It could have been a relic of some soviet war place from a cold, warm, temperate or even hot war era but Wyke Regis is the quiet English ex-military secret backwater few of us know of. A historic settlement whose whereabouts may have remained unknown but for the A354 which links the medieval town of Weymouth to Portland.
The Island of Portland is famous chiefly for two reasons:-
- Portland Stone. If you unravel the streets of London you will find fine examples of period architecture – particularly residential dwelling houses – which are constructed from this material. However, the most stunning London skyline building built using Portland stone must be St Pauls Cathedral.
- Royal Navy. The second great employer of the local population was the Royal Navy and associated supply and manufacturing industries.
There is a strong local legacy following the withdrawal of Royal Navy and the sale of the Naval site in 1990’s. Even a brief visit to the area will reveal a selection of Veterans and Working Men’s Clubs. The Wyke Register, the local magazine, lists many active and strongly supported community groups. Whereas many communities appear to lose their ‘soul’ following the withdrawal of major employers, Wyke Regis still ‘feels’ busy and purposeful.
The Ferry Bridge Public House is closed, boarded up and at a wild guess on the brink of becoming a new waterside development. It would be hypocritical to criticise this since we were staying on the 20 year old housing development across the A354 with stunning views across Portland Harbour.
The Wyke Smugglers however is completely landlocked and the current owners/tenants are working very hard to keep a traditional pub alive and vibrant with a full programme of live music to complement the beer and food choices on offer. Visit http://thewykesmugglers.com/
The Whitehead Drive development was built on the site of the Whitehead Torpedo Factory. It may come as a surprise that torpedo’s were developed in the early 1800’s and the final result was a collaboration between Robert Whitehead and his European counterparts in a factory which was sited in what is now Croatia. The Wyke Regis Whitehead factory site was used to manufacture, launch and test the torpedoes. According to Wikipedia the last firing of a Whitehead torpedo was recorded in WW11 at the Battle of Drøbak Sound.
As any Google Anorak will agree, Wikipedia has a wealth of information available for the idly curious – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehead_torpedo
Faithful Warrior
The Dowman Place apartment which had a waterside frontage was neatly arranged with a first floor balcony, featuring a toughened glass balustrade which overlooked the harbour. With the aid of a pair of binoculars kindly provided by the accommodation owner, it was possible to see the sea craft, which ranged from paddle boards to monolithic crude oil tankers, entering, navigating and exiting the harbour.
Faithful Warrior came into port. Like an old music hall starlet now heaving with life’s burden and ravaged by rollers and salt water splashes she glided on a skinny flat sea to a lonely anchorage. Calm and still she waited her beckoning. Toiling Tugs and cheeky white sailed yachts skimmed her bows. Impudent kite surfers sprayed the Plimsoll line with a tickle of brine in a whisk of a twist before turning to catch a Tern in flight.
Patiently, solitary in chained abeyance she reflected the sunset.
At night the Faithful Warrior transformed and was lit up like a Mediterranean fiesta vessel with garland ropes of luminescence strung from bow to stern supplemented by Arclight science. The abject silence across the bay water gave away the fact that all the night time party animals were still raving in on Mykonos.
Now here is the really interesting news if you have a leaning towards Anorakism or are currently in a ménage a trois with the interloper being Google holding court with an enviable capacity to fascinate the endlessly curious, there is a trainspotting equivalent for the oceans.
Stalking an Iron Maiden may seem a touch weird but can be fascinating. She travels the oceans with commercial purpose unlike the flotsam and jetsam – man made or otherwise which drifts across 70 per cent of this planet. It transpires she came from the North Sea and was en route to West Africa.
UK Ports and shipping information can be found using:
http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?map=Portland&mmsi=241453000
| Name | MMSI | IMO | Call Sign | Country | History | Last Received | |
| FAITHFUL WARRIOR | 241453000 | 9750062 | SVCL5 | [GR] | H | 01:06 | 29 Mar 2019 |
| Name: | Faithful Warrior |
| MMSI: | 241453000 [GR] |
| IMO: | 9750062 |
| Callsign: | SVCL5 |
| Speed/Dir: | 11.4 kts / 233° SW |
| Status: | Underway |
| Dest: | Akpo, Nigeria |
| ETA: | Apr15 19:00 |
| Type: | Tanker (80) |
| Details: | General Cargo Ship |
| Size: | 274m x 48m x 9.3m |
| Tonnage: | 1961gt, 3024dwt |
| Built: | 1991 |
| Received: | 01:06:08 29 Mar 19 GMT (2 days ago) |
Shipais.com takes a little navigation but fairly quickly it is possible to find historical and up to date information about vessels within UK waters. With live updates it is possible to plot the arrival of ships as they enter, anchor and leave ports. However, like the ‘Flat Earth’ model, once the ships have left UK territory they drop off the horizon.
Our Greek registered lady was last seen heading in the direction of Nigeria using http://www.marinetraffic.com/.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-5.5/centery:48.1/zoom:9
You can find the name, country of origin, destination, ETA and so much more on a live website.
Portland Harbour Walls
The natural harbour had been used for shipping throughout the ages and in the 16th century, King Henry VIII fortified the area by building Portland Castle and Sandsfoot Castle as defence posts to protect his fleets.
Portland Harbour is vast in comparison with others and when constructed in 1872 was the largest man made harbour in the world. Originally it consisted of two walls which acted as breakwaters. The first foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert on 25 July 1849.
Two further walls to the north were constructed between 1893-1906 – ironically to protect the shipping at anchor from torpedo attack. Note to Mumsie – look up dolphins.
For a detailed history of Portland Harbour and much more visit the excellent and informative website: https://www.portlandhistory.co.uk/portland-harbour.html.
Portland
If you have any choice – visit Portland on a sunny day. Statistically there are more sunny days on Portland than elsewhere so your chances are good.
The A354 takes you across from the mainland, along the Chesil beach sea defence to Portland. Follow the main route through Fortuneswell and then up the steep New Road taking a sharp left hand corner which leads to Yeates Roundabout. Take the first turn on the left and this will lead you past the Olympic Rings and to some free car parking.
The views from here are absolutely stunning. You can take the short walk back to the Rings. Alternatively you can choose to cross the road and walk along the adjacent fields to some disused quarries.
It is possible to see the prison from here. According to the internet the prisons were situated here to provide labour to quarry the stone. There are two prisons on the island, an adult and a young offenders unit. As mentioned above, Portland is very famous from the stone quarried from the island. Given the number of buildings constructed from Portland stone it is slightly surprising that there is any island left!
Returning to the roundabout and the main A354 follow the route to Portland Bill. At the Bill you will see the Light House and the resilient rocks below. Conveniently there is a café and close by a Pub for a more substantial meal.
Cleverly on leaving the car park the road is well sign posted to direct visitors to take a left turn to complete a circular route to return to Fortuneswell thus forming an informal one way route along roads too narrow of substantial holiday traffic.
Chesil Beach Café
On the return journey the Chesil Beach Café is on the left and a convenient place to stop for a walk along the land side of the natural structure which with additional human intervention acts as a sea defence for the harbour. The café is situated at the south eastern edges of the Fleet, a tidal lagoon which becomes less saline the further inland and north west you travel. Abbotsbury Swannery is located further up the Fleet. Only the adult swans venture towards the Ferry Bridge. They have adapted to survive in the salty water and have special glands near their eyes which enable them to exude the excess salts. Abbotsbury is worth a visit if you like birds and you may even catch a glimpse of an Osprey.
The Rodwell Trail
This is a great walk from Wyke Regis to Weymouth along a disused railway line. It is not completely flat but neither is it a challenge – unless you happen to be walking a psychotic dog called Rufus who has more in common with the Disney character Stitch than the 1950’s film star dog Lassie. Rufus aside, the Rodwell Trail is popular with walkers – with and without dogs, cyclists and families. Not far from the start you come to the railway sign for ‘Wyke Halt’. Enthusiasts have posted a page dedicated to this long gone feature http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/wyke_regis_halt/. Halfwayish along the trail deviates slightly down to the Sandsfoot Café and Castle http://www.sandsfootcastle.org.uk/. Opening times vary depending on the time of year and it can be very popular in summer. The formal gardens give way to a grassy area to sit and watch the bay and boating activities. Finally, the Rodwell Trail terminates in the harbour area of Weymouth with many eateries and watering holes. Typically it is advisable to arrive early if you wish to find a table for a bite to eat.
The South West Coastal Path’
Signs can be deceptive. A sign which says ‘Path’ suggests a passage which is relatively navigable by foot. Ramblers may scoff but walking poles are definitely required on some sections and it appears coastal erosion applies to the Fleet too. Not all of this walk is suitable for the faint hearted!
Glass Bottom Boat trips
Less of a trip and more of a comfortable excursion would be the glass bottom boat trips organised by members of the Dorset Wild Life Trust. https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-do/your-community/fleet-explorer
Essential Info
Takeaway and Delivery meals to your door can be essentials if you have travelled a distance to arrive at Wyke Regis or you are on a Total Chill Out Break. At March 2019 it was not abundantly clear to the weary traveller that local restaurants deliver but they do! What is more, the portions are more than generous. Hings Chinese Restaurant definitely deliver. The Codfather Fish and Chip shop delivers and as at March 2019 ran a full page advert in the Wyke Register giving details of how they support the local Food Bank. If you fancy fish and chips ask them how you can help provide a meal for a local person too. http://codfathers.co.uk/weymouth/
There is a regular bus service running from Portland to Weymouth with up to date electronic time displays and regular stops.
There are local and independent shops to buy bakery items including freshly made sandwiches and in Wyke Square you will find a small store selling local produce including jams and preserves and Bits and Bobs have a good supply of craft items.
Worth a Visit?
Definitely. Probably best out of season if you are lucky to have beautiful weather. Possibly very exciting in a storm. Remarkably white in the fog and mist!
A Room with a Rufus View
The glass balustrade gave Rufus an unfettered view of the human and canine traffic passing along the Rodwell Trail. He spent hours watching the dogs and their owners out for ‘walkies’ and with exception of the Bassett Hounds he was generally very un-Stitch like and rarely barked. What is it about Bassett Hounds and Rufus?
Claudia Bow 