Looking out across Chesill Beach in Portland

Did you know walking is good for you? It has good health benefits for all the family, regular walks keep your lungs in shape, provides good muscle tone and builds your stamina without too much effort. It is a fantastic outdoor activity and there is nothing more relaxing than a leisure walk where you can leave the daily stresses of life behind and explore your local countryside.

For those who enjoy walking in Weymouth, Dorset, The Outdoor Store has compiled a selection of the best local routes for you and your family to discover. You can either drive to the starting points, or take a bus from Weymouth.

Weymouth Walks - Short distances up to 2.5 miles

Rodwell Trail

This trail is a level 2.5 miles walk along the coast with wildlife habitat and fantastic views across Portland Harbour. You can start the walk at Ferrybridge a 20 minutes journey by bus from the Kings Status in Weymouth.

As you follow the trail back to Weymouth you can take a short detour to visit Sandsfoot Castle and gardens. As you pass through a wooded cutting you will see the old railway platforms at Rodwell Station and marvel at the engineering of the brick built railway tunnel. From here on there are marvellous views of the Dorset coast.

Download the Rodwell Trail map

The 3 Lighthouses on Portland Bill

The 2 mile circular walk around Portland Bill offers great views of the 3 lighthouses that protect ships around Portland. Portland Bill is a 40 minute journey by bus from the Kings Statue in Weymouth and you will see the first lighthouse ‘Portland Bill Lighthouse’ built around1903 as you alight at the car park.

This lighthouse is painted in bright red and white and is a traditional tourist symbol of Portland. To see the remaining two lighthouses ‘The Old Higher Lighthouse’ and ‘The Old Lower Lighthouse’  you need to head north on the South West Coast Path and follow the relevant footpath signs.

Download the 3 Lighthouses Route Map

Weymouth Walks - Longer distant walks

Railway Walks

Julia Bradbury the Countryfile presenter is well known for her love of walking. Last year she introduced many people to a walk along the disused railways between Weymouth & Portland for the BBC TV series ‘Railway Walks’.

The railway route was built in 1865 to carry passengers and the world famous Portland Stone between Weymouth and Portland, the line was closed in April 1965.

There are three routes for you to explore covering 6 miles namely:

• The Rodwell Trail mentioned earlier takes you along Portland Harbour.
• The Merchants’ railway from Castletown to Yeastes Incline follows the original horse drawn Merchants railway built in 1826 and used by the quarrymen to transport their wagons of stone.
• Follow the disused railway line which ran to Easton. Look out for an old engine shed being restored by Portland Gas Trust and the herd of feral British Primitive goats which have been reintroduced to help control scrub.

Download the Railway Walk Leaflet

The above route details are available to download on www.visitportland.co.uk or call into The Outdoor Store where we stock a variety of maps including the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL15 that covers the South West Coast Path and Chesil Beach area.

Look foward to seeing you out there Walking in Weymouth .

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