HALF TERM DORSET HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND
Posted October 5th, 2011 | No Comments
Half term Dorset holiday activities & events Weymouth and Portland
26th October - Bedlam and Broomsticks at the Nothe Fort www.nothefort.org.uk
28th - 30th October - Halloween Fun Evenings and Abbotsbury Enchanted Floodlit Gardens, 5 pm to 8.30 pm. Enjoy strolling through the floodlit gardens, activities for children include free facepainting and prizes for the children in fancy dress. Normal entry fees apply www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk
29th October - Pumpkins in the Park - Greenhill Gardens, 2 pm - 4 pm. Free event. Dust off your broomstick and fly over to Greenhill gardens to enoy another fun-filled Pumpkin in the Park Party.
29th & 30th October - Dinner and Ghostly Happenings for older children (age 14+) & adults, 7 pm. Booking essential. www.nothefort.org.uk
29th October - Revive Wild about Halloween - 4 pm - 9 pm - This year we are teaming up with Wild About Weymouth and Portland to organise fun activities for the whole family on Portland. The event will kick off during the late afternoon at the High Angle Batteries before a procession down the incline to Boscowen Leisure Centre for fun, games, music, dancing, fireshow, food and Halloween Beer tent. Portland rocks will be there so you can try your hand at the junk band and encourage our young local musicians. GWellC dance crew will also be entertaining us with fantastic street dance displays. Prizes for fancy dress and a firework finale. www.reviveportland.com
Hire a bike and get it delivered and collected to and from your door.
Posted March 28th, 2011 | No Comments
Staying in a Contemporary Cottage, why not hire a bike and get it delivered and collected to and from your door. Weymouth Bike Hire deliver and collect FREE to you at your holiday home in the Weymouth & Portland Area. Click on www.weymouthbikehire.co.uk to book your cycle.
Bikes for family to the adventurous mountain biker, they have them all including bikes for Teens, Juniors, Pods & Tag-a -Longs. If you are looking for an activity whilst on a short break or holiday in Dorset cycling is the answer. It is also a superb location for cycling. Explore the stunning coastline, nature reserves, towns and countryside in a relaxing and healthy yet exciting way.
The borough of Weymouth and Portland has some fantastic cycle routes. Some of these routes have been documented and are available as PDF documents for you to download and print. Like this one to Portland Bill http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/XX_Leisure/Sports/Cycling/Images/New_Portland_Route.pdf
These six cycle routes have also been produced in full colour glossy fold out leaflets and are available for 50p each from Weymouth and Dorchester Tourist Information Centre’s as well as Westham Cycles, Tilleys, Weymouth Raleigh Centre and Dorchester Cycles.
The Christmas Spirit Takes Over Dorset
Posted December 15th, 2010 | No Comments
If you are not yet over the joy and jingle of the Christmas season, then there are even more events that are going on in and around Dorset county during the month of December. Though they might be a journey from Portland, these venues are well worth a look, especially when they come to life in the last weeks of the year.
Highcliffe Castle, located about an hour and a half from Portland, is a great place to visit. Not only is it regarded as one of the best surviving examples of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture, but it is Dorset known for its special events. On both the 11 and 12 of December, they will be holding a Model Railway Exhibition from 11am-4pm in the Castle’s Great Hall and Drawing Room. This is the perfect event for any budding railway enthusiasts that might be in your family. Normal admission prices apply. Also on during the month of December is a Dixieland Christmas, performed by the Old Thumper Jazz Band. This concert will be held on Wednesday, 15 December from 7:30-9:30pm. The week following on the 22 December, Light n Shade will be giving a concert entitled A Christmas Celebration. This is also held from 7:30-9:30pm. Tickets for each event cost £11 or £10 for Season Ticket Holders.
If your family has young ones, then be sure to include a trip to Adventure Wonderland in Bournemouth is a must. From 27 November to 24 December, the park is transformed into Christmas mania. The best of the bunch is the Full Father Christmas Experience, which features a meet and greet with Santa and his reindeer, a quality present for the kids, a nativity animal cuddle session, a sensational Christmas Panto and unlimited play in the Wild Thing! Prices start from just £6.95, depending on age. You can book online for specific dates.
Autumn Events at Portland Museum
Posted October 30th, 2010 | No Comments
If you happen to be visiting the isle of Portland with your children this autumn, be sure to make your way over to the Portland Museum for a couple of their highly anticipated events. Though the museum is typically closed after the 1st November, it is still open some weekends during the winter.
There will be a local art exhibit featured within the museum between the dates of Thursday the 28th October- Sunday the 31st October. The hours of operation will be from 11am-4:30pm. Normal admission charges will apply.
On Saturday, the 20th November, the children are welcome to take part in a Christmas Cracker make and take. Learn how to make your very own cracker, stuffed with your favourite little prize and you will be able to decorate your dinner table this holiday season.
The museum, which was founded by well-known birth control pioneer Dr. Marie Stopes, is the area’s homage to the rich historic life that Portland has to offer. It is housed in two thatched Portland stone cottages located just above Church Ope Cove. Recently renovated, it now features four displays which centralise around the themes of Stone, Sea, Famous People and Local Archaeology.
Portland Family Fun
Posted September 15th, 2010 | No Comments
Most of the people who have decided to holiday closer to home this year have done so not only because they want to see more of their homeland, but also to save money. And, nothing is more of a drain on your finances than having children! So, if you are heading to Portland for a family vacation and are looking for something that is cheap and will entertain the little ones, then check out these family friendly activities that are right on your doorstep.
Fancy’s Family Farm , located on the west side between Reap Lane and West Cliff, is definitely worth a visit! Set amid the natural limestone grasslands, this farm is home to some of the few remaining Portland sheep that can still be found on the isle. In addition to these rare animals, they also have on their farm horses, alpacas, chickens, pigs, goats and geese. This is truly a family farm, so there isn’t much else to do but see and pet the animals, but it is a great opportunity to introduce your children to the agricultural life. Plus, if you visit soon, you will be able to see twin foals born to one of their horses this summer!! This is such a rare event; it is rare to happen again in your lifetime.
If being out in a more wild natural setting is more your style, then the Radipole Lake Nature Reserve in the centre of Weymouth is a great place to visit! It features many rare bird species, pushchair accessible footpaths and beautiful views from almost every angle. They also feature a few great family oriented activities in the summer, such as bug hunts and pond dipping.
Though the first two are wonderful, nothing gets a little girl’s heart aflutter more than the chance to actually ride a horse. No matter what your skill level, Windmill Stables on Weston St can outfit your next adventure. They are a full service equestrian centre and can arrange riding excursions for a range of ages.