Isle of Portland

Portland has been a place of human settlement since the Stone Age.
The island is known for its stone that has been taken from the island's seven quarries and been used to build notable structures such as the Cenotaph memorial, Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral. In addition to be being exported abroad. The island's castles, Portland Castle, Pennsylvania Castle and Rufus Castle use this local grey stone too.
Despite the island's small size, Portland has been home to three prisons: HMP Portland, HMP Verne and HMP Weare. HMP Portland is still active as a young offenders' institute.

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 follow the signs into the town. Once in Weymouth there are many signs for Portland.

From the Westcountry

Follow the signs for Bridport, then at the roundabout near Morrisons take the coast road towards Weymouth, or the main road towards Dorchester. Once in Weymouth there are many signs for Portland.

By train

The nearest train station is Weymouth station. Trains to Weymouth station come direct from London Waterloo and Bristol. Connections can be made from the north by changing trains at London, Bristol or at Southampton. There is a bus stop two minutes from the train station with direct busses to Portland. There is also a taxi rank outside the station.

By coach

National Express operates a coach service to and from Weymouth's Seafront. Services run to London Victoria, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol with connections to other locations from those towns. Once in Weymouth, there is a five minute walk to a bus stop further along the seafront, where buses to Portland depart up to every 7 minutes.

By ferry

A ferry service by Coastline Cruises operates between Brewer's Quay in Weymouth and both Crabbers Wharf and Portland Marina in Portland, the average journey time is 45 minutes each way. Single fares are £6 for adults and £4 for children. Return fares are £10 adults and £6 for children.

Bus services are provided by both First and South West Coaches on Portland. The main service is route 1, provided by First, which operates every 7/8 minutes on weekdays during the day. The FirstDay ticket, which allows unlimited travel around Portland, Weymouth and Dorchester on the day of purchase on First services, costs £4.10 and can be bought from a driver.
Taxis are relatively inexpensive, the major operator in the area is Portline (+44 1305 821600)

• Portland Castle

  phone: +44 1305 820539
  address: Liberty Road, Castletown, DT5 1AZ
  Built by Henry VIII in the early 1540s, this castle has played a part in history ever since. This history is portrayed through exhibitions and the building itself.

• Tout Quarry

  phone: +44 1305 826736
  address: Hope Square
  This beautiful quarry is full of sculptures that local people have created. It is set on the top of Portland with fantastic views of the Jurassic Coastline.

• Portland Bill Lighthouse

  phone: +44 1305 821050
  address: Most southerly tip of Portland
  It has interactive displays and historical artefacts and offers the opportunity to encounter a stormy sea journey in the ‘Into The Dark’ zone. Visitors can also climb the lighthouse and see for miles along the beautiful Dorset Coastline, the Jurassic Coast and out to the treacherous Portland Race. Minimum height 1.1 metres tall to climb the tower.

Museums

• Portland Museum

  phone: +44 1305 821804
  address: 217 Wakeham, Easton, DT5 1HS
  Museum dedicated to Portland's stone, the Jurassic Coast, shipwrecks around the island and famous people linked to the island.

• Castletown D-Day Centre

  phone: +44 7850 243675
  address: Admiralty Buildings, Castletown, DT5 1BD

• Grove Prison Museum

  phone: +44 1305 715726
  address: 104 Grove Rd, The Grove, DT5 1DZ
  Set inside HMP Portland, a young offenders' institute; is a small two-room museum.

• Chesil BeachChesil Beach is a long shingle beach spit connecting Portland to West Bay, contrary to popular belief Chesil Beach is not a tombolo, but a shoal beach. Part of the Jurassic Coast, a .

• Chesil Beach Visitor Centre

  address: Portland Beach Rd, DT4 9XE
  A small visitor centre with exhibits, a cafe and visitor information. A good starting point for tourists.

Royal Manor Theatre

phone: +44 1305 860792

address: 138A Fortuneswell, DT5 1LT

Portland's own small theatre is in a former church that hosts the occasional production and can be hired as a venue.

Osprey Leisure Centre

phone: +44 1305 824378

address: Castletown, DT5 1BD

Leisure centre with a 25-m swimming pool, gym and cafe.

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

phone: +44 1305 866000

address: Osprey Quay

In the Osprey Quay development. This venue hosted the London 2012 Olympic sailing events. This venue hosts events throughout the year as well as sailing courses. Cost of courses varies.

There are plenty of recreational activities in the area such as:

• Sailing
• Windsurfing
• Rock climbing
• Cycling and walking around the island on the clifftop-coastal path
• Diving

• Underwater Explorers

  phone: +44 1305 824 555
  address: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, DT5 1FD
  A diving shop, you can browse stock both online and with Google Street View. They also provide training.

• The Wool Shop

  phone: +44 1305 822794
  address: 17 Easton St, Easton, DT5 1BS
  A haberdashery store specialising in wool.

• Island Gallery

  phone: +44 1305 821432
  address: 31 Easton Square, DT5 1BU
  Sells gifts and offers a picture framing service.

• Jailhouse Cafe

  phone: +44 1305 825186
  address: The Verne Prison, DT5 1EQ
  A cheap cafe near Verne Prison that does sandwiches, burgers and jacket potatoes.

• Lobster Pot

  phone: +44 1305 820242
  address: Portland Bill, DT5 2JT
  Dorset's most southerly restaurant, right next to Portland Bill and reputedly open since 1952. Despite its name, there is no lobster on the extensive menu though there is locally sourced crab.

• The Cove House Inn

  phone: +44 1305 820895
  address: 91 Chiswell, DT5 1AW

• The George Inn

  phone: +44 1305 820011
  address: 133 Reforne, Easton, DT5 2AP

Budget

• YHA Youth Hostel

  phone: +44 845 371 9339
  address: Hardy House, Castle Road
  An impressive Edwardian building (that previously housed the Royal Navy's First Admiral). Close to Chesil Beach and the fast bus link to Weymouth. Private rooms and camping are also available.

Mid-range

There are numerous guest houses located on the island. Portland Heights Hotel has spectacular views and has the highest amount of tourist guide stars in the area.
Portland Lodge next door is also very good and caters to many of the divers and sailors in the area.

• Portland Heights Hotel

  phone: +44 1305 821361
  address: Yeates Rd, DT5 2EN

• Portland Lodge

  phone: +44 1305 820265
  address: Easton Ln, DT5 1BW

Splurge

• Pennsylvania Castle

  phone: +44 1305 820659
  address: Pennsylvania Rd, Easton, DT5 1HZ
  Former residence of John Penn, the Governer of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, USA.

The majority of pubs on the island are locally run establishments, aimed at older generations. There are no nightclubs on Portland. Most of local residents travel to nearby Weymouth to go out. Cinema and bowling facilities can also be found in Weymouth.