A Brief History of Portland
Posted August 11th, 2010 | No Comments
At the southern most point of the county of Dorset lies the gorgeous Isle of Portland. As it is a tied island, it can be accessed via Chesil Beach which runs from Weymouth all the way down to Portland Bill. The coastline of Portland is celebrated as it is a central part of the UNESCO heritage site, the Jurassic Coast. The island itself is small, only 4 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, and is formed completely from limestone. It is classified as an ancient Royal Manor, which means that it is owned by the crown.
There has been archaeological evidence that Portland has been inhabited continuously since the Middle Stone Age (the Mesolithic period), though it wasn’t always known as Portland. In fact the Romans referred to the island as Vindelis. Throughout the history of England, the small island has been targeted by attacking forces. There are many ancient castles littered across the landscape which proves this, like the Portland Castle which was built by King Henry VIII in 1539 to secure the coastline from marauding Frenchmen. Around the latter part of the nineteenth century, Portland Harbour was formed to assist the tasks of the Royal Navy. It is in fact one of the largest man-made harbour in the world! During the World War II, Portland was the target of heavy bombing, so most of the Naval fleet was deployed to the north, though on D-Day 1944 the harbour was a major embarkation point. But at the close of the twentieth century the Naval base at Portland Harbour was closed and it is now solely used as a recreational area.
For centuries, stone from Portland quarries has been excavated to be used in the construction of places of import in the United Kingdom. After the Great Fire of 1666 over six million tonnes of white limestone was used to rebuild London. Well known buildings like St. Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace are also graced with Portland Stone. Following World War I the Crown decreed that a quarry be opened to provide the stone for over half a million gravestones in war cemeteries. Even more was employed to carve the headstones of hundreds of thousands of fallen World War II soldiers.
Today, Portland is considered one of the most beautiful resort areas in England. It is host to thousands of tourists every summer who come to the island to find natural beauty and many outdoor activities. In 2012, Portland will be the location for the Olympic Sailing Events.