The House

The house has three double bedrooms, two receptions, kitchen/diner, utility (with WC), bathroom, separate WC and small enclosed garden.

We have been referring to the reception rooms as the formal and kids one.  The kids one has TV and also the Wi-Fi box.  If for some reason the Wi-Fi is not working, the box is under the sofa and a quick reset normally works.  Please feel free to read the eclectic mix of books in the formal reception which also includes some books on the area.

The master bedroom has a king size bed and is on the second level with the bathroom.  If you don’t mind the curtains open, the bath is a lovely place to relax with a glass of wine whilst watching the sunset.

The other two bedrooms are on the top floor.  One has a zip bed so can either be two singles or one king size.  The other has a double bed and a single trundle bed available.

The kitchen/diner should hopefully have all of the items you need.  There is a fridge freezer, an oven, gas hob, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, toaster and Nesspresso coffee machine.  There are some basic condiments there but we suggest bringing your own.  The dining table sits 6 people.  There are a further two folding chairs in the utility if needed.

In the utility, there is a washing machine and dryer.  There is also a large sink which works well for cleaning wetsuits, swimming gear etc.

The enclosed garden receives a good bit of sun in the summer time and is a great place to dry clothes, wetsuits etc.  There is a drying line which can be lowered to hang items.  Clothes pegs are in the utility room. There is also an outdoor tap and hose.

The Area

There are far too many things for me to list but here are some ideas that we have really enjoyed.

Beaches

Chesil has to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world in our opinion.  It is 18 miles long and the Chesil Cove area is 5 minutes’ walk.  It is a pebble beach and open directly to the sea so not always the best for swimming if rough. Given its size, it is never normally too busy.  Chesil Cove enjoys an amazing view of the sunset over Lyme Bay and is a great spot for sundowners or bbqs on the beach.  It is very popular for fishing and apparently bass and mackerel can be caught regularly.

Billy Winters (more details in food section) has a stretch of beach in front of it.  There may be an official name, but I can’t find one.  This is a great family beach with calm sea and very flat sandy plateau after the waterline.  It does get wind though, which makes it very popular for water sports including kite surfing, wind surfing etc.  There is also a place to hire equipment next to Billy Winters including paddle boards and wetsuits.  The beach itself is pebbly but turns sandy as you go into the water – beach shoes are advised for the pebbles though.  There is a limited parking space at the beach and the machine annoyingly takes coins only.  Cost was £5.50 for a full day.  If full or you don’t have coins, across the other side of the road is Chesil car park.  The walk from the house takes about 30mins but it is only 5mins drive.

Weymouth is your traditional UK seaside holiday town.  There is a lovely sandy beach which does get busy on warm weekends over summer.  It has a mix of everything from donkey rides, amusement arcades, Wetherspoons pubs to some boutique shops.  There is also a lovely old harbour area with pubs and restaurants.  This is also a great place to go crabbing.  There are a variety of car parks in Weymouth and approaching from Portland direction does mean you avoid some of the traffic coming from Dorchester way.

Kimmeridge Bay is an interesting natural beach.  It has fossils, rock pools, snorkelling etc. and is great for an adventure.  There may not be food available at the beach so worth bringing your own.  There is a small wildlife centre there open at times.  It is about an hours drive away.  The route takes you through some areas used by the Army for tank training.  When the back roads are open, the view are amazing over the hills and you can see some old tanks used for target practice. 

There are many other beaches nearby including Church Ope Cove (recently featured in the i paper as one of the top 10 hidden beaches) Durdle Door, West Bay, Studland and Lulworth Cove.  Studland (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/studland-bay/features/the-beaches-of-studland-bay ) is worth a trip if you haven’t been to the Isle of Purbeck before.  The beach itself is long and sandy - just be aware that the far end is a designated naturist beach.  It can be tied in with a visit to Corfe Castle (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle).  The Isle of Purbeck is a beautiful spot with unusual landscape and plants.  In my opinion, Corfe Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in the UK given its location and the village next door is very quaint.

Other

Tout Quarry Park https://www.portlandhistory.co.uk/tout-quarry-sculpture-park.html is a lovely place to go for a walk along the cliffs overlooking Lyme Bay and Chesil Beach.  There are lots of stone carvings to.  It is about 10mins drive from the house.

Bovington Tank Museum https://tankmuseum.org/ is a great place to visit for kids and big kids like me.  Great use of a rainy day.

Portland Bill https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouse-visitor-centres/portland-bill-lighthouse-visitor-centre is a lovely lighthouse (there are three down there) at the end of Portland.  The area of sea is renowned for the swell where two tides collide.  It is a nice spot for a walk and also kite flying.

Alpaca walking http://www.portlandalpacas.co.uk/ (07966671877) on Portland is great fun.  A walk around part of the island, some history, great views and a cuddle with the alpacas.  Next to it is Fancys Farm, a small interactive farm.  Interestingly, one of the buildings on the farm is the entrance to a nuclear bunker under the island.

Horse riding http://chesilequestrian.co.uk/ (01305823719) from the centre of the island to Portland Bill is suitable for riders of all capabilities and another great way to see the island.

Castletown D-day Museum http://www.dday.center/d-day-at-home-castletown-d-day-centre-portland.html is an interesting small museum highlighting Portland’s role in D-day and WWII.  Castletown was a staging post for a large contingent of American soldiers in the run up to D-day. It is very interactive with the chance to climb over the various guns, jeeps, tanks etc.

Walking Portland and the coast in Dorset has miles of amazing coastal walking (https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/184/).  There is an ordance survey map in the house – please replace after using.  On Portland, there are also many non official walks around the quarries.  If walking around the quarries, then we’d suggest doing at the weekend when they are closed (https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/sport-leisure/walking/walking-in-weymouth-and-portland/portland-quarry-trails.aspx).

Moonfleet Sailing (https://www.moonfleetsailing.com/) (01929289019) offers lovely trips on board an old tall ship from Portland marina.  The trips vary in length from a couple of hours to whole days.  It really is a lovely boat and you get to see some amazing sites including dolphins at times.

There are lots of more strenuous activities you can do on Portland including coasteering, rock climbing, SUP (https://adventure4all.co.uk/) or (https://portlandoutdoor.co.uk/).

There is also a very good water sports centre where people of all ages can learn sailing and other water sports - https://andrewsimpsoncentres.org/our-centres/portland/ .

Other places nearby include the beautiful Corfe Castle, Abbotsbury Swannery and monastery, Osmington Mills with its historic smugglers’ pub, the market town of Dorchester, the beautiful Purbeck peninsula and the Cerne Abbas giant.

Shops

About 300m up the road in Fortuneswell is a Coop.  It is small but pretty well stocked and does have fresh bread.  On the way, you pass the Paper Shop which also has a small fishing section where you can hire the kit you need.  A bit further on is a small Boots chemist. 

On the way to Billy Winters is a new Lidl at the bottom of the island.  It has a great bakery and some real bargains.  The middle of this Lidl often has beach/seaside stuff.

On the top of Portland, there is a large Tesco in Easton. 

There is a pretty decent butchers in Easton next to the Green Room but watch out for opening hours.

Restaurants, pubs and takeaways

The Crab House Café https://crabhousecafe.co.uk/ (01305788867) is a very good seafood restaurant located on the end of the mainland at Ferrybridge.  It started out as an oyster farm – the oysters are superb.  The café cookbook is in the shelves of the house – do feel free to browse and it will certainly whet your appetite.  Bookings are very much advised.  About 5 mins drive from the house.

Owned by the same people as the Crab House, Billy Winters https://billywinters.co.uk/ (01305774954) serves an interesting mix of seafood, burgers, breakfast etc all washed down with cocktails or local beers/ciders/gin.  It is a relaxed spot and has a surfer type vibe.  It can get busy on warm days.  About 5mins drive from the house.

The Cove House Inn https://thecovehouseinn.co.uk/ (01305820895) has to be one of the most uniquely placed pubs in the UK.  It has been battered by storms and prevailing SW winds for centuries but stands it’s ground overlooking Chesil beach.  The food is pretty good and it is a fantastic spot for sunset drinks.  5 min walk from the house.

The George Inn https://www.facebook.com/The-George-Inn-Portland-Dorset-159725847376223/ (01305592810) on the top of Portland is very historical and has a nice beer garden.  They also serve food.

The Eight Kings http://www.eightkingsportland.co.uk/index is located in Southwell on the way to Portland Bill.  It is a decent pub with a good menu.

The Boat that Rocks https://tbtr.co.uk/ is currently closed but due to reopen soon hopefully.  It is a more modern pub by Portland Marina.  The area was the launching ground for many of the London 2012 water based events.  It attracts a more “sailing” set and has a more eclectic menu.  Nearby you can arrange activities like sailing lessons, renting SUPS, SUP yoga and others.  It’s about 15mins walk from the house past Portland Castle and the short helicopter runway.

The Little Ship https://www.thelittleship.pub/index is a decent pub for a drink and the food can be okay.  It has a pool table and skittles alley.  Short walk from house near the Cove Inn.

The New Star Inn just up the road towards Coop is a proper locals pub but very welcoming to all.  It doesn’t do food.

A short walk along Chesil Cove from the Cove Inn is Quiddles https://goo.gl/maps/UXvcdk8H4xaXZZLS9 (01305820651) This is a lovely unique spot. A converted public toilet with great views and small but fresh menu. It is small so booking by phone very much advised.

Chesil Chippie https://www.chesilchippie.co.uk/ was a fancy fish and chip shops with good basics as well as samphire, calamari and some nice local cider.  It’s a short walk from the house and worth using their online booking system.  It has however changed hands recently and reviews have been more mixed.

Salty Towers is a short walk up the hill in Fortuneswell and does great fish and chips.  They have ordering ability on their website or through Just Eat but sometimes it's easy to just wander up, order and then get provisions in Coop whilst waiting.

Codfathers https://codfathers.co.uk/portland/ (01305820198) is a great traditional fish and chip shop.  The batter is thicker and crispier along with the chips.  It has an interesting shelf of cheap wine and non-brand name spirits.  They do deliver but a nice 10min drive up the top of the island.

Just up the road towards Coop is The Flat Café https://www.facebook.com/theflatcafee/ (01305591101) which does takeaway including breakfast (e.g. nice pancakes, bacon and maple syrup).  There should be some Flat Café menus in the drawer of the butchers block in the kitchen.

The Lobster Pot https://www.lobsterpotrestaurantportland.co.uk/ (01305820242) is located next to Portland Bill.  It does great crab sandwiches along with basics.  The cream teas are meant to be good as are other homemade desserts.  Their cheesy chips are also yummy.  It is about 15mins drive from the house.

The Dorset Adventure Café is a good basic café with breakfasts, homemade cakes etc.  You can also organise other adventures like rock climbing and coasteering from the adjacent centre.

Recently opened near to Portland Castle is The Beehive Café https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086762840596 between the house and Castletown.  It has a good selection of cakes and drinks.

For something a bit different, there is the Jailhouse Café in the prison at the top of the hill https://www.thejailhouse.co.uk/ .  The view are spectacular and the surroundings interesting as they are in a historical military fort.  The menu is pretty basic.

If you fancy nice crab but not going out, S & W Shellfish https://www.yell.com/biz/s-and-w-shellfish-ltd-portland-123084/ do freshly cooked whole crabs for £5 each.  They also have kilo tubs of scallops (£25) and sometimes lobster (about £25 for a big one).  I don’t know if they have official hours but I have always found them available in the morning.  They take cash only.

There are too many pubs/restaurants in the area to cover all.  Going west, West Bay has some good options.  To the east, it is worth mentioning the Scott Arms (https://www.thescottarms.com/) which can be tied into a trip to Corfe Castle.  It is in amazing location with a large beer garden looking over the castle and surrounding hills.

Transport

Taxi options:

·        Weyline http://www.weyline.com/

·        Nickys Taxis 01305821000

·        Fleetline https://fleetlinetaxis.co.uk/

There is a good local bus service which goes around the island and into Weymouth            http://www.portlandtourism.co.uk/portland-bus-times.html .  It is regular and cheap.  The bus stop on the way up to Portland is 1 minute walk if you turn right out of the house.  If taking the bus back from top hill, I suggest getting off by Portland Social club which avoids having to walk up the hill because of the one way system in Fortuneswell.

The nearest A&E department is at Dorchester hospital, about 25 minutes away.

Please note, all suggestions are provided for information purpose only.