond Street. These are all located at the hub of local transport and within five minutes walk of the beach.
Surrounding the main streets are many bustling roads made up of independent retailers.
- Christopher Robin (Fancy Dress Shop), 70 The Esplanade (3 minutes walk from the train station), ☏ +44 1305 774870. 9.30am to 5.30pm. Family business established for over 25 years in Weymouth, Christopher Robin fancy dress shop on the Esplanade stock a wide range of fancy dress costumes and party goods for children and adults. Supplying fancy dress for Weymouth's New Year's Eve celebrations and for every party occasion across the UK. With years experience the team at Christopher Robin will help you become who ever you want to be.
Eat
Weymouth has many restaurants catering for virtually any taste. Many are found around the town centre. For a more picturesque setting there are several restaurants overlooking the old harbour.
Many of the major chains, including Wetherspoon (two pubs) and Yates's can be found in the town centre.
Locally produced goods are available at independent retailers around the town. Bread, cakes and savouries from the Dorset Cake Company, and Sgt. Bun are particular highlights.
Drink
Weymouth has one of the best nightlifes available on the south coast. So much so that people come from all over the country to experience it. Most of this activity happens in the bars located within the town centre.
On New Year's Eve everyone goes out in fancy dress, leading to it being called the country's largest fancy dress party.
Common after drinking activities include a visit to the beach (less than 5 minutes away), or a trip to one of the many local fast food chains, where chips & cheese is a local favourite.
Some of the most popular include
- The Swan, 41-43 St Thomas Street, ☏ +44 1305 750231. An adults only establishment. Open 9.00AM to 12.30AM Sunday to Thursday, 9.00AM to 1.00AM Friday and Saturday. One or Weymouth's busiest pubs, offering low cost food and drinks. No music or entertainments offered. A non smoking establishment. Bottled Beer: £2.00
- The Prince Henry, 1 Fredrick Place, ☏ +44 1305 763760. A Wetherspoons Pub. Open from 7am daily. Another busy pub offering very competitively priced food and drink. All day food from 7am - breakfast. No music. Full range of cask ales with guest beers as well as wines and bottled beers from around the world.
- Rendezvous, Town Bridge Street, +44 1305 761343. Open every day, contact venue for times. Weymouth's biggest and busiest nightclubs. Plays mainly commercial dance and classics from the 80's and 90's. Bottled Beer: £2.60
- Yates's, 55-57 St Thomas Street, ☏ +44 1305 772913. Open every day, contact venue for times. During the day this establishment is a refined bar, offering good food. At night it becomes a club, playing commercial dance and pop music. Bottled Beer: £2.70
- Hogshead, 1 Frederick Place, ☏ +44 1305 785894. Open every day, contact venue for times. Offers food and drinks. Sports including premiership football are shown. Bottled Beer: £2.50
- Que Pasa, 62 St Thomas Street, ☏ +44 1305 830195. Open every day, contact venue for times. During the day a mix of British and Spanish food is served. In the evening this venue becomes a club. Although small, it has a great atmosphere. Bottled Beer: £2.70
- The Dorothy Inn, 48-49 The Esplanade, +44 1305 766996. Open every day, contact venue for times. During the day food is served, and at night there is a club catering for the older generations. Bottled Beer: £2.70
Sleep
Bed and Breakfast
There are many bed and breakfast establishments to be found in Weymouth. Many of these are located near the seafront. Some examples of this are the mainly family run Georgian bed and breakfasts to be found on the Esplanade,
Away from the hustle and bustle is the more peaceful
- Pebble Villa. for adults only
- Morven Guest House. family friendly
Hotels
There is a lack of high quality hotels within Weymouth.
Self-Catering
- Dream Cottages, Brewer's Quay. independent cottage agency with over 200 cottages
Camping and Caravans
There are several camp sites around Weymouth. Haven holidays operates three such sites, including the Littlesea and Weymouth Bay holiday parks. Independently operated sites can also be found in the area.
- Waterside Holiday Park & Spa, Bowleaze Cove. 5 star caravan site on Weymouth Bay
Camping is great at Eweleaze farm located From the West (Weymouth): Proceed through Preston and up the hill to Osmington. At the 30 mph Osmington Village sign turn right onto a track. Drive for 1 km over the hill and down to the farm. Solar showers very cheap basic farmers fields but gorgeous views over southwest coast path and sea.
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