Weymouth: a lovely place to live or to holiday (Weymouth in general)

Member Name: joannabelle88

Product:	Weymouth in general
Date:	03/07/09 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: the beach, the attractions, good transport links

Disadvantages: can get very busy in the summer

Weymouth is the town that I grew up in, and spent the first 18years of my life living there, and I absolutely loved it. A traditional English seaside town, Weymouth is situated on the Dorset coast, about an hour west from Bournemouth, and 8 miles from the county town of Dorchester. It is now considered part of the Jurassic coast, and attracts many people, particularly to the outside villages of Fleet (the setting of Moonfleet) and Abbotsbury, where the Chesil beach starts.

Aside from the geological attraction, Weymouth's main appeal is the beach, which stretches from Bowleaze cove down to the pavillion. The beach is divided part way along by a rock mound, which divides the sandier part from the stonier part. Generally the beach gets busier towards the pavillion end, as this is where the attractions such as the helter skelter, punch and judy, and pedalos are. This is also the sandy part of the beach, and dogs are not allowed on here during May-September.

The stoney part, bowleaze side of the rocks, is suitable for dogs, provided they are kept under control, and also has many ice cream huts serving burgers and so on, and selling inflatables.

Aside from the beach, Weymouth has a great history, and the old brewing factory at Brewers Quay is worth a visit. To get to this requires a short walk along the picturesque harbour, where there are always a number of fishing boats in residence. When visiting Brewers Quay, I would recommend the Timewalk exhibition, which is a walk around various scenes detailing Weymouth's history around the Black Death period. The Discovery is also well worth a couple of hours- this is a type of science museum, which is perfect for children.

In addition, Brewers quay has many novelty shops, selling Dorset produce, as well as handmade jewellery and leather products. The sweet shop there is a must visit, as it is very traditional, and sells all the old style sweets.

The choice of places to eat in Weymouth is vast, there are the usual fast food places such as KFC and McDonalds, as well as a Prezzo, Wetherspoons and Yates. In addition, towards the quay are some exquisite seafood restaurants, although these aren't cheap. Slightly out of the town centre, along the Georgian seafront is Enzo's, an Italian restaurant, which is wonderful, and competitively priced, but does require booking during the summer.
During any stay in Weymouth, an ice cream from Rossi's is a must, this is an ice cream parlour selling traditional homemade italian ice cream, and is situated opposite the jubilee clock, near the underpass, on the seafront.

Shopping in Weymouth is good, we have the main high street stores such as Debenhams, Monsoon, Boots, Wh Smiths and Game, but for more varied shopping you are better travelling to Bournemouth, or Southampton, which is an hour and a half away.

Other attractions in Weymouth include the Sealife centre, which is towards Bowleaze cove, and is accessible either by foot along the esplanade, or the landtrain, which travels along the esplanade between Greenhill and the Jubilee clock in town. The Sealife centre is next to the park and ride car park, on the way into Weymouth, and is surrounded by a country park, where you can have bbqs and picnics, a miniature railway, and a pitch and putt golf course. There is also Pirate miniature golf, which is always popular.

Heading back into town there is a 9 screen Cineworld cinema, a bowling alley, a nature reserve, sharkeys adventure play area for children, the nothe fort, and daily boat trips. There is also the Condor which goes daily to Jersey, Guernesy and St Malo. This is around £25 per adult for a day trip. At Bowleaze cove there are also several watersports, such as jetskiing available.

Market day is Thursday, and it is held in the Swannery car park, near to the train station, and there is also a carboot every monday at Bowleaze cove between May bank holiday and September. Portland Market on a Tuesday is also worth a visit, and buses going there can be found in the town centre. Every late spring bank holiday there is the Trawlers Race, and Oyster festival at the harbour, where there are a lot of stalls set up, but it does tend to get rowdy as the day goes on. Also, every monday evening, at around 9pm throughout July and August, there are fireworks in Weymouth Bay, and quite often late night shopping. The fireworks are free to watch.

Weymouth is easily accessible by coach, rail and car (and boat from Jersey and Guernsey), the station is very central to the town, and is at most a five minute walk from the centre. The bus stations are along the seafront, so are also very central. If travelling by car it is best to use the park and ride at Greenhill, this is sign posted on your way into Weymouth, as the roads do tend to get very gridlocked. Alternatively, you can park at Bowleaze cove and walk along the esplanade, about a 20 minute walk.

Weymouth has quite a low level of crime, and is quite a small town. Most of the main hotels and bed and breakfasts are situated along the seafront, although there are plenty of campsites towards Chickerell and Fleet, as well as holiday parks at Bowleaze, and Lanehouse.

Overall, Weymouth is a lovely place to visit and to live, there are plenty of attractions to keep you busy whether is it raining or sunny, and transport links to nearby towns are very good.

Summary: a great, traditional seaside town