Weymouth and Water
Why this storymap?
Weymouth is a coastal town, and its development has been strongly linked with the sea. At times, the sea has also posed a threat. This StoryMap will delve into this complex link, looking at what water brings to the town as well as what it takes away. It will look at how Weymouth got to where it is today, and what the future could hold for the town.
Welcome to Weymouth
Weymouth as a coastal town has long standing links across the channel.
Dorset
Dorset is a county in South West England on the south coast. It has a population of 744,000 and covers an area of 1024 sq mi. It is a largely rural county, with many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Jurassic Coast covering ¾ of the coastline.
Weymouth is a coastal town in Dorset at the mouth of the River Wey, with a population of roughly 53,000.
Weymouth's development driven by the sea
Weymouth started to grow as two towns - Weymouth and Melcombe Regis - competing as ports either side of the River Wey. In 1252, Weymouth received its Royal Charter and Melcombe in 1280. Both towns provided ships for the French wars. Weymouth started as two towns either side of the river mouth, competing in fishing and trade across the channel. As it developed, land was reclaimed to enlarge the towns. Smuggling and plague both put Weymouth on the map...
Statue of King George III
King George III took to the sea for his health and popularised Weymouth as a resort. Later, the coming of the railway improved trade, serviced the Portland naval base, and brought more visitors for their holidays. During this period, significant development took place around the railway station, creating the Park District from land reclaimed from the backwater.
Nowadays, Weymouth is well known for its popular beach, picturesque harbourside and classic Georgian seafront. Tourism is the major industry around the town centre.
17 century
17 century. Click to expand.
1623 - Weymouth saw some of the first ships departing for America. Robert Georges was a passenger and named Wessagusset to Weymouth when he was appointed governor of New England.
18 century
18 century . Click to expand.
1751 – Smuggling rose dramatically after an act was passed that greatly increased the tax on spirits.
19th Century
19th Century. Click to expand.
1805 – The Earl of Abergavenny sunk in Weymouth Bay, costing 261 lives
20th century
20th century. Click to expand.
1908 – The Pavilion (later known as the Ritz) was opened, being destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in 1960.
21st Century
21st Century. Click to expand.
2008 - Flood event - Heavy rain overnight caused the river to burst its banks. Several shops and 18 houses flooded, with 6 people needing to be rescued.
17 century
1623 - Weymouth saw some of the first ships departing for America. Robert Georges was a passenger and named Wessagusset to Weymouth when he was appointed governor of New England.
1628 – Ship named Abigail left Weymouth to New England in America carrying the first governor of Massachusetts.
1645 – In the civil war, Weymouth, Melcombe Regis and Portland were on opposite sides. The Battle of Weymouth was a decisive victory for the Parliamentarian forces, but several hundred Weymouth men were slain.
18 century
1751 – Smuggling rose dramatically after an act was passed that greatly increased the tax on spirits.
1789 – King George III first visited Weymouth. He liked it so much he purchased Gloucester Lodge. The Court spent many summers in Weymouth and the town grew considerably.
1794 – The Packet Steamer service was launched, running between Weymouth and the Channel Islands.
19th Century
1805 – The Earl of Abergavenny sunk in Weymouth Bay, costing 261 lives
1808 – In gratitude to King George III's contribution to the town, the people built the White Horse, depicting the King. The chalk figure is carved into a hillside above Osmington.
1810 - Monument to King George III built on the seafront for his Golden Jubilee.
1824 – Flood event - The Great Gale - Hurricane-force winds combined with spring tides battered Weymouth, overtopping the seafront and causing major damage to the town.
1836 – Workhouse opened as accommodation for the poorest citizens, Holy Trinity Church opened
1857 – Railway arrived with the station being designed by Brunel and served by Great Western Railway and the London and South Western Railway
1860 – Nothe Fort built by Royal Engineers. It remained in use until 1956, and is now open to the public.
1865 – Harbour tramway constructed from the station to the harbour
1887 – The Jubilee Clock built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
20th century
1908 – The Pavilion (later known as the Ritz) was opened, being destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in 1960.
1930 - Town Bridge built.
1983 - Weymouth hosted the start of The Tall Ships' Race for the first time.
1987 - Weymouth Quay railway station closed as regular passenger services on the Weymouth Harbour Tramway ceased.
21st Century
2008 - Flood event - Heavy rain overnight caused the river to burst its banks. Several shops and 18 houses flooded, with 6 people needing to be rescued.
2012 - Weymouth hosted the Summer Olympic sailing.
2015 - Flood event - River Wey burst its banks causing flooding around the Swannery, Jubilee Retail Park and Radipole Gardens.
Between the sea and the countryside
01 / 04
1
Sea front
Weymouth Seafront is one of the main attractions in the town, prividing a 'classic' British seaside experience including fish and chips, donkey rides and sand castles.
Originally popularised King George III in the late 1700’s, who made frequent visits so that he could enjoy the health benefits of bathing in the waters. Weymouth has remained one of the country’s top traditional seaside rests.
At times the seafront is assaulted by storms and occasionally the waves breakover the sea front.
2
Harbor
The harbour is the source of Weymouth's first development. Its size today is reduced as more and more land has been reclaimed from the sea. Today, it provides a source of income through commercial and tourist fishing, recreational boating, and tourism. You will often see the harbour bustling with people having a drink in the beer gardens alongside fishermen bringing home the day's fresh catch.
The Town Bridge separates the outer harbour from the inner harbour. The inner harbour is dominated by moorrings for yachts and other vessels.
3
Town center
The town centre runs from the train station to the harbour side. Today it is mostly shops, offices and residential properties. Many historic buildings can be seen by walking along the pedestrianised streets.
4
The Park District
This area was created between 1861 and 1870 to house the growing number of workers on the railways and port. To the north on higher ground, larger detached housing was developed in Avenues between Carlton Road South and North. Further land was reclaimed after 1920 when the Westham Bridge included a dam – this caused the backwater to silt up and enabled further land reclamation around the backwater.
Due to the historical geography of this area, it is at a relatively high risk of flooding.
The Park District is mainly residential with small hotels and bed & breakfast. Many of the larger houses now provide safe accommodation for vulnerable and elderly local people.
Water: The Benefits
01 / 05
Water: The Challenges
Flooding is not new to Weymouth. The four main causes of flooding in the town are:
- Surface water flooding from heavy rainfall
- River flooding via the River Wey
- Tidal flooding via Weymouth Harbour
- Wave overtopping of the seafront
Risk of flooding from rivers and sea - Medium risk
Between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river flooding. Or between a 1 in 200 and 1 in 1,000 annual probability of sea flooding.
Risk of flooding from rivers and sea - High risk
1 in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding. Or a 1 in 200 or greater annual probability of flooding from the sea.
Risk of flooding from Surface Water Extent 1%
Areas in which there is an annual 1% risk of flooding from Surface Water
Surface water flooding in the Park District, 2012
Fluvial flooding at Swannery Car Park, 2014
What's being done
- Work is being done to safeguard Weymouth, ranging from engineering work through to education and information to help people prepare for flooding.
- The Dorset Council Coastal Risk team are currently developing a Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Strategy for Weymouth covering the next 100 years that will see big improvements to flood defences that help to protect the town.
- Weymouth has a group of Flood Warden Volunteers who live locally and have a good knowledge of Melcombe Regis and the Harbour area. They work together to support the community to increase awareness, planning and preparedness when dealing with flooding. Flood Wardens act as the eyes and ears in the community.
What you can do
Here are some things you can do to help increase your resilience to flooding:
• Sign up to flood warnings and alerts: Check for flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Download and fill in a personal flood plan: Personal flood plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Install property level protection measures: Property Flood Resilience PFR - BeFloodReady
• Check that you have the right insurance: Flood Re - A flood re-insurance scheme
- If you witness a flood, report it: Report flooding - Dorset Council
- To contact or become a volunteer flood warden, please contact: office@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk
Wave overtopping of the seafront.
Sharing what can be done to improve the present and prepare for the future
Use the map below to share photos and descriptions of Weymouth.
ArcGIS Web Application
This storymap is created for the BRIC (Building Resilience in Communities) Project, co-funded by Interreg VA France (Channel) England.
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