Weymouth Beach - Dorset's Golden Sandy Seaside

A Walk Along Weymouth's Seafront - From the Harbour to Bowleaze Cove

At the harbour end of the beach, you'll find many of Weymouth's traditional seaside attractions, including children's rides and the famous beach donkeys. This area is also home to one of the dog-friendly sections of the shoreline (check the signs for times and restrictions). As you stroll along the sand towards the site of the old Pier Bandstand, you'll pass beach huts dotted about selling food, drinks, and beach essentials. Older visitors may remember the distinctive red, white, and blue striped huts often featured on vintage postcards - today, these huts are painted blue but remain a familiar part of the seafront.

Continuing the Walk - Greenhill Beach, Preston Beach and On to Bowleaze Cove

From Greenhill, the views are among the best in Weymouth. On a clear day, you can look back across the bay towards the Nothe Fort and Portland in one direction, and across to the Osmington White Horse in the other. Continuing along the promenade, you'll pass Preston Beach, with Lodmoor Country Park just across the road, before reaching Bowleaze Cove at the far end of the bay.

Beyond Bowleaze, the beach meets the rising cliffs where the historic Osmington White Horse is carved into the chalk hills above. This marks the end of the beachfront walk, but for those wanting to explore further, footpaths lead up into the hills and onwards along the Jurassic Coast. From the clifftops, you're rewarded with sweeping panoramic views across Weymouth Bay, the beach below, and out towards Portland - some of the finest coastal scenery in Dorset.

For those who prefer firmer footing, the Esplanade runs alongside the beach from Weymouth Pier to Preston. From here, the road climbs along the cliffs towards Bowleaze Cove, offering yet another elevated viewpoint with stunning views across the bay and open sea.

Weymouth Beaches - A Guide to the Different Beaches and Coastal Areas

Weymouth is best known for its long sandy beach, but the town's coastline is surprisingly varied. From traditional family-friendly sands to sheltered coves, shingle beaches and rockpools. Futher out there are also many more beaches to visit, Weymouth offers a wide range of coastal experiences within a short distance.

Weymouth Central Beach (Main Sandy Beach)

Weymouth Central Beach is the town's most famous stretch of sand. Running alongside the Esplanade, it is wide, gently shelving, and ideal for families. Shallow waters make it popular for swimming and paddling, while deckchairs, pedalos, cafes, and amusements line the promenade behind. Beach huts provide refreshments directly on the beach. This part of the beach is where many of the attractions can be found too.

Greenhill Beach

Further along the Esplanade, the sand gradually gives way to shingle at Greenhill Beach. Quieter than the central beach, it's popular with locals seeking a calmer atmosphere. The lovely Greenhill Gardens overlook the beach and provide sea views and cafes whilst in the summer months bands play.

Overcombe and Bowleaze Cove

Overcombe and Bowleaze Cove mark the far edge of Weymouth Bay. The beach here is a mix of sand and shingle, backed by open green spaces and holiday parks. This area often feels more spacious and is popular for dog walking, water sports, and coastal walks towards Osmington Mills and the Jurassic Coast.

Stone Pier and Nothe Fort Area

Near the entrance to Weymouth Harbour, the beach by the Stone Pier offers views out towards Portland. This is a small pebble beach, the sea here gets deep quickly and can be rough as the waves crash into the Stone pier which forms the breakwater to the harbour. Overlooking this area is the Nothe Fort, a 19th-century coastal defence site, adding strong historical interest. Coastal paths around the Nothe Gardens provide excellent panoramic views.

Rodwell and Sandsfoot Foreshore

South of the harbour, near the Rodwell Trail, the coastline becomes more rugged. This stretch is mostly shingle with rocky areas and has a quieter, more natural feel. Overlooked by Sandsfoot Castle, it is popular with walkers.

Castle Cove

Castle Cove is a small, sheltered shingle beach located between Sandsfoot Castle and Portland Harbour.

Ferrybridge Beach

Ferrybridge Beach lies on the narrow strip of land linking Weymouth to the Isle of Portland, where Portland Harbour meets Chesil Beach. This steep shingle beach is shaped by strong tides and currents.

Newton's Cove

Newton's Cove is a quieter, lesser-known beach with a mix of shingle, and rocky outcrops. It's popular for coastal walks and pooling at low tide, offering a more natural coastal experience close to the town.

One Town, Many Beaches

What makes Weymouth unique is the variety of its beaches within such a compact area. Whether you are looking for classic seaside fun, calm swimming waters, quiet coves, or dramatic coastal landscapes, Weymouth's beaches offer something for every visitor.

A History of Weymouth's Main Beach Through the Centuries

Weymouth beach has played a far greater role in English history than its calm appearance today might suggest. Long before it became a place of leisure, this stretch of sand was shaped by warfare, trade, royal fashion, and national events that left a lasting mark on the town.

Medieval Weymouth - A Working Shoreline

In medieval England, Weymouth Beach was not a place for recreation but an active working shoreline. Small vessels were beached here for loading and unloading, fishermen worked from the sands, and goods were moved between ship and town. The beach along with Weymouth Harbour would have been a busy port and fish would have been traded directly from the beach. Explore Weymouth's Medieval period more here.

The Tudor Period and the Spanish Armada

By the late 16th century, Weymouth had become strategically important to England's naval defence. During the Spanish Armada of 1588, six ships from Weymouth were among those sent to oppose the Spanish fleet, drawing the town and its shoreline into one of the most decisive naval confrontations in English history. Along with the harbour, the beach would have been an important landing point had the Armada been successful. The San Salvador - part of the Armada was captured off the coast of Portland and towed into Weymouth where it was stripped. It was then intended to be taken to Portsmouth but sunk in Studland Bay on route.

The English Civil War (1642-1651)

Weymouth Beach was directly affected during the English Civil War. The town changed hands several times between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces due to its valuable port and coastal position. Troops, supplies, and defences moved through the town and along the shoreline, leaving Weymouth badly damaged by the end of the conflict. This period is covered in more detail on the Weymouth Civil War history page.

Georgian Weymouth and King George III

The beach's fortunes changed dramatically in the late 18th century when King George III first visited Weymouth in 1789 on medical advice. The king famously bathed in the sea using a bathing machine on the main beach and returned many times over the following years. His patronage transformed Weymouth into one of Britain's earliest fashionable seaside resorts. King Georges visits to Weymouth have left a lasting impression on the town, the White Horse in the hills above Osmington, King Georges statue and a replica bathing machine all remind us of one of Weymouth's most famous visitors.

Victorian and Edwardian Seaside Life

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Weymouth Beach became firmly established as a classic English seaside destination. The arrival of the railway brought visitors from across the country, and the beach filled with bathing machines, donkey rides, deckchairs, and promenading holidaymakers. Explore Weymouth in the Roaring Twenties.

Shipwrecks in Weymouth Bay

The calm waters seen today hide a more dangerous past. In 1805, the East India Company ship Earl of Abergavenny sank in Weymouth Bay after striking the Shambles Bank during a storm, with the loss of over 260 lives. The disaster would have been visible from the beach and deeply affected the town. In fact, it was the captains intention to beach the ship on the beach, the loss remains one of the worst maritime disasters to occur in British waters Many other wrecks have occurred in the bay over the centuries and are documented on the shipwrecks around Weymouth page.

World War I - Recovery and Convalescence

During World War I, Weymouth became an important place of rest and recovery. Soldiers wounded during the Gallipoli campaign were brought to the town to convalesce, and the beach provided fresh air and calm surroundings believed to aid healing.

World War II - D-Day and Defence

In World War II, Weymouth Beach once again took on national importance. The town became a major embarkation point for Allied forces preparing for D-Day, and the beachfront was closed to civilians as defences were installed. German air raids targeted Weymouth because of its strategic role. This period is explored in depth on the Weymouth in World War II page.

The Pier Bandstand and Modern Change

One of the most recognisable landmarks along the beach in the 20th century was the Pier Bandstand, opened in 1939, shortly before the war as an Art Deco venue extending from the Esplanade. At first it was a huge success but the war led to the pier being closed for most of the duration. It became a focal point for concerts and seaside entertainment after the war but structural concerns led in 1985 led to its closure, a controlled explosion demolished most of the pier bandstand in 1986. Whats left houses an amusement arcade, shop and restaurant.

A Living Historical Landscape

Today, Weymouth's main beach is known for relaxation and family holidays, but beneath the sand lies a layered history of medieval trade, naval conflict, royal fashion, wartime secrecy, and maritime tragedy. The beach remains a living historical landscape shaped by centuries of change. It's incredible to stand on the sands today and think of its history from Medieval fishermen selling their catch to watching the ships leave to meet the Spanish Armada, King George bathing in the waters to injured WW1 servicemen convalescing.

Weymouth Beach Pictures

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A Weymouth Beach Digitally Derived Art Print

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The Golden Sands of Weymouth Beach

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Weymouth Old Pier Print