History of Weymouth

Weymouth, in the county of Dorset, has long been known as Englands Bay of Naples. The area known as Weymouth includes the ancient civil parishes of Melcombe Regis and Radipole. The town has a long and rich history with many famous links, including royalty.

Two towns

What we think of today as Weymouth, the seaside is in actual fact Melcombe Regis. These two were once separate places and parishes, with the harbour their boundary. Weymouth was on the south, and the nearby island piece of land, Melcombe Regis, on the north. There was a great deal of dispute between the two concerning the trading rights of the port. In 1571, they became formally united when a royal charter was granted by Elizabeth I and they were from then on known as the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.

Black Death

The port of Melcombe Regis lays claim to the infamy of being the port where the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, first entered England in 1348. A ship that had arrived from the continent carried the fleas of black rats, which scurried ashore. The Black Death had shattering effects on the inhabitants of England. During the two years that it was around, it is estimated that it wiped out no less than half of the population. Of course, those in Dorset were the first to be affected and people moved away, fearing that they would be infected, too, unaware that they might carry the disease.

Modern times

A packet steamer service was launched in 1794 to sail between Weymouth and the Channel Islands. Ensuing services allowed for the emigration of a number of Dorset families to the islands. The chalk figure of the White Horse and its rider was carved in the hillside above Osmington by 1808 and is meant to be a symbol of George III who last visited Weymouth in 1805. During WWII, Weymouth played an important part in the D-Day landings in Normandy. This was where scores of British and American soldiers left the shores of England. A monument erected on the esplanade, opposite the Royal Hotel, commemorates the 517,816 troops and 144,093 vehicles that embarked at Weymouth between 6 June 1944 and 7 May 1945.

Today, Weymouth is host to many national and international events. It hosted the start of the Tall Ships Race for the third time in 1994, the only seaport ever to have been given that honour. In 2012 Weymouth and Portland will host the sailing events of the Olympic Games.