Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth Part 3: Town Context 13 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth 14 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth stood. This section of the report briefly sets out 3.1 The Setting of the Town the wider context of the town and the land- scape character of its hinterland. No town exists in isolation. All towns are shaped and influenced by their surrounding landscape. Topography and geology have a 3.2 Topography profound influence on the way a town devel- Weymouth lies within a complex topographical ops; constraining development, shaping com- area comprising a number of different ele- munication routes, and providing raw materials ments. The focus of the historic town centre is for building and other economic activity, on the mouth of the river Wey and the Wey amongst other things. In order to understand valley forms a significant element in the topog- the character of a town, its surrounding land- raphical setting of the town. The Weymouth scape and natural context need to be under- Fig ur 15 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth conurbation lies to the south of the prominent and forming one of the major topographic ele- E-W chalk ridge of the South Dorset Ridgeway, ments of Weymouth. To the east the ridges are which forms a view stop to the north of the more broken. Southdown ridge is the main town. To the south of the Ridgeway, the land- ridge to the east, forming the southern side of form is essentially a series of parallel E-W roll- the Bincombe Vale. ing ridges with clay vales between. These are With the Isle of Portland to the south, Wey- particularly apparent to the west of the Wey mouth sits between Lyme Bay to the west and Valley, becoming lower and less well defined Weymouth Bay to the east. The topography towards the south, but the southernmost Wyke has had a major influence on the communica- Ridge is higher, rising to 69m above sea level Figure 4: Solid Geology of the Weymouth region 16 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth tion links, with transport and communication by stone in the northern part of Wyke Regis, sea being the primary factor in the town’s de- Southland, Rodwell and along the southern velopment and economy for much of its history. edge of the river to the Nothe. This is suc- ceeded by an expanse of low-lying Oxford Clay across Wesham and Southill in the western 3.3 Geology part of the study area, extending to Weymouth Weymouth has a very complex geology (Figure Bay and Lodmoor. There are outcrops of Corn- 4). There is Kimmeridge Clay around Wyke brash in the northern part of Southill and at Regis, at the southern tip of the study area. To Radipole. The northern part of the study area is the north of this is a band of Corallian Lime- crossed by bands of Corallian Limestone, Kim- Figure 5: Weymouth in its landscape character setting. 17 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth meridge Clay and the chalk of the Ridgeway. 2008. Figure 5 shows the Dorset AONB Char- acter Areas, together with a small area of Val- ley Pasture along the Wey Valley taken from 3.4 Landscape Character the Dorset Landscape Character Assessment. Weymouth lies just outside the Dorset Area of In these latest assessments, Weymouth lies Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which between the South Dorset Ridge and Vale and surrounds it to the north, east and west. The the Osmington Ridge and Vale Character Ar- coastal strip is part of the Dorset and East eas, both part of the Ridge & Vale Landscape Devon Coast World Heritage Site. This area Type. The northern end lies in the South Dor- has been the subject of several landscape set Escarpment Character Area, part of the character assessments, which help place the Chalk Ridge/Escarpment Landscape Type and town into its wider surroundings. the South Dorset Downs, part of the Open Chalk Downland Landscape Type, just beyond In the national assessment of countryside char- to the north. acter, Weymouth is within National Character Area 137/138 Isle of Porland/ Weymouth Low- The key characteristics of the South Dorset lands (Countryside Agency 1999). The north- Ridge and Vale area are: ern tip of the study area is in National Charac- • Broad pastoral clay vale landscape with ter Area 134 Dorset Downs and Cranborne small limestone ridges with rocky outcrops Chase. running from east to west. The key characteristics of National Character • Exposed, rough coastal grazing marsh with Area 137/138 are listed as: scrub. • Varied area, united by underlying broad • Continuous patchwork of planned enclo- ridge and valley pattern and spectacular sures of neutral and acid grasslands becom- coastline. ing larger and more open towards the ridge tops. • Open, largely treeless, ridge tops with large, commonly arable fields. • Enclosed by chalk escarpment to the north. • Valleys with villages, mixed farming and • Mixed boundaries of stone walls and stunted valley-side woodlands. hedges and occasional hedgerow trees. • Exposed, windswept coastal grassland. • Smaller scale landscape towards the west. • Distinctive coastline of Chesil Beach enclos- • Settlements of local limestone located along ing the brackish lagoons of The Fleet. the chalk escarpment base. • Dramatic wedge-shaped peninsula of the • Sweeping views towards smooth ridge tops, Isle of Portland with its distinctive untidy the Fleet and coast. character and strong sense of history. • Small broadleaved woodlands of oak and • Extensive urban and urban fringe land use ash along the lower slopes and vales with around Weymouth. occasional hazel coppice. • Shingle bank and saline lagoon of the Fleet. The key characteristics of Joint Character Area 134 are listed as: The key characteristics of the Osmington • A rolling, chalk landscape with dramatic Ridge and Vale area are: scarps and steep-sided, sheltered valleys. • Broad pastoral clay vale landscape with • Scarp slopes with species-rich grassland, small limestone ridges running east to west complex combes and valleys, spectacular with occasional barrows. views, prominent hillforts and other prehis- • Occasional exposed, rough coastal grazing toric features. marsh with scrub. • Open, mainly arable, downland on the dip- • Continuous patchwork of complex regular slope with isolated farmsteads and few fields of neutral and acid grasslands becom- trees. ing larger towards the ridge tops. • Very varied valleys with woodlands, hedged • Enclosed by chalk escarpment to the north. fields, flood meadows and villages in flint • Mixed boundaries of stone walls and stunted and thatch. hedges and occasional hedgerow trees. • Distinctive woodlands and deer parks of • Smaller scale landscape towards the east. Cranborne Chase. • Settlements of limestone located along the The areas surrounding Weymouth have been chalk escarpment base and valley floors. included in the Landscape Character Assess- • Sweeping views towards smooth ridge tops, ment of the Dorset AONB (Dorset AONB, Portland and the coast. 18 Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth • Small broadleaved woodlands of oak and hazel largely enclosed through planned enclosure with coppice along slopes and vales. other regular enclosed fields. Around the fringes of the study area are areas of comlex settlement The key characteristics of the South Dorset Es- interspersed with smaller areas of fields enclosed carpment area are: through piecemeal enclosure, some areas of land • A dramatic and exposed steep and narrow es- used for recreation and, to the north, areas char- carpment with occasional rounded spurs and acterised as valley bottom. deep coombes. The area in the vicinity of the South Dorset • Patchwork of small scale pastoral fields on Ridgeway is a mixture of other regular enclo- lower slopes with scattered farmsteads located sures, piecemeal enclosures and small area of at gaps in the escarpment. planned enclosures of post-medieval date and • Areas of rough unimproved calcareous small area at Bayard’s Hill of post-1914 strip downland turf on steep slopes with soil creep. fields. There is a substantial area of former field • Large, straight-sided arable fields of late regu- systems to the north east around Chalbury, with lar 18 th or early 19 th century enclosures on es- surviving strip lynchets. carpment top. Around Broadwey and Upwey there are fields • Occasional hanging ancient oak, ash, hazel formed mainly through planned enclosure of post- woodlands on lower slopes. medieval date, together with small areas of linear • Dense gorse scrub on steep ridge sides. settlement along the Wey valley with enclosed • Thin calcareous soils with underlying geology paddocks and closes and dispersed settlement to of chalk. the east. • Panoramic views of the surrounding coastal Around Radipole and Lorton there are fields char- landscape. acterised mainly as other regular enclosures of • Prehistoric barrows, prominent hilltop forts and post-medieval date, with country houses, en- extensive prehistoric field patterns. closed paddocks and closes of post-medieval • Ancient sunken, winding lanes with an open date, deciduous woodland and valley floor. character towards the top. Fields in the vicinity of Chickerell are character- The key characteristics of the South Dorset ised as being planned enclosures, mainly post- Downs area are: medieval in date, with some areas of industrial use and industrial estate. Fields around Wyke • Broad open rolling uplands with convex slopes Regis are other regular enclosures, of mainly and broad dry valleys giving way to large open post-medieval date, with some areas of camp skies and distant horizons. site. Lodmoor is characterised as a post-war na- • Thin calcareous soils with underlying geology ture reserve. of chalk. • Valley slopes with patches of semi-natural chalk grassland, old hazel coppice stands and 3.5 The Present Town small broadleaved woodlands. The modern built-up area of Weymouth covers an • Remnant winding chalk winterbourne with area of about 1850 ha. It lies at the southern end floodplain supporting occasional water mead- of the A354 to Dorchester.