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The 'Isle of Portland' is a limestone island long by wide in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, in England, United Kingdom. Chesil Beach connects the island to the mainland, and the A354 road bridge connects to Weymouth, which together form the borough of Weymouth and Portland. The population of the island is almost 13,000.
Portland is a central part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site on the Dorset and east Devon coast, important for its geology and landforms. The name of the island is used for one of the British Sea Areas, and has been exported as the name of North American and Australian towns. Portland limestone is still quarried here, and is used in British architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace.
The large, deep artificial harbour on Portland's northern shore was an important Royal Navy base during World War I and World War II; the Royal Navy and NATO trained in its waters until the 1990s. The harbour is a small civilian port and popular recreation area; the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will host the sailing events for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Contents

History

Politics and demographics

Geography, geology and ecology

Climate

Sport and Recreation

In literature

References and notes

External links

Photographs

Further reading

History

Portland has been inhabited since at least the Mesolithic period (the Middle Stone Age)—there is archaeological evidence of Mesolithic inhabitants near Portland Bill,^[3] and of inhabitation of the island in ages since. The Romans occupied Portland; they reputedly called the island ''Vindelis''.^[4]9 In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle to defend the island from attacks by the French; the castle cost the king £4,964.^[5] It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is open to the public under the administration of English Heritage.^[6]
Sir Christopher Wren, the notable architect and Member of Parliament for nearby Weymouth, used six million tons of white Portland limestone to rebuild destroyed parts of London after the Great Fire of 1666. Well-known buildings in the capital, including St Paul's Cathedral^[7] and the eastern front of Buckingham Palace feature the stone.^[8] After World War I a quarry was opened by the Crown to provide stone for the Whitehall Cenotaph and half a million gravestones for war cemeteries,^[9] and after World War II hundreds of thousands of gravestones were carved for the fallen soldiers of the Western Front.⁹ Portland Cement is not manufactured on the island; the strong cement mix was a German invention, and was named Portland Cement due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand.^[10]

Portland harbour is one of the deepest man-made harbours in the world at around , and the second largest at .^[11] The first stone of the Breakwaters was laid by Prince Albert in 1849, and the last by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1872.⁵ They were constructed mainly by civilians, but the stone was quarried by convicts—22 men lost their lives during their construction, and by completion the breakwaters contained 5,731,376 long tons of stone and cost £1,167,852.⁵ The harbour and Weymouth Bay have an unusual feature: a double low tide, caused by the time it takes for water to pass Portland Bill.^[12][13]
Portland Harbour has housed Royal Navy bases since 1919, the first named HMS Serepta.^[14] During World War II Portland was the target of heavy bombing, because Navy ships were berthed in its harbour. To protect the harbour from torpedo and submarine attack, HMS Hood (1891) was sunk in the passage between the southern breakwaters.^[15] In 1946 local playing fields were turned into a heliport, and in 1959 the station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey; the base was gradually improved with landing areas and one of England's shortest runways, at .¹⁴ There are still two prisons on Portland, HMP the Verne and HMYOI Portland, and the harbour contains Britain's only prison ship, ''HMP Weare'', still berthed in the port after its closure in 2005.
The naval base closed at the end of the Cold War in 1995, and the Royal Naval Air Station closed in 1999, although the runway remained in use for Her Majesty's Coastguard Search and Rescue flights as MRCC Portland.¹⁴ MRCC Portland's area of responsibility extends midway across the English Channel, and from Start Point in Devon to the Dorset/Hampshire border, covering an area of around .^[16] The 12 Search and Rescue teams in the Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005;^[17] most teams use lifeboats but the Portland crew use a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter.¹⁶
Railway branch lines have ran on Portland since the early 19th century. The Merchant's Railway was the earliest—it opened in 1826 (one year after the Stockton and Darlington railway), and ran from the quarries at the north of Tophill to the docks in Castletown, where Portland stone was shipped around the country.^[18] The Weymouth and Portland Railway was laid in 1865, and ran from a station in Melcombe Regis, across the Fleet and along Chesil Beach to Victoria Square station in Chiswell.^[19] The line continued as the Easton and Church Hope Railway, running through Castletown and ascendeing the cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton.¹⁸ The line closed to passengers in March 1965, and the final goods train ran in April that year.¹⁹

Coastal flooding has affected Chiswell for centuries—the village lies below sea level next to the terminus of Chesil Beach. In autumn and winter Chesil Beach faces severe storms and massive waves, which have a fetch across the Atlantic Ocean.^[20] Following two severe flood events in the 1970s, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and Wessex Water decided to investigate the structure of the beach, and possible coastal management schemes that could be built to protect Chiswell. In the 1980s it was agreed that a scheme to protect against a one-in-five year storm would be practicable; it would reduce flood depth and duration in more severe storms.²⁰ Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion beach crest running to the north of Chiswell, an extended sea wall next to Chiswell, and a culvert running from inside the beach, underneath Portland Beach Road and into Portland Harbour, to divert flood water away from low lying areas.²⁰
Rabbits have been associated with bad luck for centuries on Portland; use of the name is still taboo—the creatures are often referred to as "Underground Mutton", "Long-Eared Furry Things" or just "bunnies".^[21] The fear of the word is believed to derive from quarry workers; they would see rabbits emerging from their burrows immediately before a rock fall and blame them for increasing the risk of dangerous, sometimes deadly, landslides.²² There have been cave-ins, and in one instance a crane operator died when his crane toppled on weak ground above the burrows. If a rabbit was seen in a quarry, the workers would pack up and go home for the day, until the safety of the area had been assured.²¹
Even today older Portland residents are offended or go quiet at the mention of rabbits;^[22] this superstition came to national attention in October 2005 when a special batch of advertisement posters were made for the Wallace and Gromit film, . In respect of local beliefs the adverts omitted the word 'rabbit' and replaced the film's title with the phrase ''"Something bunny is going on"''.²¹

Politics and demographics

Portland is an ancient Royal Manor, and until the 19th century remained a separate liberty within Dorset for administration. The island was an urban district from 1894 to 1974, until the borough of Weymouth and Portland formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. This merged the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and the Portland urban district.
The Mayor of Weymouth and Portland is David Harris (Lib Dem), and Tim Munro (Independent) is Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Portland Town Council.^[23] Weymouth, Portland and the Purbeck district are in the Dorset South parliamentary constituency, created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament; the current MP is Jim Knight (Labour), the Minister of State for Schools.

Age	Percentage1
0–15	19.4
16+17	3.1
18–44	38.3
45–59	20.6
60–84	17.2
85+	1.5

Year	Population1
1971	12,330
1981	12,410
1991	13,190
2001	12,800
2005	12,7102

In mid 2005 Portland's estimated population was 12,710;² this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since the 1970s. In 2005 there were 5,390 dwellings on the island, in an area of 1150 hectares, giving an approximate population density of 11 residents per hectare.¹ The population is almost entirely native to England—96.8% of residents are of White British background.¹ House prices on Portland are lower than in Weymouth, but still above the UK average—the average price of a detached house in 2006 was £255,921; semi-detached and terraced houses were cheaper, at £168,995 and £157,403 respectively, and an average apartment or maisonette cost £108,020 in the same year.^1[24]
Crime rates on the island are below that of Weymouth and the United Kingdom—there were 9.1 burglaries per 1000 people in 2005 and 2006; which is higher than South West England (8.9 per 1000) but lower than England and Wales (13.5 per 1000). Unemployment levels are low, at 1.8% of the economically active population in 2006,¹ compared to the United Kingdom average of 5.4%.^[25]

Geography, geology and ecology

The Isle of Portland lies in the English Channel, to the south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point in Dorset. Portland situated approximately half-way along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site; the site includes of the Dorset and east Devon coast that is important for its geology and landforms. The South West Coast Path runs around the island, it is the United Kingdom's longest national trail at . Portland is unusual as it is connected to the mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach, a tombolo which runs north-west to West Bay.^[26] This feature is often incorrectly defined as a peninsula or a tombolo—Portland is a 'tied' island, and Chesil Beach is its tombolo.^[27]
Geologically, Portland is separated into two areas; the steeply sloping land at the north end of the island called Underhill, and the larger, gently sloping land to the to the south, called Tophill. Portland stone lies under Tophill; the strata decline at a shallow angle of around 1.5 degrees, from a height of near the Verne in the north, to just above sea level at Portland Bill.^[28] The geology of Underhill is different to Tophill; Underhill lies on a steep escarpment composed of Portland Sand, lying above a thicker layer of Kimmeridge Clay, which extends to Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour. This Kimmeridge Clay has resulted in a series of landslides, forming West Weares and East Weares.²⁸

There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton in Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are the other villages in Underhill, and Weston, Southwell, Wakeham and the Grove occupy Tophill. Older buildings on the island are built out of Portland Stone; houses have walls 30–60cm (1–2 ft) thick, and a similar layout governed by the culture and living standards at the time they were built. Most houses have not been painted and retain the yellow-grey colour of the stone, giving the island a different character to the mainland.
Portland Bill should not be confused with the Isle of Portland—Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone which forms the most southerly part of Tophill. The Bill has three lighthouses; it is an important way-point for ships passing the island and its tidal race. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1996 and became computer-controlled; a visitor's centre giving information and guided tours of the lighthouse was built nearby.^[29] Two earlier lighthouses stand further inland, one is an important observatory used by ornithologists, providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors.^29[30]

Portland Ledge (the Shambles) is an underwater extension of Portland Stone into the English Channel at a place where the depth of Channel is to . Tidal flow is disrupted by the feature, at deep and long it causes a tidal race to the south of Portland Bill.^[31] The current only stops for brief periods during the twelve and half hour tidal cycle and can reach at the spring tide of .³¹
Due to its isolated coastal location, the Isle of Portland has an extensive range of flora and fauna; the coastline and disused quarries are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.³⁰ Sea and migratory birds occupy the island in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country.³² Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks.³⁰ Chesil Beach is one of only two sites in Britain where the Scaly Cricket can be found; unlike any other cricket it is wingless and does not sing or hop.^[32]
The comparatively warm and sunny climate of the island allows species of plants to thrive which do not on the mainland. The limestone soil has low nutrient levels; hence smaller species of wild flowers and grasses are able to grow in the absence of larger species.³⁰ Portland Sea Lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs—unique to Portland it is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants.^[33] The wild flowers and plants make an excellent habitat for butterflies; over half of the British Isles' 57 butterfly species can be seen on the island, including varieties that migrate from mainland Europe. Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the unique Silver Studded Blue.^[34]

Climate

The mild seas which surround the island produce a temperate climate ( ''Cfb'') with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The average annual mean temperature from 1971 to 2000 was 10.2 to 12 °C.^[35] The warmest month is August, with an average temperature range of 13.3 °C to 20.4 °C, and the coolest month is February, with a temperature range of 3.1 °C to 8.3 °C.^[36]
Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year are above the England average,^[37] and Portland is in AHS Heat zone 2.^[38] Mean sea surface temperatures in nearby Weymouth range from 7.0 °C in February to 17.2 °C in August.^[39]



The borough of Weymouth and Portland, along with the rest of the South Coast, often has the sunniest weather in Britain.^[40] Weymouth and Portland averaged 1768.4 hours of sunshine annually between 1971 and 2000,³⁶ which is just under 40% of the maximum possible,^[41] and 32% above the United Kingdom average of 1339.7 hours.^[42] December is the cloudiest month, with an average of 55.7 hours of sunshine, and July is the sunniest month, averaging 235.1 hours;³⁶ sunshine totals in all months are well above the United Kingdom average.⁴² The wettest month is December, with an average of 90.9 mm of rainfall, and the driest month is July, averaging 35.6 mm.³⁶ The average annual rainfall of 751.7 mm is well below the United Kingdom average of 1125.0 mm, and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average.⁴² Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience.
The mild seas that surround Portland act to keep night-time temperatures above freezing, making winter frost rare: on average eight times a year—this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost.^42[43] Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to six days a year.^[44] Almost all winters have one day or less with snow lying; it may snow or sleet a couple of times in a winter, yet it almost never settles on the ground—coastal areas in the south west such as Portland experience the mildest winters in the UK.^[45] The growing season in Weymouth and Portland lasts from nine to twelve months a year,^[46] and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9.^[47][48]

Sport and Recreation

In 2000, the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was built in Osprey Quay in Underhill as a centre for sailing in the United Kingdom. Weymouth and Portland's waters were credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.^[49] Weymouth and Portland regularly host local, national and international sailing events in their waters; these include the J/24 World Championships in 2005, trials for the 2004 Athens Olympics, the ISAF World Championship 2006, the BUSA Fleet Racing Championships, and the RYA Youth National Championships.^[50]
In 2005, the WPNSA was selected to host sailing events at the 2012 Olympic Games—mainly because the Academy had recently been built, so no new venue would need to be provided. However, as part of the South West of England Regional Development Agency's plans to redevelop Osprey Quay, a new 600 berth marina and an extension with more on-site facilities will be built.^[51] Construction is scheduled between August 2007 and the end of 2008, therefore Weymouth and Portland will be the first in the United Kingdom to finish building a venue for the Olympic Games.^[52]
The waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour are used for other water sports—the reliable wind is favourable for wind- and kite-surfing. Chesil beach and Portland Harbour are used regularly for angling, diving to shipwrecks, snorkelling, canoeing, and swimming.^[53] The limestone cliffs and quarries are used for rock climbing; Portland has areas for bouldering and deep water soloing, however sport climbing with bolt protection is the most common style on the island.^[54]

In literature

In ''The Warlord Chronicles'', Bernard Cornwell suggests that Portland was the Isle of the Dead, a place of internal exile, where the causeway was guarded to keep the 'dead' (people suffering insanity) from crossing the Fleet and returning back to the mainland. However, there is no archaeological evidence of such occurrences.^[55]
Thomas Hardy called Portland the ''Isle of Slingers'' in his novels; the isle was the main setting of ''The Well-Beloved'', and was featured in ''The Trumpet-Major''.^[56] Islanders were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their island, and Hardy's ''Isle of Slingers'' is heavily based on Portland; the ''Street of Wells'' representing Fortuneswell and ''The Beal'' as Portland Bill. Hardy named Portland the ''Gibraltar of the North'', with reference to the island's similarities with Gibraltar; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill's winding streets.^[57]

References and notes

1. Portland—Dorset For You
2. This figure is an estimate for mid 2005. The most recent exact figure is 12,800, from the 2001 census.
3. Mesolithic Site, Portland
4. Lexicon Universale
5. Portland, Dorset, England
6. Portland Castle
7. 1710 - Construction is Completed
8. Buckingham Palace History
9. Portland—Dorset
10. History & Manufacture of Portland Cement
11. Portland Port Limited
12. Portland Harbour
13. Tides: Portland
14. Portland Base/Heliport History
15. Turret Battleship, HMS Hood
16. Coastguard Rescue Helicopter
17. Eastern Region - Area South
18. Railways of the Weymouth area
19. Weymouth to Portland Railway, Construction and growth
20. Chiswell case study: The Scheme
21. Wallace and Gromit spook island
22. Rabbits, the Portland taboo word
23. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council - councillors
24. These figures are for July to September in 2006, and may be affected by a low number of sales.
25. Employment
26. The Chesil Beach - General Introduction
27. Coastal Landform Definitions
28. General Geology
29. Portland Bill Lighthouse
30. Portland wildlife
31. Offshore Geology
32. Chesil Beach
33. Coastal Flora & Fauna
34. Portland Butterflies
35. Mean Temperature Annual Average
36. Annual weather summary
37. England 1971-2000 averages
38. Areas in American Horticultural Society Heat zone 2 experience one to seven days per year with maximum temperatures above 30 °C.
39. Cefas Station 24: Weymouth
40. Met Office England's climate
41. The maximum hours of sunshine possible in one year is approximately 4476 hours.
42. UK 1971-2000 averages
43. Temperature and Frost
44. Met Office UK snow lying days
45. Met Office UK winter climate
46. The growing season in the United Kingdom is defined as starting on the day after five consecutive days with mean temperatures above 5 °C. The season finishes the day after mean temperatures are below 5 °C for five consecutive days.
47. Areas in Hardiness zone 9 experience an average lowest recorded temperature each year between -1 and -7 °C.
48. Hardiness Zone Map for Europe
49. 2012 Olympic Games sailing venue
50. WPNSA - press releases
51. Dean and Reddyhoff Marina
52. New Olympic marina plan approved
53. Watersports in Weymouth and Portland
54. World Rock Climbing Information: Portland
55. The Isle of the Dead
56. Thomas Hardy County and the Hardy Trail
57. The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy

External links

★ Map sources for grid reference .

★ Weymouth & Portland borough council

★ History of Portland

★ Southampton University's Dorset Geology

★ Portland history map

★ Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust

★ Portland pictures, history and information

Photographs

★ Portland Gallery

★ Pictures of England: Portland

★ Pictures of Portland Bill

★ Portland pictures from the Steps in Time Archive

Further reading

Stuart Morris, 1985 ''Portland, an Illustrated History'' The Dovecote Press, Wimborne, Dorset: ISBN 0-946159-34-3
Stuart Morris, 1998 ''Portland'' (''Discover Dorset'' Series) The Dovecote Press, Wimborne, Dorset :ISBN 1-874336-49-0.
Jackson, Brian L. 1999. ''Isle of Portland railways''. ISBN 0853615403
Palmer, Susann. 1999. ''Ancient Portland: Archaeology of the Isle''. Portland: S. Palmer. ISBN 0953281108
Stuart Morris, 2002 ''Portland: A Portrait in Colour'' The Dovecote Press, Wimborne, Dorset: ISBN 1-874336-91-1.
Stuart Morris, 2006 ''Portland, Then and Now'' The Dovecote Press, Wimborne, Dorset: ISBN 1-904349-48-X.