Essential Hotels > England > Dorset > Weymouth

Weymouth is a popular resort town on the south coast of Dorset. It has a pretty setting at the mouth of the River Wey, which gave the town its name. It is well placed for visiting the county town of Dorchester, which is a short drive north of Weymouth, or travelling along the coast to the Dorset towns of Poole, Lyme Regis or Bournemouth. Closer to home, visitors can simply head down to the beach to explore the historic Jurassic coastline with its famous fossils.

The settlement of Weymouth developed in the 12th century, growing around the port. It was its reputation for fishing and water trading that made the town. The villages of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis merged as they grew to create Weymouth as we know it today. What was originally Melcombe Regis actually comprises the modern town centre. During Tudor times, castles were built at strategic points at Wyke Regis and Castleton to protect the coastline from attack. As an interesting side note, a ship also left here during the early colonisation of America, its travellers eventually settling in what they would call Weymouth, in Massachusetts.

A change in the fortunes of this port town came during the reign of King George III over the 18th and early 19th centuries. He spent several summers down here on the coast, popularising its status as a resort and jumpstarting a wave of expansion that can still be seen today, including the elegant Georgian architecture along the seafront esplanade. Its reputation as a holiday destination has never really waned since. Visitors still flock to this coastal town for the vibrant atmosphere, the sandy beaches, and of course, the sea! Sailing is a particularly popular pastime here. The town has hosted the Tall Ships Race on multiple occasions. More recently, the formidable Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy has further promoted watersports in the area, and was chosen as host to the sailing events of the 2012 London Olympics.