Weymouth - town in Dorset, England

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 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 station 📍 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 (2½ 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 Axminster. The X54 operates from Weymouth to Poole.

By ferry

Despite its history as a cross-Channel ferry port, these days the furthest you can get on a passenger vessel from Weymouth is Portland; ships from the Channel Islands and France dock at Poole.

Services to Poole from Guernsey, Jersey, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo by fast or traditional ferry are provided by Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries. There are good rail, bus and road links between Poole and Weymouth.

Get around

A regular bus service is provided by First within the area. 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.), 50.6171°, -2.4962°, +44 1305 785150. Easter to October: M-F Su 10AM-5PM. A landscaped attraction, with many varieties of plants including water lillies. Disabled access is available around some of the attraction. Adults £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), 50.6075°, -2.4439°, +44 1305 766626. 1 May-30 Sept: 10:30AM-5:30PM; Autumn half term: 11AM-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. Adults £6, senior citizens £5, children £1. Family tickets available
• Radipole Lake (RSPB Radipole Lake), 50.625278°, -2.466944°. Lake on the River Wey, now a nature reserve run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. free (donations welcome)
• 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), 50.625412°, -2.44511°, +44 1305 788255. 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. 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. Adults £19.80, children £16.20. Family tickets available
• Tudor House Museum, 3 Trinity St, DT4 8TW, 50.6061°, -2.4532°, +44 1305 779711. M-F: 1PM-4PM, Sa-Su: Closed. Adult: £4, Child: £1, Student: £1.50, Disabled: £1 2018-03-11
• Weymouth Museum, Brewers Quay, Hope Square, DT4 8TR, 50.60545°, -2.452233°, +44 1305 457982. From Mar-Oct: W-Sa: 10:30AM-4PM (last admission: 3:15PM). Adult: £1, Child: Free 2018-03-11
• Isle of Portland is a short drive south, see separate page.

Do

• Football: Weymouth FC play soccer in the National League, England's fifth tier. Their home ground is Bob Lucas Stadium, capacity 6800, at the northwest edge of town.
• Fantasy Island is a chain funfare, on the coast five miles northeast at Bowleaze Coveway.
• Sail. The National Sailing Academy on Portland was the venue for the 2012 Olympics Sailing Competitions, and is the location for the big national dinghy class competitions, and the BUSA finals. 2018-01-14
• Seafeast is a food festival held on Weymouth peninsula, with the next on 10-11 Sep 2022.

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.

• Tom and Erin's Gift Shop (Fancy Dress Shop), 70 The Esplanade (3 minutes walk from the train station), 50.6126°, -2.4538°, +44 1305 778090. 9:30AM-5:30PM. wide range of fancy dress costumes and party goods for children and adults.

Eat

• Crab House Café, Ferrymans Way, Portland Road, 50.5859°, -2.4747°, +44 1305 788867. 2018-07-28
• Fish 'n' Fritz, 9 Market St, 50.6084°, -2.4537°, +44 1305 766386. 2018-07-28

Drink

Weymouth has among the best nightlife available on the south coast and 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, DT4 8EH, 50.608171°, -2.455075°, +44 1305 750231. Su-Th 9AM-12:30PM; F Sa 9AM-1AM. An adults-only establishment. One of Weymouth's busiest pubs, offering low cost food and drinks. No music or entertainments offered. A non-smoking establishment. Bottled beer: £2.
• The William Henry (formerly The Prince Henry), 1 Fredrick Place, DT4 8HQ, 50.611532°, -2.454393°, +44 1305 763760. Daily from 7AM to midnight. A Wetherspoons Pub. 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.
• The Dorothy Inn, 48-49 The Esplanade, 50.6101°, -2.4530°, +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 older generations. Bottled beer: £2.70. 2018-03-11

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,

• Beachcomber Guest House, 6 Waterloo Rd, DT4 7PD, 50.61805°, -2.451243°, +44 1305 783078.
• Weymouth Sands, 5 The Esplanade, DT4 8EA, 50.608374°, -2.45023°, +44 1305 839022.
• Philbeach Guest House, 11 Waterloo Place, DT4 7PD, 50.618161°, -2.451276°, +44 1305 785344.

Away from the hustle and bustle is the more peaceful

• Morven Guest House, 2 Westerhall Rd, DT4 7SZ, 50.620183°, -2.45065°, +44 1305 785 075. Family friendly.

Hotels

There is a lack of high quality hotels within Weymouth.

• Moonfleet Manor, Fleet Rd, DT3 4ED (5 miles west of Weymouth), 50.623897°, -2.542216°, +44 1305 786948. Splendid hotel set in a Georgian manor house, great dining and child-friendly service. B&B double £110 2020-06-27

Self-catering

• Dream Cottages, Brewer's Quay, 50.6055°, -2.4519°, +44 1305 789000. Independent cottage agency with over 300 cottages. 2021-04-21

Camping and caravans

There are several camp sites around Weymouth. Haven holidays operates three such sites, including the Littlesea (dead link: January 2023) and Weymouth Bay holiday parks. Independently operated sites can also be found in the area.

• 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.
• Waterside Holiday Park & Spa, Bowleaze Cove, DT3 6PP, 50.638264°, -2.419624°, +44 1305 833103. 5-star caravan site on Weymouth Bay. 2020-06-04
• Bagwell Farm Touring Park, Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, DT3 4EA (just 5 miles from Weymouth; approach on the A354 from Dorchester, follow signs for Town Centre and Portland for the first 3 roundabouts until you pick up the signs for Chickerell, Abbotsbury and the Jurassic Coast Road. The park is 1 mile beyond Chickerell on the B3157 to Abbotsbury. The entrance is on the left, just past the Victoria Inn.), 50.6333°, -2.5291°, +44 1305 782575, book@bagwellfarm.co.uk. Check-in: noon, check-out: 11AM. In a tranquil rural location and its sandy beach overlooking the Chesil Bank, Fleet Lagoon and Lyme Bay. A footpath leads to the Fleet Lagoon and joins with the South West Coast Path along the Jurassic coastline. Welcomes tents, caravans and motor ans and even large RVs (Big hardstandings available). Electric hookups, TV aerial, water connection and drainage are available on serviced pitches. Seasonal pitches and storage spaces for caravans are also offered. from £13 2018-02-23

Connect

As of March 2022, Weymouth has 4G from all UK carriers, and 5G from Three.

Go next

• Abbotsbury
• Lulworth
• Poole
• Bournemouth
• Dorchester – take the A354 north to Dorchester, Dorset's county town with many museums to visit.
• Isle of Portland – take the A354 south or a ferry to Portland, a tied island known for its stone.