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The Vietnam Search and Rescue ship at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Hai Phong, Vietnam.
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Elisa leaving Great Yarmouth for Rotterdam, Holland.
Name: Elisa
Vessel type: Tug
Design: Damen Shoalbuster 3209
Home port: Gibraltar
Flag: Gibraltar
IMO: 9688879
MMSI: 236745000
Call sign: ZDSJ5
Crew: 4
Length overall: 32.27 m
Beam: 9.1 m
Max draught: 3.3 m
Gross tonnage: 327 ton
Net tonnage: 98 ton
Max deadweight: 220 ton
Fuel capacity: 226.43 m3
Engines: 2 x Caterpillar 3512C TA/HD
Engine output : 2 x 3,546 hp (2,611 kW) at 1,600 rpm
Bow thruster: 350 hp (257 kW), hydraulically driven
Max speed: 11.6 knots
Bollard pull: 51.6 ton
Builder: Damen Shipyard, Hardinxveld Giessendam, Netherlands
Yard number: 571713
Completion date: 31st. July 2017
Owner: Port of Jersey Marine Services, St. Peter, Jersey.
Previous name:
Isa until 18th. April 2023
CREWMAN COLLAPESE ONBOARD.
During the evening of 4th.October 2018, a crew member of the Isa fell seriously ill. At 7.35 p.m. the barge Bodo Constructor informed the MRCC of the DGzRS that the man had suddenly collapsed on board and suffered further injuries thereby. The tug was four miles off Büsum, Germany at that time. The lifeboat Theodor Storm from Büsum attended with two doctors and two medics on board. The victim was resuscitated by other crew members and was conscious when the lifeboat arrived. The tug, escorted by the lifeboat, headed to Büsum, and the man was medically treated underway. An ambulance transported him to hospital after the arrival in the port.
Spanaco Fidelity leaving Great Yarmouth for Rotterdam, Holland.
Name: Spanaco Fidelity
Vessel type: Cargo vessel
Design: Bodewes Trader 4300
Home port: St. John's
Flag: Antigua and Barbuda
IMO: 9472024
MMSI: 304713000
Call sign: V2QR9
Crew: 9
Length overall: 89.98 m
Beam: 15.2 m
Draught: 5.1 m
Depth, moulded: 6.6 m
Gross tonnage: 2,984 ton
Net tonnage: 1,769 ton
Max deadweight: 4,192 ton
Number of holds: 1
Hold dimension: 61.5 x 12.65 x 7.99 m
Hold capacity: 5,975 m3
Hold capacity with bulkheads: 5,860 m3
Fuel capacity: 210 m3
Engine: 1 x Yanmar 6EY26
Engine output: 1 x 23,414 hp (1,800 kW) at 750 rpm
Bow thruster: 1 x 382 hp (285 kW)
Max speed: 14.4 knots
Service speed: 12 knots
Builder: Rongcheng Shipbuilding Industry Group, Rongcheng, China
Yard number: RC18
Keel laid: 28th. February 2008
Launch date: 6th. February 2009
Completion date: 15th. April 2009
Registered owner: Spanaco Four Limited, St. John’s
Operator: Hermann Lohmann Bereederungen, Haren Ems, Germany
Previous names:
Lunamar until 2nd. October 2019
Araldiep until 13th. February 2014
GROUNDING OFF STRALSUND.
At 1.30 p.m. on 14th. May 2016, Lunamar, having just arrived from Wismar, Germany ran aground in the northern approach of Stralsund, Germany in the area of the Vierendehl trench due to a navigational mistake. The German tug Bock was called to assist and pulled the vessel off. It moored in port at 5.45 p.m. where the marine police detained the ship and launched investigations.
SHIP CLOSE TO GROUNDING.
Sailing from Gdynia, Poland, Lunamar was in danger of running aground between Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden. after the drunken captain had fallen asleep at the helm just as the ship was heading toward Vaasa on 24th. April 2014. Helicopters were dispatched from both Sweden and Finland and the MRCC Turku alerted. The captain woke up approximately 15 minutes before running aground his ship off Valsörarna, Finland. The Polish captain was questioned by the Border Guard and then the police took out a deportation order. Another crew member took over the helm.
Traumhaftes klares Winterwetter war am Morgen des 23.November 2021 zu erwarten als ich kurz nach Sonnenaufgang am Rheinufer in Bingerbrück stand und den Betrieb auf rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466) fotografierte.
Zu sehen ist links der inzwischen frisch renovierte sogn. "Mäusetum", der seinem Namen einer Sage zu verdanken hat, und die Burg Ehenfels nördlich von Rüdesheim am Rhein.
Das der Sommer nun vorbei war zeigte sich Nebel im Mittelrheintal. Ab dem Nordufer der Mäuseturminsel herschte dicker Nebel in Richtung Norden und östlich davon ist ab Sonnaufgang klare Sicht.
Diese dort typische Wetterlage ab Herbst macht es möglich dieses Natuschauspiel zu erleben und das ist wahrhaftig atemberaubend!
Kurz nach dem das Stativ aufgebaut war und die Kamera und der Fernauslöser startklar waren ging es auch schon los mit den ersten Güterzügen Richtung Süden:
Mit ganz viel Glück kam dann der um mehrere Stunden verspätete DGS 41821 von RCC aus Rheinhausen nach Ljubljana Moste in Slowenien mit der ÖBB 1116 136 im ersten Licht.
Schön zu sehen wie der eiskalte Wind aus Westen den Nebel aus dem Tal "bläst". Einfach schön!
.
Dutch Pearl manoeuvring a barge in Lowestoft's inner harbour.
Name: Dutch Pearl
Vessel type: Tug
Home port: Zierikzee
Flag: Netherlands
IMO: 9547881
MMSI: 246376000
Call sign: PBZP
Max persons onboard: 15, including crew
Cabins: 4 x single, 2 x double
Length overall: 31.1 m
Beam: 9.66 m
Min draught: 2.8 m
Max draught: 3.1 m
Gross tonnage: 254 ton
Net tonnage: 76 ton
Max deadweight: 136 ton
Fuel capacity: 24,636 gal (112,000 litres)
Engines: 2 x Mitsubishi S16R-MPTA
Engine output: 2 x 1,591 hp (1,170 kW) at 1,600 rpm
Propulsion: 2 x fixed propellers in nozzles
Propellers: 2 x Van Voorden 2.1 m diameter
Max speed: 12.5 knots
Bollard pull: 46.2 ton
Builder: Gebr. Kooiman, Zwijndrecht, Netherlands
Year built: 2010
Owner: G. Bouwman Towing & Shipping B V, Zierikzee, Netherlands
Operator: Landfall Marine Contractors B V, Ridderkerk, Netherlands
Jack-up rig grounding.
On 19th. April 2011 at 03:24 a.m. Humber Coastguard received a call from the tug Dutch Pearl reporting that the jack-up rig Vagant had stuck fast on the sea bed and was being swamped by the rising tide. 19 crewmembers from the rig were swiftly evacuated to the Dutch Pearl, and MRCC Humber took coordination of the incident. The Hartlepool RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched to the scene and transferred 16 of the crew members to Teesport.
Three rig crew members remain on the Dutch Pearl and return to the rig at low tide to free her from the seabed.
Am 21.April 2020 war die 1116 140 der ÖBB für das Tochterunternehmen Rail Cargo Carrier (RCC) planmäßig unterwegs dem KT 45951 von DB Cargo von Neuss nach Kalsdorf in Österreich zum Cargo Center Graz für Wenzel- Logistics.
Der Zug fuhr damals Regelweg über die linke (Rheinstrecke (KBS 471) und da er auch mit Verspätung im Zulauf war konnte ich ihn an der Burg Rheinstein östlich von Trechtingshausen im Mittelrheintal im besten Licht fotografieren.
Am Abend des 17.Juni 2021 war der DGS 41950 von RailCargoCarrier auf dem Weg von Kalsdorf in Österreich nach Neuss Gbf mit den markanten Kombitrain für Wenzel Logistics noch planmäßig mit der einer meist sauberen 1116, hier die 253, bespannt.
Der Zug wurde östlich Aßmannshausen an der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466) beim umrunden der bekannten Burg Ehrenfels nördlich von Rüdesheim am Rhein fotografiert.
Der Zug kam ca.30 min vor Plan und verkehrte planmäßig über die linke Rheinstrecke (KBS 471). Puuh, Glück gehabt!
Im Vordergrund sind die Wellenbrecher in der Verlängerung der Mäuseturminsel zu sehen.
Seltener Gast im Rheingau sind Vectron der ÖBB die für das Tochterunternehmen RCC eingesetzt werden.
Am Nachmittag des 5.November 2020 kam der DGS 41944 voll beladen mit bunten Containern von Linz in Österreich nach Rheinhausen mit der 1293 174 auf dem Weg nach Norden durch die Weinberge zwischen Erbach und Hattenheim an der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466).
Im Hintergrund ist links die Pfaarkirche St.Markus und rechts das ehemaige Schloss Reinhartshausen; heute ein Hotel.
Am Morgen des 3.März 2022 in den Weinbergen östlich von Hattenheim im Rheingau an der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466).
Der erste Güterzug mit voller Sonne in Richtung Wiesbaden war die 1016 005 der ÖBB mit dem DGS 41941 für das Tochteruntenehmen Rail Cargo Carrier - Germany GmbH auf dem Weg von Duisburg-Ruhrort Hafen nach Wels Vbf in Österreich in das CCT Terminal.
Zu den interessanteren Plangüterzügen auf der linken Rheinstrecke gehören die Kombitrains mit den Trailern der Spedition Wenzel Logistics aus Österreich die RCC für DB Cargo fährt.
Am Morgen des 21.Juli 2020 war die sehr saubere 1116 082 püntlich unterwegs von Neuss nach Karlsdorf in Österreich mit dem KT 45951.
Die Aufnahme enstand unterhalb der Burg Rheinstein östlich von Trechtingshausen an der linken Rheinstrecke (KBS 471).
Dutch Pearl arriving through the piers at Lowestoft.
Name: Dutch Pearl
Vessel type: Tug
Home port: Zierikzee
Flag: Netherlands
IMO: 9547881
MMSI: 246376000
Call sign: PBZP
Max persons onboard: 15, including crew
Cabins: 4 x single, 2 x double
Length overall: 31.1 m
Beam: 9.66 m
Min draught: 2.8 m
Max draught: 3.1 m
Gross tonnage: 254 ton
Net tonnage: 76 ton
Max deadweight: 136 ton
Fuel capacity: 24,636 gal (112,000 litres)
Engines: 2 x Mitsubishi S16R-MPTA
Engine output: 2 x 1,591 hp (1,170 kW) at 1,600 rpm
Propulsion: 2 x fixed propellers in nozzles
Propellers: 2 x Van Voorden 2.1 m diameter
Max speed: 12.5 knots
Bollard pull: 46.2 ton
Builder: Gebr. Kooiman, Zwijndrecht, Netherlands
Year built: 2010
Owner: G. Bouwman Towing & Shipping B V, Zierikzee, Netherlands
Operator: Landfall Marine Contractors B V, Ridderkerk, Netherlands
Jack-up rig grounding.
On 19th. April 2011 at 03:24 a.m. Humber Coastguard received a call from the tug Dutch Pearl reporting that the jack-up rig Vagant had stuck fast on the sea bed and was being swamped by the rising tide. 19 crewmembers from the rig were swiftly evacuated to the Dutch Pearl, and MRCC Humber took coordination of the incident. The Hartlepool RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched to the scene and transferred 16 of the crew members to Teesport.
Three rig crew members remain on the Dutch Pearl and return to the rig at low tide to free her from the seabed.
Um die Mittagszeit am 28.April 2021 waren einige interessante Güterzüge im Zulauf in Bacharach an der linken Rheinstrecke (KBS 471) in Richtung Süden.
Das Motiv von der Strassenseite mit der Burg Stahleck im Hintergrund ist leider nur noch mit einer sehr hohen Leiter umzusetzten die ich leider nicht besitze und auch nicht so einfach transportieren könnte.
Auch sind die schönen Bäume immer weiter in die Höhe gewachsen:
Ein Alternative sieht so aus:
Hier zu sehen ist die 1293 198 die für RCC unterwegs war mit dem DGS 41943 von Rheinhausen nach Linz in Österreich.
Im Hintergrund zu sehen ist die Wernerkapelle.
Am 6.März 2021 folgte im Blockabstand zur VIAS der KT 45989 den RCC für DB Cargo fährt mit dem Wenzel Kombittrain durch Kaub an der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466).
Gott seit Dank mußte der Zug am Einfahrsignal halten weil er auf die Vias aufgelaufen war und fuhr erst nach fast 2 Minuten wieder gaaanz langsam in mein Motiv sonst hätte ein riesiges Schiff dieses Bild vereitelt. Puuuh; Glück gehabt!
Ãœber dem Zug ist die Burg Gutenfels.
Die Sehenswürdigkeiten von links nach rechts:
Die Ev. Kirche St. Trinitatis und Kath. St. Nikolauskirche und kurz vor dem Zug der Mainzer Tortum und ganz rechts der Pegelturm.
Die Autofähre Rheinland war gerade am ablegen und die kleine Personenfähre Pfalzgrafenstein liegen auch gerade am Ufer in Kaub.
Highest Explore Position #286 ~ On February 25th 2009.
Beach front ~ Walton on the Naze, Essex, England~ Sunday February 22nd 2009.
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Another shot taken on Walton beach then...this time facing in the opposite direction, looking towards the pier..:O))
This was a moment when the sun threatened to come out briefly...it only lasted about 30 seconds though...sadly..:O((
Well, it's another dull and grey day here in London.....so it's a day indoors to recover from staying up all night to watch the Oscars on Sunday / Monday, seeing as I am still on Holiday....:O))
I hope everybody is having an awesome Tuesday..:O))
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
The Naze ~ "Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
Walton Pier ~ The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
War memorial ~ The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
Cultural references ~ Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
Miedwie with tugs EMS Defender of Lowestoft, bow, and En Avant 30 of Dordrecht, Holland, astern, off Great Yarmouth after arriving from Port Morski Police, Poland.
Name: Miedwie
Vessel type: Bulk carrier
Home port: Valletta
Flag: Malta
IMO: 9393448
MMSI: 256239000
Call sign: 9HA5757
Crew: 30
Length overall: 190 m
Beam: 23.76 m
Draught: 10,24 m
Gross tonnage: 20,603 ton
Net tonnage: 9,932 ton
Max deadweight: 30,000 ton
Engine: 1 x Wartsila 6RTA-48T-B diesel
Engine output: 1 x (9,730kW)
Speed: 13.6 knots
Builder: Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Co Ltd, Nantong, China
Yard number: MD016-30000LBC-01
Keel laid: 3rd. September 2008
Launch date: 11th. August 2009
Completion date: 22nd. March 2010
Registered owner: Erato One Shipping Ltd, Szczecin, Poland
Manager: Polska Zegluga Morska PP, Szczecin, Poland
Operator: Polsteam Shipping Ageny Ltd, Szczecin, Poland
Medevac of Świnoujście, Poland.
On 5th.June 2020, at 9.12 p.m. the MRCC in Świnoujście received information regarding the need for a medical evacuation from the Miedwie. The ship was off Świnoujście when one of the crew members complained of very strong abdominal pain. After a medical consultation it was decided that an urgent evacuation to the hospital was required for a detailed diagnosis. The rescue ship Pasat was deployed and took the victim on board at 9.50 p.m. Under the care of the crew in the ship's own clinic, he was transported to the port of Świnoujście where he was handed over to the medical rescue team.
Ice Storms
One type of winter storm that can be particularly damaging is the ice storm - a storm in which freezing rain occurs and glazes roads and other exposed outdoor surfaces.
Freezing Rain SchematicFreezing rain occurs when rain forms in a relatively warm (above freezing) layer of air and falls through a shallow layer of air that is below freezing. The rain is "supercooled" (still liquid) as it falls through the cold layer near the surface of the earth. When the supercooled, but still liquid, raindrops strike the ground or an object below freezing, they freeze on contact. The resulting coating of ice is commonly known as glaze.
A heavy accumulation of ice can topple power and telephone lines, television towers, and trees. Highways become impossible to travel on, and even stepping outdoors on foot can be extremely dangerous.
The severity of an ice storm (that is, the amount of damage) depends on:
The amount of rain and thus icing taking place;
The strength of the wind;
Whether the storm strikes an urban or rural area.
Urban areas tend to suffer more economic and physical damage than rural areas because of the concentration of utilities and transportation systems (aircraft, trains, vehicles) — all of which may be affected to a great degree by the ice storm. Trees and power lines, in particular, can be heavily damaged. A half inch of ice on a tree branch or on power lines can add hundreds of pounds of weight. In the more severe ice storms, broadcast towers and similar structures hundreds of feet high can be crumpled by the weight of ice.
Source: mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/living_wx/icestorms/index.html
Am Abend des 30.Juli 2020 genoß ich den Ausblick auf Kaub am Mittelrhein und beobachtete den Betrieb auf der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466). Eine kurzzeitige Betriebsstörung auf der linken Rheinstrecke (KBS 471) sorgte für viel Betrieb für Züge gen Norden.
Hier zu sehen ist der KT 45950, den RCC für seit einigen Jahren für DB Cargo fahrt, mit der 1016 040 mit dem sogn. "Wenzel" KLV von Karlsdorf in Österreich nach Neuss.
Der Zug wurde von der linken Rheinstrecke (KBS 471) hier entlang umgeleitet.
Glück hatte ich das beide Fähren gerade im Bild waren und auf der Bundesstraße fast kein Verkehr unterwegs war was selten genug im Mittelrhreintal im Sommer zu beobachten ist!
Die Sehenswürdigkeiten von links nach rechts:
Links der Pegelturm und rechts davon der sogn Dicke Turm und im Rhein die ehemalige Zollburg Pfalzgrafenstein.
Am 24.August 2022 hatte der DGS 41943 von Rail Cargo Carrier, dem Tochterunternehmen der ÖBB Tochter Rail Cargo Group, mit der ÖBB 1293 196 fast drei Stunden Verspätung auf dem Weg von Rheinhausen nach Linz Stadthafen in Österreich.
Ich konnte den Zug bei Durchfahrt in Kaub im Mittelrheintal fotografieren zusammen mit der ehemaligen Zollburg Pfalzgrafenstein im Rhein und der Burg Gutenfels darüber.
Rechts zu sehen ist weiterhin der sogn. "Dicke Turm" einem charakteristischen Rundturm mit zwölfeckigem, hölzernem Wehrumgang.
Links zu sehen ist der Mainzer Torturm, heute ein Hotel.
Die kleine Personenfähre Pfalzgrafenstein ankerte auch gerade am Ufer von Kaub und wartete auf Touristen zur Besichtung der Burg Pfalzgrafenstein mitten im Rhein.
Anzumerken ist das die Parkplätze untererhalb der Lok oft von Pendlern und Touristen genutzt werden und ein Foto ohne Autos nur selten möglich ist. Puuh; Glück gehabt!
Dover (/ˈdoʊvər/; French: Douvres) is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's county town Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings. The town is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Dover Calais ferry through the Port of Dover. The surrounding chalk cliffs are known as the White Cliffs of Dover.
Its strategic position has been evident throughout its history: archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain. The name of the town derives from the name of the river that flows through it, the River Dour. The town has been inhabited since the Stone Age according to archaeological finds, and Dover is one of only a few places in Britain – London, Edinburgh, and Cornwall being other examples – to have a corresponding name in the French language, Douvres.
There was a military barracks in Dover, which was closed in 2007.[3] Although many of the former ferry services have declined, services related to the Port of Dover provide a great deal of the town’s employment, as does tourism. The prospect of privatising the sale of the Port of Dover to create increased cash flow for the government was given a recent ironic twist due to the rejection of a possible bid from the town of Calais in France after opposition in Dover against any sale forced the government to withdraw the Port from the market. Local residents had clubbed together to propose buying it for the community, more than 12,000 people have bought a £10 share in the People's Port Trust.
Etymology
First recorded in its Latinised form of Portus Dubris, the name derives from the Brythonic word for waters (dwfr in Middle Welsh). The same element is present in the towns French (Douvres) and Modern Welsh (Dofr) forms, as well as the name of the river Dour and is evident in other English towns such as Wendover.
A 2013 study [4] suggested the name may come from an ancient word for 'double bank' referring to the shingle spit(s) that formed across the harbour entrance, for which a word dover is still used in the Isle of Wight. Subsequent name forms included Doverre;[5]
The current name was in use at least by the time of Shakespeare's King Lear (between 1603 and 1606), in which the town and its cliffs play a prominent role. The sight of the white cliffs when approaching Dover may have given the island of Britain its ancient name of Albion.
History
Dover’s history, because of its proximity to France, has always been of great strategic importance to Britain. Archaeological finds have shown that there were Stone Age people in the area; and that by the Bronze Age the maritime influence was already strong. Some Iron Age finds exist also, but the coming of the Romans made Dover part of their communications network. Like Lemanis (Lympne) and Rutupiae (Richborough) Dover was connected by road to Canterbury and Watling Street; and it became Portus Dubris, a fortified port. Forts were built above the port; lighthouses were constructed to guide passing ships; and one of the best-preserved Roman villas in Britain is here.
Dover figured largely in the Domesday Book as an important borough. It also served as a bastion against various attackers: notably the French during the Napoleonic Wars; and against Germany during the Second World War. It was the capital of the Cinque Ports during medieval times.[6]
Geography and climate
Dover is near the extreme south-east corner of Britain between Deal and Folkestone. At South Foreland, the nearest point to the continent, Cap Gris Nez near Calais is 34 kilometres (21 mi) away, across the Strait of Dover - because of this, the town is strongly associated with France[7]
The site of its original settlement lies in the valley of the River Dour, making it an ideal place for a port, sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds. This led to the silting up of the river mouth by the action of longshore drift; the town was then forced into making artificial breakwaters to keep the port in being. These breakwaters have been extended and adapted so that the port lies almost entirely on reclaimed land.
The higher land on either side of the valley – the Western Heights and the eastern high point on which Dover Castle stands – has been adapted to perform the function of protection against invaders. The town has gradually extended up the river valley, encompassing several villages in doing so. Little growth is possible along the coast, since the cliffs are on the sea’s edge. The railway, being tunnelled and embanked, skirts the foot of the cliffs.
Dover has an oceanic climate (Koppen classification Cfb) similar to the rest of the United Kingdom with mild temperatures year-round and a light amount of rainfall each month. The warmest recorded temperature was 31 °C (88 °F) and the coldest was −8 °C (18 °F), but the temperature is usually between 3 °C (37 °F) and 21.1 °C (70.0 °F). There is evidence that the sea is coldest in February; the warmest recorded temperature for February was only 13 °C (55 °F), compared with 16 °C (61 °F) in January.
Demography
In 1800, the year before Britain's first national census, Edward Hasted (1732–1812) reported that the town had a population of almost 10,000 people.[10]
At the 2001 census, the town of Dover had 28,156 inhabitants, while the population of the whole urban area of Dover, as calculated by the Office for National Statistics, was 39,078 inhabitants.[11]
With the expansion of Dover, many of the outlying ancient villages have been incorporated into the town. Originally the parishes of Dover St. Mary's and Dover St. James, since 1836 Buckland and Charlton have become part Dover, and Maxton (a hamlet to the west), River, Kearsney, Temple Ewell, and Whitfield, all to the north of the town centre, are within its conurbation.
Economy
Shipping
The Dover Harbour Board[12] is the responsible authority for the running of the Port of Dover. The English Channel, here at its narrowest point in the Straits of Dover, is the busiest shipping lane in the world. Ferries crossing between here and the Continent have to negotiate their way through the constant stream of shipping crossing their path. The Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme allots ships separate lanes when passing through the Strait. The Scheme is controlled by the Channel Navigation Information Service based at Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Dover. MRCC Dover is also charged with co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue within these waters.[13]
The Port of Dover is also used by cruise ships. The old Dover Marine railway station building houses one passenger terminal, together with a car park. A second, purpose built, terminal is located further out along the pier.[14]
The ferry lines using the port are (number of daily sailings in parentheses):
to Calais: P&O Ferries (25), DFDS Seaways (10).
to Dunkirk: DFDS Seaways (11).
These services have been cut in recent years:
P&O Ferries sailings to Boulogne (5 daily) were withdrawn in 1993 and Zeebrugge (4 daily) in 2002.
SNCF withdrew their three train ferry sailings on the opening of the Channel Tunnel.
Regie voor Maritiem Transport[15][16] moved their Ostend service of three sailings daily to Ramsgate in 1994; this route was operated by TransEuropa Ferries until April 2013.
Stena Line merged their 20 Calais sailings into the current P&O operation in 1998.
Hoverspeed ceased operations in 2005 and withdrew their 8 daily sailings.
SpeedFerries ceased operations in 2008 and withdrew their 5 daily sailings.
LD Lines ceased the Dover-Dieppe service on 29 June 2009 and Dover-Boulogne 5 September 2010.
SeaFrance ceased operations in 2012 of their Dover-Calais service which was their only service.
Transport
Dover’s main communications artery, the A2 road replicates two former routes, connecting the town with Canterbury. The Roman road was followed for centuries until, in the late 18th century, it became a toll road. Stagecoaches were operating: one description stated that the journey took all day to reach London, from 4am to being "in time for supper".[17]
The other main roads, travelling west and east, are the A20 to Folkestone and thence to London and the A258 through Deal to Sandwich.
The railway reached Dover from two directions: the South Eastern Railway's main line connected with Folkestone in 1844, and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway opened its line from Canterbury in 1861. Trains run from Dover Priory to London Charing Cross, London Victoria or London St Pancras International stations in London, and Ramsgate or Sandwich in Kent. Trains from Dover Priory are run by Southeastern (train operating company).
A tram system operated in the town from 1897 to 1936.
Dover has two long distance footpaths: the Saxon Shore Way and the North Downs Way. Two National Cycle Network routes begin their journey at the town.
The Port of Dover is a 20 minute walk from Dover Priory railway station.
The Dover to Dunkirk ferry route was originally operated by ferry operator Norfolkline. This company was later acquired by the pan European operator DFDS Seaways in July 2010.[18] The crossing time is approximately two hours.[19] Due to this route not being as well known as Dover to Calais, prices are often cheaper.[20] The location of Dunkirk is also more convenient for those travelling by road transport on to countries in Northern Europe including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and further afield.
Stagecoach in East Kent provide local bus services. Dover is on the Stagecoach Diamond network providing links to Canterbury and Deal. The Western Docks at the port of Dover are served from the Town Centre as well as Canterbury and Deal. Dover is the start of The Wave network to New Romney via Folkestone, Hythe and Dymchurch. There are services to Lydd via Lydd Airport, with one continuing from Lydd on to Hastings via Camber and Rye. There is a link to Sandwich and Ramsgate. Buses run from Dover to Canterbury via Aylesham.
National Express runs coaches from Dover to other towns in Kent including Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford, Kent, Maidstone, Gillingham at Hempsted Valley shopping centre and Greenhithe at Bluewater Shopping Centre for Dartford to London including Bexleyheath, Eltham, Walworth, Canary Wharf, Elephant & Castle, The City (The City of London) and to Victoria Coach Station
All buses serve Pencester Road except route 68 to Maxton operated by Regent Coaches.[citation needed]
Retail
The town's main shopping streets are the High Street and Biggin Street. The Castleton Retail Park is to the north-west of the town centre.
There are plans to open a 6 screen Cineworld Cinema and leisure element ( Restaurants) at St James but not until 2017. It has been recently announced that Marks and Spencer will relocate to St James Development and that the current M&S general store will close. The new 16,000 sq feet store at St James will be an M&S Simply Food with café only and will not sell clothing or homeware unlike the current store which will shut in 2016. Simmonds Jeweller's will close their Dover branch after 40 years in January 2014.[citation needed] The M&S general store and Simmonds branch in nearby Deal will remain open.[citation needed]
Independent stores continue to grow in Dover,[citation needed] but the main town centre of Dover remains in decline compared to other towns like Deal (Telegraph High Street of the Year 2013), Canterbury, Westwood Cross and Ashford who continue to take trade away from Dover.[citation needed]
RNLI
The Dover lifeboat is a Severn class lifeboat based in the Western Docks.[21] Dover Lifeboat station is based at crosswall quay in Dover Harbour. There is a Severn-class lifeboat, which is the biggest in the fleet. It belongs to the RNLI which covers all of Great Britain. The lifeboat number is 17-09 and has a lot of emergencies in the Channel. The Severn class is designed to lay afloat. Built from fibre reinforced composite (FRC) the boat is lightweight yet very strong and is designed to right itself in the event of a capsize.
Education
There are nine secondary level schools, 16 primary schools and two schools for special education.
Non-selective secondary schools include Astor College, St Edmund's Catholic School and Dover Christ Church Academy. Dover Grammar School for Boys and Dover Grammar School for Girls are the main grammar schools for the town.
Astor College for the Arts federated with St Radigunds Primary School (then renamed White Cliffs Primary College for the Arts) to form the Dover Federation for the Arts (DFA). Subsequently, Barton Junior School and Shatterlocks Nursery and Infant School joined the DFA. Two schools have been rated by OFSTED as Outstanding and two Good with outstanding features. In 2014 the Dover Federation for the Arts was warned by the Department for Education about "unacceptably low standards of performance of pupils ".[22]
The Duke of York's Royal Military School, England's only military boarding school for children of service personnel (co-ed ages 11–18), is also located in Dover, next to the former site of Connaught Barracks.
Dover College, a public school was founded in 1871 by a group of local business men.[23]
Public services
Dover has one hospital, Buckland Hospital[24] built in 2015 and located just along from its previous location ( A former Victorian workhouse) on Coombe Valley Road. The town once had four hospitals, Buckland, Royal Victoria, Isolation and the Eye Hospitals located at various points across the town.
Local media
Television
Dover was the home to television studios and production offices of Southern Television Ltd, the company which operated the ITV franchise for South and South East England from 1958-1981. The studios were located on Russell Street and were home to programmes like 'Scene South East', 'Scene Midweek', 'Southern News', 'Farm Progress' and the nightly epilogue, 'Guideline'. The studios were operated by TVS in 1982 and home to 'Coast to Coast', however they closed a year later when the company moved their operations to the newly complete Television Centre in Maidstone.
Newspapers
Dover has two paid for newspapers, the Dover Express (published by Kent Regional News and Media) and the Dover Mercury (published by the KM Group). Free newspapers for the town include the Dover and Deal Extra, part of the KM Group; and yourdover, part of KOS Media.
Radio
Dover has one local commercial radio station, KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country, broadcasting to Dover on 106.8FM. The station was founded in Dover as Neptune Radio in September 1997 but moved to Folkestone in 2003 and was consequently rebranded after a takeover by the KM Group. Dover is also served by the county-wide stations Heart, Gold and BBC Radio Kent.
The Gateway Hospital Broadcasting Service, in Buckland Hospital radio, closed at the end of 2006. It was the oldest hospital radio station in East Kent being founded in 1968.[25]
Dover Community Radio (DCR) currently offer internet programming and podcasts on local events and organisations on their website. The online station of the same name launched on 30 July 2011 offering local programmes, music and news for Dover and district.[26]
Culture
There are three museums: the main Dover Museum,[27] the Dover Transport Museum[28] and the Roman Painted House.
International relations
Twin towns / Sister cities
Dover has three twin towns:
France Calais, France
United States Huber Heights, Ohio, United States
Croatia Split, Croatia
Sports
Dover Leisure Centre on Townwall Street, is operated by Your Leisure, a not for profit charitable trust,[32] which caters for sports and includes a swimming pool.
There are sports clubs, amongst them (Dover Athletic F.C.) who play in the conference Premier league; rugby; swimming; water polo and netball (Dover and District Netball League).[33]
Dover Rowing Club is the oldest coastal rowing club in Britain and has a rich history, at one time becoming the best club on the south coast. More information can be found on the history page of the club's website.[34]
One event which gets media attention is that of swimming the English Channel.[35]
Sea fishing, from the beach, pier or out at sea, is carried out here.[36] The so-called Dover sole (solea solea) is found all over European waters.
Places of interest
Blériot memorial: the outline of Louis Blériot's aircraft, marked with granite setts, at the exact spot where Blériot landed after the first cross-Channel flight, 1909[37]
Dover Castle
White Cliffs of Dover
Dover Western Heights
Dover Museum
Roman Painted House Museum
Dover Transport Museum
Samphire Hoe
Seafront promenade
South Foreland Lighthouse
Pines Garden
St Edmund's Chapel
Connaught Park
Kearsney Abbey
Russel Gardens & Bushy Ruff
St Mary's Church
St James' Church: preserved as a "tidy ruin"
Dover Priory Railway Station
Notable people[edit]
Further information: List of people from Dover
In literature
M.R. James used the Dover landmark, the Lord Warden Hotel, as a location in his short ghost story "Casting the Runes", first published in More Ghost Stories in 1911.
Seit 2015 werden die KLV Züge von und nach Rheinhausen von Rail Cargo Austria selber mit 1116 unter dem Produktnamen Rail Cargo Carrier bespannt.
Am Morgen des 31.Oktober 2019 stand ich bei herrlichem sonnigen Herbstwetter am Strandbad in Trechtingshausen und beobachtete den Betrieb auf der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466) südlich von Lorch.
Mit ganz viel Glück kam der um mehrere Stunden verspätete DGS 41821 von Rheinhausen nach Ljubljana Moste in Slowenien mit der sauberen 1116 279; hier aufgenommen kurz vor dem ehemaligen Block Bodental.
Highest Explore Position #127 ~ On February 27th 2009.
Update ~ Now #108 ~ On February 28th 2009.
Walton on the Naze, Essex, England - Sunday February 22nd 2009.
Click here to see the Larger image
Click here to see My most interesting images
Listen here ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKtt5oeKa8w ~
Well, another risky shot then..lol...I came within mm's of being hit by that fast approaching wave!!!....but managed to pull up at just the right moment...:O)))
The wave is actually a lot closer then it looks in this shot...about a foot or so away.
The lighting wasn't that bad considering it was under the pier....and it was a dull and grey day.
I should have straightened the horizon a tad...too late now I guess..:O((
Anyhoo...another dull day here in London, although the sun is due to come about for a brief time this afternoon....but I am not going to venture out.
Just an update for my Flickr Chum BigCatlover ~ No mention of the fact that the not so Mighty Hammers got knocked out of the cup last night, because I forgot...lol
Mind you...because we conceded the first goal after only 4 mins...it meant I only saw the first 5 mins then gave up anyway...my mate on the other hand drove 500 miles to see the game live...along with 5999 deluded souls...it's them I feel sorry for...but as I said yesterday...we are bobbins away from home...especially Oooop North...and with nobody good enough up front to score...we are in the words of Dad's Army...DOOOOMED...lol..:O)))
So I hope everybody has a great Thursday...:O))
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
The Naze ~ "Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
Walton Pier ~ The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
War memorial ~ The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
Cultural references ~ Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
Highest Explore Position #430 ~ On February 24th 2009.
Walton on the Naze - Sunday February 22nd 2009.
Click here to see the Larger image
Click here to see My most interesting images
Well, as you can see, yesterday I was having fun by the seaside...in Walton.
Having lived only 15 miles away for almost 42 years...I can't believe it took me this long to visit!!!
The weather was bobbins...dull, dank and overcast...so I decided instead of the usual boring beach shot, I'd try something risky..lol...which after dropping my lens in the pond on Friday, was probably not the best idea!
To get the reflections I had to lower the camera to within a few mm's of the surface of the water, whilst balancing precariously on two rocks, I was within mm's of another disaster, but luckily, both the camera and I survived to tell the tail...lol
I'll have to go back there again when the weather is better me thinks..:O))
Anyhoo...I've just woken up after spending the night watching the Oscars "Live"....which meant going to bed at 5:30 am...which was niiiiiiiice...At least seeing Kate Winslet win her 1st Oscar and the British Film "Slumdog Millionaire" walk off with 8 out of 9 of the Oscar's it was entered for, totally made it worth the long night..:O))
I still have the rest of this week off as a holiday, which is nice...so I have some spare time to edit the thousands of images I took over the weekend from Suffolk and Essex..:O)
I hope everybody is having an awesome Monday...and I will try to catch up on all your wonderful sites when I can..:O))
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
The Naze ~ "Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
Walton Pier ~ The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
War memorial ~ The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
Cultural references ~ Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
Walton on the Naze, Essex, England - Sunday February 22nd 2009.
Click here to see the Larger image
Click here to see My most interesting images
Yup, once again I took my life and my camera's life in my hands as it hovered mm's from the surface of the seawater.....falling into fresh water is one thing...sea water would not have been so good!!!...so luckily we both survived...lol
It's also the first day of Lent today...so time to give something up!!!...Perhaps I should give up living so dangerously......lol
Anyhoo...once again the weather is Bobbins here in London..:O((
So I will be staying in again...oh well...I get to see West Ham get knocked out of the FA Cup tonight in our 5th round replay away to Middlesbourgh, as it's live on ITV1 here in England...mind you, if we win...we have Everton away in the 1/4 finals...which is another defeat...we are rubbish Oooop North...so we may as well get knocked out now as opposed to next weekend I guess..:O(((
Oh well.....I wish you all a wonderful Hump Day Wednesday...no matter what you may be doing...:O)))
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
The Naze ~ "Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
Walton Pier ~ The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
War memorial ~ The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
Cultural references ~ Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
Highest Explore Position #189 ~ On February 28th 2009.
Walton on the Naze, Essex, England - Sunday February 22nd 2009.
Click here to see the Larger image
Click here to see My most interesting images
Well, this is the last...for now...in my Walton~On~The~Naze set...which I am sure your all mighty glad of..lol
This time it's a view towards the town...once again..another life in my hands pov...:O))
I was again balanced between two rocks...I was even told to be careful by a few people..lol
So, once again Friday has arrived...and the last one of my holiday...I'm soooooooooooo looking forward to going back to work next week...at least there are a couple of bank holidays coming up in a few months...I may head up to Scotland again...in my continuing quest for the elusive puffin...lol
Anyhoo...I wish you all a wonderful Friday and I also hope you have an awesome Weekend..:O)))
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
The Naze ~ "Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
Walton Pier ~ The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
War memorial ~ The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
Cultural references ~ Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
Am Morgen des 24.Februar 2021 waren erfreulicherweise wieder viele interessante Güterzüge auf dem Weg nach Süden auf der rechten Rheinstrecke (KBS 466). Zwischen Hattenheim und Erbach im Rheingau erwartete ich die Züge oberhalb des Marcobrunnen.
Mit ganz viel Glück kam der um mehrere Stunden verspätete DGS 41821 von Rheinhausen nach Ljubljana Moste in Slowenien mit der sauberen 1116 262 im ersten Licht und schreckte die Vögel auf!
Elisa entering Lowestoft, towing a barge loaded with two pieces of bridge decking from Terneuzen, Holland.
Name: Elisa
Vessel type: Tug
Design: Damen Shoalbuster 3209
Home port: Gibraltar
Flag: Gibraltar
IMO: 9688879
MMSI: 236745000
Call sign: ZDSJ5
Crew: 4
Length overall: 32.27 m
Beam: 9.1 m
Max draught: 3.3 m
Gross tonnage: 327 ton
Net tonnage: 98 ton
Max deadweight: 220 ton
Fuel capacity: 226.43 m3
Engines: 2 x Caterpillar 3512C TA/HD
Engine output : 2 x 3,546 hp (2,611 kW) at 1,600 rpm
Bow thruster: 350 hp (257 kW) hydraulically driven
Max speed: 11.6 knots
Bollard pull: 51.6 ton
Builder: Damen Shipyard, Hardinxveld Giessendam, Netherlands
Yard number: 571713
Completion date: 31st. July 2017
Owner: Port of Jersey Marine Services, St. Peter, Jersey.
Previous name:
Isa until 18th. April 2023
CREWMAN COLLAPSES ONBOARD.
During the evening of 4th.October 2018, a crew member of the Isa fell seriously ill. At 7.35 p.m. the barge Bodo Constructor informed the MRCC of the DGzRS that the man had suddenly collapsed on board and suffered further injuries thereby. The tug was four miles off Büsum, Germany at that time. The lifeboat Theodor Storm from Büsum attended with two doctors and two medics on board. The victim was resuscitated by other crew members and was conscious when the lifeboat arrived. The tug, escorted by the lifeboat, headed to Büsum, and the man was medically treated underway. An ambulance transported him to hospital after the arrival in the port.
Arctic Ocean at Great Yarmouth.
Built as the stern trawler Grampian Chieftain A 562 for George Craig & Sons of Aberdeen, she fished until 1988 when she was laid up.
Converted to a safety vessel in 1990.
January 2006 saw the start of a full rebuild to serve the offshore industry. In July 2006 she was renamed OMS Pollux and sold to Offshore Marine Services (OMS).
Name: Arctic Ocean
Vessel type: Survey vessel
Home port: Esbjerg
Flag: Denmark
IMO: 7427166
MMSI: 219027992
Call sign: OZGP2
Length overall: 39.9 m
Beam: 9.44 m
Draught: 5.3 m
Gross tonnage: 436 ton
Max deadweight: 247 ton
Fuel capacity: 18,147 gal. (82,500 litres)
Engine: 1 x B&W Alpha 23-30
Engine output: 1 x 985 hp (735 kW)
Azimuth bow thruster output: 375 hp (280 kW)
Aquamaster stern thruster output: 254 hp (190 kW)
Max speed: 15 knots
Service speed: 10 knots
Builder: Goole Shipbuilders & Repairs. Co Ltd, Goole, Yorkshire
Yard number: 590
Launch date: 27th. April 1976
Completed: 1976
Owner: Blue Star Line A/S, Faaborg, Denmark
Manager: Nordic Offshore, Faaborg, Denmark
Operator: O.S. Energy GmbH, Glückstadt, Germany
Previous names:
Geo Ocean II until 1st. December 2020
Geo Ocean 2 until 26th. November 2020
OMS Pollux until 11th. October 2013
Grampian Chieftain A 562 until 1st. July 2006
COLLISION WITH WIND TURBINE.
OMS Pollux collided with a wind turbine pile at DONG Energy's Walney Offshore Windfarm, off the Cumbrian coast on 14th August 2014, resulting in only superficial damage to the turbine.
The ship had been at anchor and engaged in operations 12 miles west of Walney when one anchor suddenly parted, allowing the vessel to swing into a concrete pile of the wind turbine under construction. The ship was pushed onto it by the flood tide and suffered damage to the port side under the water line so that light fuel oil was being released into the sea. The Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a call reporting that the standby safety vessel, had been leaking diesel. A fixed-wing aircraft from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s counter pollution team has made a flypast and reported that a surface sheen, 16.5 to 33 ft. (5 to 10 m) wide and around 0.8 of a mile in length, was trailing the vessel.
The vessel, with a crew of 18 on board, remained afloat and there were no reported injuries. OMS Pollux moved, under its own power, to a position north of the Port of Liverpool limits and away from environmentally sensitive areas. The Barrow lifeboat was launched at 10.25 a.m. to attended the incident, arriving at the scene at 11 a.m. and quickly ascertained that the vessel was not taking on any water. The Liverpool Coastguard requested the lifeboat to stand by the casualty in case the situation altered and then contacted Barrow Port Control who refused permission for he vessel to enter the Port of Barrow due to the fuel leak. The vessel was escorted towards Liverpool in relay by the Barrow, Lytham and Hoylake lifeboats. The Barrow crew handed over the escort to the Lytham crew, 12 miles west of the River Ribble, and the Barrow crew returned to station. The vessel would remain offshore outside the Liverpool Port Authority limits until the fuel leak has been stopped. After a 36 hour wait, circling in the Irish Sea, the vessel arrived at Birkenhead at 4 p.m. on 15th. August 2014, where it will be repaired.
The Liverpool MRCC was in constant contact with the vessel and was also monitoring the situation. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch was also informed. A multi-agency Environment Group set up to respond met to assess the local situation. The fuel spill was not thought serious enough to warrant special attention, with the diesel evaporating and dispersing naturally.
The weather was fine and visibility was good, with no wind and a flooding tide which was expected to peak at 2. 50 p.m. at a height of 31 ft. (9.5 m).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) wide, in the English Channel. Portland is 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and Weymouth together form the borough of Weymouth and Portland. The population of Portland 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. Its name is used for one of the British Sea Areas, and has been exported as the name of North American and Australian towns. Portland stone, famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and the United Nations Headquarters, continues to be quarried.
Portland Harbour, in the bay between Portland and Weymouth, is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour was formed by the building of stone breakwaters between 1848 and 1905. From its inception it was a Royal Navy base, and played prominent roles during the First and Second World Wars; ships of the Royal Navy and NATO countries worked up and exercised in its waters until 1995. The harbour is now a civilian port and popular recreation area, which will be used for the 2012 Olympic Games.
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,[2] and of inhabitation in ages since. The Romans occupied Portland, reputedly calling it Vindelis.[3][4] In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle for defence against attacks by the French; the castle cost £4,964.[5] It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is open to the public by the custodians English Heritage.[6]
Sir Christopher Wren, the 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 London 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 the First World War, a quarry was opened by The Crown Estate to provide stone for the Cenotaph in Whitehall and half a million gravestones for war cemeteries,[4] and after the Second World War hundreds of thousands of gravestones were hewn for the fallen soldiers on the Western Front.[4] Portland cement has nothing to do with Portland; it was named such due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand.[9]
There have been railways in 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 a pier at Castletown, from where the Portland stone was shipped around the country.[10] The Weymouth and Portland Railway was laid in 1865, and ran from a station in Melcombe Regis, across the Fleet and along the low isthmus behind Chesil Beach to a station at Victoria Square in Chiswell.[11] At the end of the 19th century the line was extended to the top of the island as the Easton and Church Hope Railway, running through Castletown and ascending the cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton.[10] The line closed to passengers in 1952, and the final goods train (and two passenger 'specials') ran in April 1965.[11]
The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck stationed a lifeboat at Portland in 1826, but it was withdrawn in 1851.[12] Coastal flooding has affected Portland's residents and transport for centuries—the only way off the island is along the causeway in the lee of Chesil Beach. At times of extreme floods (about every 10 years) this road link is cut by floods. The low-lying village of Chiswell used to flood on average every 5 years. Chesil Beach occasionally faces severe storms and massive waves, which have a fetch across the Atlantic Ocean.[13] 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 and the beach road. 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.[13] Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion beach crest running 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) to the north of Chiswell, an extended sea wall in Chesil Cove, and a culvert running from inside the beach, underneath the beach road and into Portland Harbour, to divert flood water away from low lying areas.[13]
At the start of the First World War, HMS Hood was sunk in the passage between the southern breakwaters to protect the harbour from torpedo and submarine attack.[14] Portland Harbour was formed (1848–1905) by the construction of breakwaters, but before that the natural anchorage had hosted ships of the Royal Navy for more than 500 years. It was a centre for Admiralty research into asdic submarine detection and underwater weapons from 1917 to 1998; the shore base HMS Serepta was renamed HMS Osprey in 1927.[15] During the Second World War Portland was the target of heavy bombing, although most warships had moved North as Portland was within enemy striking range across the Channel. Portland was a major embarkation point for Allied forces on D-Day in 1944. Early helicopters were stationed at Portland in 1946-1948, and in 1959 a shallow tidal flat, The Mere, was infilled, and sports fields taken to form a heliport. The station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey which then became the largest and busiest military helicopter station in Europe. The base was gradually improved with additional landing areas and one of England's shortest runways, at 229 metres (751 ft).[15] There are still two prisons on Portland, HMP The Verne, which until 1949 was a huge Victorian military fortress, and a Young Offenders' Institution (HMYOI) on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison built for convicts who quarried stone for the Portland Breakwaters from 1848. For a few years until 2005 Britain's only prison ship, HMP Weare, was berthed in the harbour.
The naval base closed after 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.[15] 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 10,400 square kilometres (4,000 sq mi).[16] The 12 Search and Rescue teams in the Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005;
Governance
Portland is an ancient Royal Manor, and until the 19th century remained a separate liberty within Dorset for administration purposes. It was an urban district from 1894 to 1974, until the borough of Weymouth and Portland formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. This merged the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis with Portland urban district. For local elections the borough is divided into 15 wards, and three of them cover Portland.[18] Elections take place in a four-year cycle; one third of the councillors in all but three wards retire or seek re-election in years one, two and three, and county council elections are held in year four.[19]
The Mayor of Weymouth and Portland is Paul Kimber (Labour Co-operative), and Graham Winter (Liberal Democrat) is Deputy Mayor.[20] Weymouth, Portland and the Purbeck district are in the South Dorset parliamentary constituency, created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament; the current MP is Richard Drax (Conservative).[21] South Dorset, the rest of the South West England, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[22]
Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany since 1986,[23] and the French town of Louviers, in the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959.[24] The borough and nearby Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone for three years.
Geography
The Isle of Portland lies in the English Channel, 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Wyke Regis, and 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of London, at 50°33′0″N 2°26′24″W (50.55, −2.44). Portland is situated approximately half-way along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site; the site includes 153 kilometres (95 mi) of the Dorset and east Devon coast that is important for its geology and landforms.[26] The South West Coast Path runs around the coast; it is the United Kingdom's longest national trail at 1,014 kilometres (630 mi). Portland is unusual as it is connected to the mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach, a tombolo which runs 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west to West Bay.[27] Portland is sometimes defined incorrectly as a tombolo—in fact Portland is a tied island, and Chesil Beach is the tombolo (a spit joined to land at both ends).[28]
There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton on Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are the other villages in Underhill, and Weston, Southwell, Wakeham and the Grove are on the Tophill plateau. Many old buildings are built out of Portland Stone; Several parts have been designated Conservation Areas to preserve the unique character the older settlements which date back hundreds of years. The architecture; the natural and man-made environment and the proximity to the sea give Portland overal character which is quite distinct.
Geology
Geologically, Portland is separated into two areas; the steeply sloping land at its north end called Underhill, and the larger, gently sloping land 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 151 metres (495 ft) near the Verne in the north, to just above sea level at Portland Bill.[29] 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.[29]
2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) Underneath south Dorset lies a layer of Triassic rock salt, and Portland is one of four locations in the United Kingdom where the salt is thick enough to create stable cavities.[30][31] Portland Gas has applied to excavate 14 caverns to store 1,000,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×1010 cu ft) of natural gas, which is 1 % of the UK’s total annual demand.[30][31] The caverns will be connected to the National gas grid at Mappowder via a 37-kilometre (23 mi) pipeline.[30][31] The surface facilities will be complete to store the first gas in 2011, and the entire cavern space should be available for storage in winter 2013.[31] As part of the £350 million scheme,[30] a Grade II listed former engine shed is being converted into an £1.5 million educational centre with a café and an exhibition space about the geology of Portland.
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is the southern tip of the island of Portland. The Bill has three lighthouse towers: The Higher Lighthouse is now a dwelling and holiday apartments; the Lower Lighthouse is now a bird observatory and field centre which opened in 1961. The white and red lighthouse on Bill Point replaced the Higher and Lower Lighthouses in 1906. It is a prominent and much photographed feature; an important landmark for ships passing the headland and its tidal race. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1996 and became remotely controlled. It now contains a visitors' centre giving information and guided tours of the lighthouse.[33] As of June 2009, the lighthouse uses a 1 kW metal-halide US-made lamp with an operational life of about 4000 hours, or 14 months. Two earlier lighthouses stand further inland: one is an important observatory used by ornithologists, providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors.[33][34]
Portland Ledge (the Shambles) is an underwater extension of Portland Stone into the English Channel at a place where the depth of Channel is 20 to 40 metres (about 10 to 20 fathoms). Tidal flow is disrupted by the feature; at 10 metres (about 5 fathoms) deep and 2.4 kilometres (1.3 nmi) long, it causes a tidal race to the south of Portland Bill, the so-called Portland Race.[35] The current only stops for brief periods during the 12½ hour tidal cycle and can reach 4 metres per second (8 kn) at the spring tide of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
Ecology
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.[26][34] Sea and migratory birds occupy the cliffs in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country.[26][36] Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks.[34] 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.[36] A number of British primitive goats have recently[when?] been introduced to the East Weares part of the island to control scrub.[37]
The comparatively warm and sunny climate 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.[34] Portland Sea Lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs—unique to Portland it is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants.[38] The wild flowers and plants make an excellent habitat for butterflies; over half of the British Isles' 57 butterfly species can be seen on Portland, including varieties that migrate from mainland Europe.[26] Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the limestone race of the Silver Studded Blue.
Climate
The mild seas which almost surround the tied island produce a temperate climate (Koppen climate classification 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 (50.4 to 53.6 °F).[40] The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 13.3 to 20.4 °C (56 to 69 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 3.1 to 8.3 °C (38 to 47 °F).[41] Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year are above England's average,[42] and Portland is in AHS Heat zone 1.[B] Mean sea surface temperatures range from 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in February to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in August; the annual mean is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F).
The mild seas that surround Portland act to keep night-time temperatures above freezing, making winter frost rare: on average eight times per year — this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost.[45][46] Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to six days per year;[47] almost all winters have one day or less with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it almost never settles on the ground[41]—coastal areas in South West England such as Portland experience the mildest winters in the UK.[48] Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience. The growing season in Weymouth and Portland lasts from nine to twelve months per year,[D] and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9b.[49][E]
Weymouth and Portland, and the rest of the south coast,[50] has the sunniest climate in the United Kingdom.[26][51] The borough averaged 1768.4 hours of sunshine annually between 1971 and 2000,[41] which is over 40 % of the maximum possible,[C] and 32 % above the United Kingdom average of 1339.7 hours.[45] Four of the last nine years have had more than 2000 hours of sunshine.[41] December is the cloudiest and wettest month (55.7 hours of sunshine, 90.9 millimetres (3.6 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest (235.1 hours of sunshine, 35.6 millimetres (1.4 in) of rain).[41] Sunshine totals in all months are well above the United Kingdom average,[45] and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average, particularly in summer;[45] this summer minimum of rainfall is not experienced away from the south coast of England.[50] The average annual rainfall of 751.7 millimetres (29.6 in) is well below the UK average of 1,125 millimetres (44.3 in).
Demography
Religion
%[52][F]
Buddhist
0.21
Christian
74.67
Hindu
0.03
Jewish
0.12
Muslim
0.30
No religion
15.89
Other
0.32
Sikh
0.03
Not stated8.43
AgePercentage[1]
0–1519.4
16–173.1
18–4438.3
45–5920.6
60–8417.2
85+1.5
The mid-year population of Portland in 2005 was 12,710;[A] this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since the 1970s. In 2005 there were 5,474 dwellings in an area of 11.5 square kilometres (2,840 acres), giving an approximate population density of 1100 people per km2 (4.5 per acre).[1] The population is almost entirely native to England—96.8 % of residents are of white ethnicity.[1] House prices in Weymouth and Portland are relatively high by UK standards, yet around average for most of the south of England—the average price of a detached house in 2007 was £327,569; semi-detached and terraced houses were cheaper, at £230,932 and £190,073 respectively, and an apartment or maisonette cost £168,727.[53][G]
Crime rates are below that of Weymouth and the United Kingdom—there were 9.1 burglaries per 1000 households 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).[1] Unemployment levels are lower in summer than the winter—1.8 % of the economically active population in July 2006 were not employed, and 5.3 % were unemployed year-round,[1] the same as the United Kingdom average.[54] The largest religion in Weymouth and Portland is Christianity, at almost 74.7 %,[52] which is slightly above the UK average of 71.6 %.[55] The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at almost 15.9 %,[52] also slightly above the UK average of 15.5 %.[
Transport
The A354 road is now the only land based access to the peninsula; formerly a railway ran alongside it. The road connects to Weymouth and the A35 trunk road in Dorchester. The road runs from Easton, splitting into a northbound section through Chiswell and a southbound section through Fortuneswell, then along Chesil Beach and across a bridge to the mainland in Wyke Regis.
Local buses are run by FirstGroup, which has services from Portland to Weymouth town centre.[56] Weymouth serves as the hub for south Dorset bus routes; providing services to Dorchester and local villages.[56] Weymouth is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the Jurassic Coast Bus service, which runs along the route of 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Exeter to Poole, through Sidford, Beer, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Wool, and Wareham.[57] Travellers can catch trains from Weymouth to London and Bristol, and ferries to the French port of St Malo, and the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey.[58]
There is a short airstrip and heliport just north of Fortuneswell at the northern end of the Isle.
Education
The Chesil Education Partnership pyramid area operates in south Dorset, and includes five infant schools, four junior schools, twelve primary schools, four secondary schools and two special schools.[1] 69.8 % of Portland residents have qualifications, which is slightly below the Dorset average of 73.8 %.[1] 10.2% of residents have higher qualifications (Level 4+), less than the Dorset average of 18.3 %.[1]
There are two infant schools on Portland—Brackenbury Infant School in Fortuneswell and Grove Infant School.[59] Portland has one junior school Underhill Community Junior School in Fortuneswell, (a second junior school, Tophill Junior School was absorbed into St George's Primary School in 2006) and two primary schools, St George's Primary School in Weston and Southwell Primary School.[59] Royal Manor Arts College in Weston is Portland's only secondary school,[1] however it has no sixth form centre. In 2007, 57 % of RMAC students gained five or more grade A* to C GCSEs.[60]
Some students commute to Weymouth to study A-Levels, or to attend the other three secondary schools in the Chesil Education Partnership. Budmouth College in Chickerell has a sixth form centre which had 296 students in 2006.[61] Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis is a further education college which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas,[62] about 1500 studying A-Level courses.[61] In 2006, Budmouth students received an average of 647.6 UCAS points, and Weymouth College students gained 614.1.[61] Some secondary and A-Level students commute to Dorchester to attend The Thomas Hardye School; in 2007, 79% of Hardye school students received five or more A* to C GCSEs, and 78 % of all A-Level results were A to C grades
Culture
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.[64] 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.[65]
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 have to be provided.[66] 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.[67] Construction was scheduled between October 2007 and the end of 2008, and with its completion and formal opening on 11 June 2009, the venue became the first of the 2012 Olympic Games to be completed.[68][69][70][71][72]
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.[73] 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.[74] Since June 2003 the South West Coast Path National Trail has included 21.3 kilometres (13.2 mi) of coastal walking around the Isle of Portland, including following the A354 Portland Beach Road twice.
Rabbits
Rabbits have long been associated with bad luck 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".[76] The origin of this superstition is obscure (there is no record of it before the 1920s) but it 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.[77] 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.[76] Local fishermen too would refuse to go to sea if the word was mentioned.
Even today older Portland residents are 'offended' (sometimes for the benefit of tourists) at the mention of rabbits;[77] this superstition came to national attention in October 2005 when a special batch of advertisement posters were made for the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. 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"
Literature
Thomas Hardy called Portland the Isle of Slingers in his novels; the isle was the main setting of The Well-Beloved (1897), and was featured in The Trumpet-Major (1880).[78] The cottage that now houses Portland Museum was the inspiration for the heroine's house in The Well-Beloved. Portlanders were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their land, and Hardy's Isle of Slingers is heavily based on Portland; the Street of Wells representing Fortuneswell and The Beal Portland Bill. Hardy named Portland the Gibraltar of the North, with reference to its similarities with Gibraltar; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill's winding streets.[79]
In The Warlord Chronicles (1995-97), Bernard Cornwell makes Portland 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 to the mainland. No historical evidence exists to support this idea.[80]
The Portland Chronicles series of four children's books, set on and around Portland and Weymouth and written by local author Carol Hunt, draw on local history to explore a seventeenth century world of smuggling, witchcraft, piracy and local intrigue.
Vernacular
Bunnies - see above.
Kimberlin: slang for any 'strangers' not from the Island.[82]
Portland screw: fossil mollusc (Aptyxiella portlandica) with a long screw-like shell or its cast
Notable persons born here
•Edgar F. Codd (August 23, 1923 – April 18, 2003), British computer scientist and inventor of the relational model for database management.
•Former Premier League referee Paul Durkin.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) wide, in the English Channel. Portland is 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and Weymouth together form the borough of Weymouth and Portland. The population of Portland 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. Its name is used for one of the British Sea Areas, and has been exported as the name of North American and Australian towns. Portland stone, famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and the United Nations Headquarters, continues to be quarried.
Portland Harbour, in the bay between Portland and Weymouth, is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour was formed by the building of stone breakwaters between 1848 and 1905. From its inception it was a Royal Navy base, and played prominent roles during the First and Second World Wars; ships of the Royal Navy and NATO countries worked up and exercised in its waters until 1995. The harbour is now a civilian port and popular recreation area, which will be used for the 2012 Olympic Games.
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,[2] and of inhabitation in ages since. The Romans occupied Portland, reputedly calling it Vindelis.[3][4] In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle for defence against attacks by the French; the castle cost £4,964.[5] It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is open to the public by the custodians English Heritage.[6]
Sir Christopher Wren, the 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 London 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 the First World War, a quarry was opened by The Crown Estate to provide stone for the Cenotaph in Whitehall and half a million gravestones for war cemeteries,[4] and after the Second World War hundreds of thousands of gravestones were hewn for the fallen soldiers on the Western Front.[4] Portland cement has nothing to do with Portland; it was named such due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand.[9]
There have been railways in 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 a pier at Castletown, from where the Portland stone was shipped around the country.[10] The Weymouth and Portland Railway was laid in 1865, and ran from a station in Melcombe Regis, across the Fleet and along the low isthmus behind Chesil Beach to a station at Victoria Square in Chiswell.[11] At the end of the 19th century the line was extended to the top of the island as the Easton and Church Hope Railway, running through Castletown and ascending the cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton.[10] The line closed to passengers in 1952, and the final goods train (and two passenger 'specials') ran in April 1965.[11]
The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck stationed a lifeboat at Portland in 1826, but it was withdrawn in 1851.[12] Coastal flooding has affected Portland's residents and transport for centuries—the only way off the island is along the causeway in the lee of Chesil Beach. At times of extreme floods (about every 10 years) this road link is cut by floods. The low-lying village of Chiswell used to flood on average every 5 years. Chesil Beach occasionally faces severe storms and massive waves, which have a fetch across the Atlantic Ocean.[13] 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 and the beach road. 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.[13] Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion beach crest running 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) to the north of Chiswell, an extended sea wall in Chesil Cove, and a culvert running from inside the beach, underneath the beach road and into Portland Harbour, to divert flood water away from low lying areas.[13]
At the start of the First World War, HMS Hood was sunk in the passage between the southern breakwaters to protect the harbour from torpedo and submarine attack.[14] Portland Harbour was formed (1848–1905) by the construction of breakwaters, but before that the natural anchorage had hosted ships of the Royal Navy for more than 500 years. It was a centre for Admiralty research into asdic submarine detection and underwater weapons from 1917 to 1998; the shore base HMS Serepta was renamed HMS Osprey in 1927.[15] During the Second World War Portland was the target of heavy bombing, although most warships had moved North as Portland was within enemy striking range across the Channel. Portland was a major embarkation point for Allied forces on D-Day in 1944. Early helicopters were stationed at Portland in 1946-1948, and in 1959 a shallow tidal flat, The Mere, was infilled, and sports fields taken to form a heliport. The station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey which then became the largest and busiest military helicopter station in Europe. The base was gradually improved with additional landing areas and one of England's shortest runways, at 229 metres (751 ft).[15] There are still two prisons on Portland, HMP The Verne, which until 1949 was a huge Victorian military fortress, and a Young Offenders' Institution (HMYOI) on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison built for convicts who quarried stone for the Portland Breakwaters from 1848. For a few years until 2005 Britain's only prison ship, HMP Weare, was berthed in the harbour.
The naval base closed after 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.[15] 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 10,400 square kilometres (4,000 sq mi).[16] The 12 Search and Rescue teams in the Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005;
Governance
Portland is an ancient Royal Manor, and until the 19th century remained a separate liberty within Dorset for administration purposes. It was an urban district from 1894 to 1974, until the borough of Weymouth and Portland formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. This merged the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis with Portland urban district. For local elections the borough is divided into 15 wards, and three of them cover Portland.[18] Elections take place in a four-year cycle; one third of the councillors in all but three wards retire or seek re-election in years one, two and three, and county council elections are held in year four.[19]
The Mayor of Weymouth and Portland is Paul Kimber (Labour Co-operative), and Graham Winter (Liberal Democrat) is Deputy Mayor.[20] Weymouth, Portland and the Purbeck district are in the South Dorset parliamentary constituency, created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament; the current MP is Richard Drax (Conservative).[21] South Dorset, the rest of the South West England, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[22]
Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany since 1986,[23] and the French town of Louviers, in the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959.[24] The borough and nearby Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone for three years.
Geography
The Isle of Portland lies in the English Channel, 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Wyke Regis, and 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of London, at 50°33′0″N 2°26′24″W (50.55, −2.44). Portland is situated approximately half-way along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site; the site includes 153 kilometres (95 mi) of the Dorset and east Devon coast that is important for its geology and landforms.[26] The South West Coast Path runs around the coast; it is the United Kingdom's longest national trail at 1,014 kilometres (630 mi). Portland is unusual as it is connected to the mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach, a tombolo which runs 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west to West Bay.[27] Portland is sometimes defined incorrectly as a tombolo—in fact Portland is a tied island, and Chesil Beach is the tombolo (a spit joined to land at both ends).[28]
There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton on Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are the other villages in Underhill, and Weston, Southwell, Wakeham and the Grove are on the Tophill plateau. Many old buildings are built out of Portland Stone; Several parts have been designated Conservation Areas to preserve the unique character the older settlements which date back hundreds of years. The architecture; the natural and man-made environment and the proximity to the sea give Portland overal character which is quite distinct.
Geology
Geologically, Portland is separated into two areas; the steeply sloping land at its north end called Underhill, and the larger, gently sloping land 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 151 metres (495 ft) near the Verne in the north, to just above sea level at Portland Bill.[29] 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.[29]
2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) Underneath south Dorset lies a layer of Triassic rock salt, and Portland is one of four locations in the United Kingdom where the salt is thick enough to create stable cavities.[30][31] Portland Gas has applied to excavate 14 caverns to store 1,000,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×1010 cu ft) of natural gas, which is 1 % of the UK’s total annual demand.[30][31] The caverns will be connected to the National gas grid at Mappowder via a 37-kilometre (23 mi) pipeline.[30][31] The surface facilities will be complete to store the first gas in 2011, and the entire cavern space should be available for storage in winter 2013.[31] As part of the £350 million scheme,[30] a Grade II listed former engine shed is being converted into an £1.5 million educational centre with a café and an exhibition space about the geology of Portland.
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is the southern tip of the island of Portland. The Bill has three lighthouse towers: The Higher Lighthouse is now a dwelling and holiday apartments; the Lower Lighthouse is now a bird observatory and field centre which opened in 1961. The white and red lighthouse on Bill Point replaced the Higher and Lower Lighthouses in 1906. It is a prominent and much photographed feature; an important landmark for ships passing the headland and its tidal race. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1996 and became remotely controlled. It now contains a visitors' centre giving information and guided tours of the lighthouse.[33] As of June 2009, the lighthouse uses a 1 kW metal-halide US-made lamp with an operational life of about 4000 hours, or 14 months. Two earlier lighthouses stand further inland: one is an important observatory used by ornithologists, providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors.[33][34]
Portland Ledge (the Shambles) is an underwater extension of Portland Stone into the English Channel at a place where the depth of Channel is 20 to 40 metres (about 10 to 20 fathoms). Tidal flow is disrupted by the feature; at 10 metres (about 5 fathoms) deep and 2.4 kilometres (1.3 nmi) long, it causes a tidal race to the south of Portland Bill, the so-called Portland Race.[35] The current only stops for brief periods during the 12½ hour tidal cycle and can reach 4 metres per second (8 kn) at the spring tide of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
Ecology
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.[26][34] Sea and migratory birds occupy the cliffs in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country.[26][36] Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks.[34] 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.[36] A number of British primitive goats have recently[when?] been introduced to the East Weares part of the island to control scrub.[37]
The comparatively warm and sunny climate 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.[34] Portland Sea Lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs—unique to Portland it is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants.[38] The wild flowers and plants make an excellent habitat for butterflies; over half of the British Isles' 57 butterfly species can be seen on Portland, including varieties that migrate from mainland Europe.[26] Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the limestone race of the Silver Studded Blue.
Climate
The mild seas which almost surround the tied island produce a temperate climate (Koppen climate classification 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 (50.4 to 53.6 °F).[40] The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 13.3 to 20.4 °C (56 to 69 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 3.1 to 8.3 °C (38 to 47 °F).[41] Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year are above England's average,[42] and Portland is in AHS Heat zone 1.[B] Mean sea surface temperatures range from 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in February to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in August; the annual mean is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F).
The mild seas that surround Portland act to keep night-time temperatures above freezing, making winter frost rare: on average eight times per year — this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost.[45][46] Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to six days per year;[47] almost all winters have one day or less with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it almost never settles on the ground[41]—coastal areas in South West England such as Portland experience the mildest winters in the UK.[48] Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience. The growing season in Weymouth and Portland lasts from nine to twelve months per year,[D] and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9b.[49][E]
Weymouth and Portland, and the rest of the south coast,[50] has the sunniest climate in the United Kingdom.[26][51] The borough averaged 1768.4 hours of sunshine annually between 1971 and 2000,[41] which is over 40 % of the maximum possible,[C] and 32 % above the United Kingdom average of 1339.7 hours.[45] Four of the last nine years have had more than 2000 hours of sunshine.[41] December is the cloudiest and wettest month (55.7 hours of sunshine, 90.9 millimetres (3.6 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest (235.1 hours of sunshine, 35.6 millimetres (1.4 in) of rain).[41] Sunshine totals in all months are well above the United Kingdom average,[45] and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average, particularly in summer;[45] this summer minimum of rainfall is not experienced away from the south coast of England.[50] The average annual rainfall of 751.7 millimetres (29.6 in) is well below the UK average of 1,125 millimetres (44.3 in).
Demography
Religion
%[52][F]
Buddhist
0.21
Christian
74.67
Hindu
0.03
Jewish
0.12
Muslim
0.30
No religion
15.89
Other
0.32
Sikh
0.03
Not stated8.43
AgePercentage[1]
0–1519.4
16–173.1
18–4438.3
45–5920.6
60–8417.2
85+1.5
The mid-year population of Portland in 2005 was 12,710;[A] this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since the 1970s. In 2005 there were 5,474 dwellings in an area of 11.5 square kilometres (2,840 acres), giving an approximate population density of 1100 people per km2 (4.5 per acre).[1] The population is almost entirely native to England—96.8 % of residents are of white ethnicity.[1] House prices in Weymouth and Portland are relatively high by UK standards, yet around average for most of the south of England—the average price of a detached house in 2007 was £327,569; semi-detached and terraced houses were cheaper, at £230,932 and £190,073 respectively, and an apartment or maisonette cost £168,727.[53][G]
Crime rates are below that of Weymouth and the United Kingdom—there were 9.1 burglaries per 1000 households 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).[1] Unemployment levels are lower in summer than the winter—1.8 % of the economically active population in July 2006 were not employed, and 5.3 % were unemployed year-round,[1] the same as the United Kingdom average.[54] The largest religion in Weymouth and Portland is Christianity, at almost 74.7 %,[52] which is slightly above the UK average of 71.6 %.[55] The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at almost 15.9 %,[52] also slightly above the UK average of 15.5 %.[
Transport
The A354 road is now the only land based access to the peninsula; formerly a railway ran alongside it. The road connects to Weymouth and the A35 trunk road in Dorchester. The road runs from Easton, splitting into a northbound section through Chiswell and a southbound section through Fortuneswell, then along Chesil Beach and across a bridge to the mainland in Wyke Regis.
Local buses are run by FirstGroup, which has services from Portland to Weymouth town centre.[56] Weymouth serves as the hub for south Dorset bus routes; providing services to Dorchester and local villages.[56] Weymouth is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the Jurassic Coast Bus service, which runs along the route of 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Exeter to Poole, through Sidford, Beer, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Wool, and Wareham.[57] Travellers can catch trains from Weymouth to London and Bristol, and ferries to the French port of St Malo, and the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey.[58]
There is a short airstrip and heliport just north of Fortuneswell at the northern end of the Isle.
Education
The Chesil Education Partnership pyramid area operates in south Dorset, and includes five infant schools, four junior schools, twelve primary schools, four secondary schools and two special schools.[1] 69.8 % of Portland residents have qualifications, which is slightly below the Dorset average of 73.8 %.[1] 10.2% of residents have higher qualifications (Level 4+), less than the Dorset average of 18.3 %.[1]
There are two infant schools on Portland—Brackenbury Infant School in Fortuneswell and Grove Infant School.[59] Portland has one junior school Underhill Community Junior School in Fortuneswell, (a second junior school, Tophill Junior School was absorbed into St George's Primary School in 2006) and two primary schools, St George's Primary School in Weston and Southwell Primary School.[59] Royal Manor Arts College in Weston is Portland's only secondary school,[1] however it has no sixth form centre. In 2007, 57 % of RMAC students gained five or more grade A* to C GCSEs.[60]
Some students commute to Weymouth to study A-Levels, or to attend the other three secondary schools in the Chesil Education Partnership. Budmouth College in Chickerell has a sixth form centre which had 296 students in 2006.[61] Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis is a further education college which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas,[62] about 1500 studying A-Level courses.[61] In 2006, Budmouth students received an average of 647.6 UCAS points, and Weymouth College students gained 614.1.[61] Some secondary and A-Level students commute to Dorchester to attend The Thomas Hardye School; in 2007, 79% of Hardye school students received five or more A* to C GCSEs, and 78 % of all A-Level results were A to C grades
Culture
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.[64] 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.[65]
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 have to be provided.[66] 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.[67] Construction was scheduled between October 2007 and the end of 2008, and with its completion and formal opening on 11 June 2009, the venue became the first of the 2012 Olympic Games to be completed.[68][69][70][71][72]
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.[73] 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.[74] Since June 2003 the South West Coast Path National Trail has included 21.3 kilometres (13.2 mi) of coastal walking around the Isle of Portland, including following the A354 Portland Beach Road twice.
Rabbits
Rabbits have long been associated with bad luck 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".[76] The origin of this superstition is obscure (there is no record of it before the 1920s) but it 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.[77] 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.[76] Local fishermen too would refuse to go to sea if the word was mentioned.
Even today older Portland residents are 'offended' (sometimes for the benefit of tourists) at the mention of rabbits;[77] this superstition came to national attention in October 2005 when a special batch of advertisement posters were made for the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. 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"
Literature
Thomas Hardy called Portland the Isle of Slingers in his novels; the isle was the main setting of The Well-Beloved (1897), and was featured in The Trumpet-Major (1880).[78] The cottage that now houses Portland Museum was the inspiration for the heroine's house in The Well-Beloved. Portlanders were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their land, and Hardy's Isle of Slingers is heavily based on Portland; the Street of Wells representing Fortuneswell and The Beal Portland Bill. Hardy named Portland the Gibraltar of the North, with reference to its similarities with Gibraltar; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill's winding streets.[79]
In The Warlord Chronicles (1995-97), Bernard Cornwell makes Portland 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 to the mainland. No historical evidence exists to support this idea.[80]
The Portland Chronicles series of four children's books, set on and around Portland and Weymouth and written by local author Carol Hunt, draw on local history to explore a seventeenth century world of smuggling, witchcraft, piracy and local intrigue.
Vernacular
Bunnies - see above.
Kimberlin: slang for any 'strangers' not from the Island.[82]
Portland screw: fossil mollusc (Aptyxiella portlandica) with a long screw-like shell or its cast
Notable persons born here
•Edgar F. Codd (August 23, 1923 – April 18, 2003), British computer scientist and inventor of the relational model for database management.
•Former Premier League referee Paul Durkin.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) wide, in the English Channel. Portland is 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and Weymouth together form the borough of Weymouth and Portland. The population of Portland 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. Its name is used for one of the British Sea Areas, and has been exported as the name of North American and Australian towns. Portland stone, famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and the United Nations Headquarters, continues to be quarried.
Portland Harbour, in the bay between Portland and Weymouth, is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour was formed by the building of stone breakwaters between 1848 and 1905. From its inception it was a Royal Navy base, and played prominent roles during the First and Second World Wars; ships of the Royal Navy and NATO countries worked up and exercised in its waters until 1995. The harbour is now a civilian port and popular recreation area, which will be used for the 2012 Olympic Games.
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,[2] and of inhabitation in ages since. The Romans occupied Portland, reputedly calling it Vindelis.[3][4] In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle for defence against attacks by the French; the castle cost £4,964.[5] It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is open to the public by the custodians English Heritage.[6]
Sir Christopher Wren, the 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 London 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 the First World War, a quarry was opened by The Crown Estate to provide stone for the Cenotaph in Whitehall and half a million gravestones for war cemeteries,[4] and after the Second World War hundreds of thousands of gravestones were hewn for the fallen soldiers on the Western Front.[4] Portland cement has nothing to do with Portland; it was named such due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand.[9]
There have been railways in 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 a pier at Castletown, from where the Portland stone was shipped around the country.[10] The Weymouth and Portland Railway was laid in 1865, and ran from a station in Melcombe Regis, across the Fleet and along the low isthmus behind Chesil Beach to a station at Victoria Square in Chiswell.[11] At the end of the 19th century the line was extended to the top of the island as the Easton and Church Hope Railway, running through Castletown and ascending the cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton.[10] The line closed to passengers in 1952, and the final goods train (and two passenger 'specials') ran in April 1965.[11]
The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck stationed a lifeboat at Portland in 1826, but it was withdrawn in 1851.[12] Coastal flooding has affected Portland's residents and transport for centuries—the only way off the island is along the causeway in the lee of Chesil Beach. At times of extreme floods (about every 10 years) this road link is cut by floods. The low-lying village of Chiswell used to flood on average every 5 years. Chesil Beach occasionally faces severe storms and massive waves, which have a fetch across the Atlantic Ocean.[13] 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 and the beach road. 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.[13] Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion beach crest running 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) to the north of Chiswell, an extended sea wall in Chesil Cove, and a culvert running from inside the beach, underneath the beach road and into Portland Harbour, to divert flood water away from low lying areas.[13]
At the start of the First World War, HMS Hood was sunk in the passage between the southern breakwaters to protect the harbour from torpedo and submarine attack.[14] Portland Harbour was formed (1848–1905) by the construction of breakwaters, but before that the natural anchorage had hosted ships of the Royal Navy for more than 500 years. It was a centre for Admiralty research into asdic submarine detection and underwater weapons from 1917 to 1998; the shore base HMS Serepta was renamed HMS Osprey in 1927.[15] During the Second World War Portland was the target of heavy bombing, although most warships had moved North as Portland was within enemy striking range across the Channel. Portland was a major embarkation point for Allied forces on D-Day in 1944. Early helicopters were stationed at Portland in 1946-1948, and in 1959 a shallow tidal flat, The Mere, was infilled, and sports fields taken to form a heliport. The station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey which then became the largest and busiest military helicopter station in Europe. The base was gradually improved with additional landing areas and one of England's shortest runways, at 229 metres (751 ft).[15] There are still two prisons on Portland, HMP The Verne, which until 1949 was a huge Victorian military fortress, and a Young Offenders' Institution (HMYOI) on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison built for convicts who quarried stone for the Portland Breakwaters from 1848. For a few years until 2005 Britain's only prison ship, HMP Weare, was berthed in the harbour.
The naval base closed after 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.[15] 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 10,400 square kilometres (4,000 sq mi).[16] The 12 Search and Rescue teams in the Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005;
Governance
Portland is an ancient Royal Manor, and until the 19th century remained a separate liberty within Dorset for administration purposes. It was an urban district from 1894 to 1974, until the borough of Weymouth and Portland formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. This merged the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis with Portland urban district. For local elections the borough is divided into 15 wards, and three of them cover Portland.[18] Elections take place in a four-year cycle; one third of the councillors in all but three wards retire or seek re-election in years one, two and three, and county council elections are held in year four.[19]
The Mayor of Weymouth and Portland is Paul Kimber (Labour Co-operative), and Graham Winter (Liberal Democrat) is Deputy Mayor.[20] Weymouth, Portland and the Purbeck district are in the South Dorset parliamentary constituency, created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament; the current MP is Richard Drax (Conservative).[21] South Dorset, the rest of the South West England, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[22]
Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany since 1986,[23] and the French town of Louviers, in the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959.[24] The borough and nearby Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone for three years.
Geography
The Isle of Portland lies in the English Channel, 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Wyke Regis, and 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of London, at 50°33′0″N 2°26′24″W (50.55, −2.44). Portland is situated approximately half-way along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site; the site includes 153 kilometres (95 mi) of the Dorset and east Devon coast that is important for its geology and landforms.[26] The South West Coast Path runs around the coast; it is the United Kingdom's longest national trail at 1,014 kilometres (630 mi). Portland is unusual as it is connected to the mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach, a tombolo which runs 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west to West Bay.[27] Portland is sometimes defined incorrectly as a tombolo—in fact Portland is a tied island, and Chesil Beach is the tombolo (a spit joined to land at both ends).[28]
There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton on Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are the other villages in Underhill, and Weston, Southwell, Wakeham and the Grove are on the Tophill plateau. Many old buildings are built out of Portland Stone; Several parts have been designated Conservation Areas to preserve the unique character the older settlements which date back hundreds of years. The architecture; the natural and man-made environment and the proximity to the sea give Portland overal character which is quite distinct.
Geology
Geologically, Portland is separated into two areas; the steeply sloping land at its north end called Underhill, and the larger, gently sloping land 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 151 metres (495 ft) near the Verne in the north, to just above sea level at Portland Bill.[29] 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.[29]
2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) Underneath south Dorset lies a layer of Triassic rock salt, and Portland is one of four locations in the United Kingdom where the salt is thick enough to create stable cavities.[30][31] Portland Gas has applied to excavate 14 caverns to store 1,000,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×1010 cu ft) of natural gas, which is 1 % of the UK’s total annual demand.[30][31] The caverns will be connected to the National gas grid at Mappowder via a 37-kilometre (23 mi) pipeline.[30][31] The surface facilities will be complete to store the first gas in 2011, and the entire cavern space should be available for storage in winter 2013.[31] As part of the £350 million scheme,[30] a Grade II listed former engine shed is being converted into an £1.5 million educational centre with a café and an exhibition space about the geology of Portland.
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is the southern tip of the island of Portland. The Bill has three lighthouse towers: The Higher Lighthouse is now a dwelling and holiday apartments; the Lower Lighthouse is now a bird observatory and field centre which opened in 1961. The white and red lighthouse on Bill Point replaced the Higher and Lower Lighthouses in 1906. It is a prominent and much photographed feature; an important landmark for ships passing the headland and its tidal race. The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1996 and became remotely controlled. It now contains a visitors' centre giving information and guided tours of the lighthouse.[33] As of June 2009, the lighthouse uses a 1 kW metal-halide US-made lamp with an operational life of about 4000 hours, or 14 months. Two earlier lighthouses stand further inland: one is an important observatory used by ornithologists, providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors.[33][34]
Portland Ledge (the Shambles) is an underwater extension of Portland Stone into the English Channel at a place where the depth of Channel is 20 to 40 metres (about 10 to 20 fathoms). Tidal flow is disrupted by the feature; at 10 metres (about 5 fathoms) deep and 2.4 kilometres (1.3 nmi) long, it causes a tidal race to the south of Portland Bill, the so-called Portland Race.[35] The current only stops for brief periods during the 12½ hour tidal cycle and can reach 4 metres per second (8 kn) at the spring tide of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
Ecology
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.[26][34] Sea and migratory birds occupy the cliffs in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country.[26][36] Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks.[34] 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.[36] A number of British primitive goats have recently[when?] been introduced to the East Weares part of the island to control scrub.[37]
The comparatively warm and sunny climate 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.[34] Portland Sea Lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs—unique to Portland it is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants.[38] The wild flowers and plants make an excellent habitat for butterflies; over half of the British Isles' 57 butterfly species can be seen on Portland, including varieties that migrate from mainland Europe.[26] Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the limestone race of the Silver Studded Blue.
Climate
The mild seas which almost surround the tied island produce a temperate climate (Koppen climate classification 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 (50.4 to 53.6 °F).[40] The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 13.3 to 20.4 °C (56 to 69 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 3.1 to 8.3 °C (38 to 47 °F).[41] Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year are above England's average,[42] and Portland is in AHS Heat zone 1.[B] Mean sea surface temperatures range from 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in February to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in August; the annual mean is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F).
The mild seas that surround Portland act to keep night-time temperatures above freezing, making winter frost rare: on average eight times per year — this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost.[45][46] Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to six days per year;[47] almost all winters have one day or less with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it almost never settles on the ground[41]—coastal areas in South West England such as Portland experience the mildest winters in the UK.[48] Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience. The growing season in Weymouth and Portland lasts from nine to twelve months per year,[D] and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9b.[49][E]
Weymouth and Portland, and the rest of the south coast,[50] has the sunniest climate in the United Kingdom.[26][51] The borough averaged 1768.4 hours of sunshine annually between 1971 and 2000,[41] which is over 40 % of the maximum possible,[C] and 32 % above the United Kingdom average of 1339.7 hours.[45] Four of the last nine years have had more than 2000 hours of sunshine.[41] December is the cloudiest and wettest month (55.7 hours of sunshine, 90.9 millimetres (3.6 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest (235.1 hours of sunshine, 35.6 millimetres (1.4 in) of rain).[41] Sunshine totals in all months are well above the United Kingdom average,[45] and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average, particularly in summer;[45] this summer minimum of rainfall is not experienced away from the south coast of England.[50] The average annual rainfall of 751.7 millimetres (29.6 in) is well below the UK average of 1,125 millimetres (44.3 in).
Demography
Religion
%[52][F]
Buddhist
0.21
Christian
74.67
Hindu
0.03
Jewish
0.12
Muslim
0.30
No religion
15.89
Other
0.32
Sikh
0.03
Not stated8.43
AgePercentage[1]
0–1519.4
16–173.1
18–4438.3
45–5920.6
60–8417.2
85+1.5
The mid-year population of Portland in 2005 was 12,710;[A] this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since the 1970s. In 2005 there were 5,474 dwellings in an area of 11.5 square kilometres (2,840 acres), giving an approximate population density of 1100 people per km2 (4.5 per acre).[1] The population is almost entirely native to England—96.8 % of residents are of white ethnicity.[1] House prices in Weymouth and Portland are relatively high by UK standards, yet around average for most of the south of England—the average price of a detached house in 2007 was £327,569; semi-detached and terraced houses were cheaper, at £230,932 and £190,073 respectively, and an apartment or maisonette cost £168,727.[53][G]
Crime rates are below that of Weymouth and the United Kingdom—there were 9.1 burglaries per 1000 households 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).[1] Unemployment levels are lower in summer than the winter—1.8 % of the economically active population in July 2006 were not employed, and 5.3 % were unemployed year-round,[1] the same as the United Kingdom average.[54] The largest religion in Weymouth and Portland is Christianity, at almost 74.7 %,[52] which is slightly above the UK average of 71.6 %.[55] The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at almost 15.9 %,[52] also slightly above the UK average of 15.5 %.[
Transport
The A354 road is now the only land based access to the peninsula; formerly a railway ran alongside it. The road connects to Weymouth and the A35 trunk road in Dorchester. The road runs from Easton, splitting into a northbound section through Chiswell and a southbound section through Fortuneswell, then along Chesil Beach and across a bridge to the mainland in Wyke Regis.
Local buses are run by FirstGroup, which has services from Portland to Weymouth town centre.[56] Weymouth serves as the hub for south Dorset bus routes; providing services to Dorchester and local villages.[56] Weymouth is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the Jurassic Coast Bus service, which runs along the route of 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Exeter to Poole, through Sidford, Beer, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Wool, and Wareham.[57] Travellers can catch trains from Weymouth to London and Bristol, and ferries to the French port of St Malo, and the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey.[58]
There is a short airstrip and heliport just north of Fortuneswell at the northern end of the Isle.
Education
The Chesil Education Partnership pyramid area operates in south Dorset, and includes five infant schools, four junior schools, twelve primary schools, four secondary schools and two special schools.[1] 69.8 % of Portland residents have qualifications, which is slightly below the Dorset average of 73.8 %.[1] 10.2% of residents have higher qualifications (Level 4+), less than the Dorset average of 18.3 %.[1]
There are two infant schools on Portland—Brackenbury Infant School in Fortuneswell and Grove Infant School.[59] Portland has one junior school Underhill Community Junior School in Fortuneswell, (a second junior school, Tophill Junior School was absorbed into St George's Primary School in 2006) and two primary schools, St George's Primary School in Weston and Southwell Primary School.[59] Royal Manor Arts College in Weston is Portland's only secondary school,[1] however it has no sixth form centre. In 2007, 57 % of RMAC students gained five or more grade A* to C GCSEs.[60]
Some students commute to Weymouth to study A-Levels, or to attend the other three secondary schools in the Chesil Education Partnership. Budmouth College in Chickerell has a sixth form centre which had 296 students in 2006.[61] Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis is a further education college which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas,[62] about 1500 studying A-Level courses.[61] In 2006, Budmouth students received an average of 647.6 UCAS points, and Weymouth College students gained 614.1.[61] Some secondary and A-Level students commute to Dorchester to attend The Thomas Hardye School; in 2007, 79% of Hardye school students received five or more A* to C GCSEs, and 78 % of all A-Level results were A to C grades
Culture
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.[64] 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.[65]
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 have to be provided.[66] 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.[67] Construction was scheduled between October 2007 and the end of 2008, and with its completion and formal opening on 11 June 2009, the venue became the first of the 2012 Olympic Games to be completed.[68][69][70][71][72]
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.[73] 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.[74] Since June 2003 the South West Coast Path National Trail has included 21.3 kilometres (13.2 mi) of coastal walking around the Isle of Portland, including following the A354 Portland Beach Road twice.
Rabbits
Rabbits have long been associated with bad luck 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".[76] The origin of this superstition is obscure (there is no record of it before the 1920s) but it 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.[77] 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.[76] Local fishermen too would refuse to go to sea if the word was mentioned.
Even today older Portland residents are 'offended' (sometimes for the benefit of tourists) at the mention of rabbits;[77] this superstition came to national attention in October 2005 when a special batch of advertisement posters were made for the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. 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"
Literature
Thomas Hardy called Portland the Isle of Slingers in his novels; the isle was the main setting of The Well-Beloved (1897), and was featured in The Trumpet-Major (1880).[78] The cottage that now houses Portland Museum was the inspiration for the heroine's house in The Well-Beloved. Portlanders were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their land, and Hardy's Isle of Slingers is heavily based on Portland; the Street of Wells representing Fortuneswell and The Beal Portland Bill. Hardy named Portland the Gibraltar of the North, with reference to its similarities with Gibraltar; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill's winding streets.[79]
In The Warlord Chronicles (1995-97), Bernard Cornwell makes Portland 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 to the mainland. No historical evidence exists to support this idea.[80]
The Portland Chronicles series of four children's books, set on and around Portland and Weymouth and written by local author Carol Hunt, draw on local history to explore a seventeenth century world of smuggling, witchcraft, piracy and local intrigue.
Vernacular
Bunnies - see above.
Kimberlin: slang for any 'strangers' not from the Island.[82]
Portland screw: fossil mollusc (Aptyxiella portlandica) with a long screw-like shell or its cast
Notable persons born here
•Edgar F. Codd (August 23, 1923 – April 18, 2003), British computer scientist and inventor of the relational model for database management.
•Former Premier League referee Paul Durkin.
Ice Storms
One type of winter storm that can be particularly damaging is the ice storm - a storm in which freezing rain occurs and glazes roads and other exposed outdoor surfaces.
Freezing Rain SchematicFreezing rain occurs when rain forms in a relatively warm (above freezing) layer of air and falls through a shallow layer of air that is below freezing. The rain is "supercooled" (still liquid) as it falls through the cold layer near the surface of the earth. When the supercooled, but still liquid, raindrops strike the ground or an object below freezing, they freeze on contact. The resulting coating of ice is commonly known as glaze.
A heavy accumulation of ice can topple power and telephone lines, television towers, and trees. Highways become impossible to travel on, and even stepping outdoors on foot can be extremely dangerous.
The severity of an ice storm (that is, the amount of damage) depends on:
The amount of rain and thus icing taking place;
The strength of the wind;
Whether the storm strikes an urban or rural area.
Urban areas tend to suffer more economic and physical damage than rural areas because of the concentration of utilities and transportation systems (aircraft, trains, vehicles) — all of which may be affected to a great degree by the ice storm. Trees and power lines, in particular, can be heavily damaged. A half inch of ice on a tree branch or on power lines can add hundreds of pounds of weight. In the more severe ice storms, broadcast towers and similar structures hundreds of feet high can be crumpled by the weight of ice.
Source: mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/living_wx/icestorms/index.html
Details
Life Boat
Owned by: Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (1964–)
Operator: Le Conquet lifeboat station (Jeanne Pierre, 1964–1998)
Manufacturer: Les Chantiers Navals de Normandie (Lemaistre Frères in Fécamp)
Hull: Wood
Shipping port: Le Conquet
Country of registry: France
Vessel class: canot tout temps-class lifeboat
Service entry: 1964
Left Service: 1998
Powered by: four-stroke diesel engine (140 metric horsepower, Moteurs Baudouin, x 2)
Beam: 4.12 m
Length: 14.2 m
Speed: 9.5 kn (maximum speed)
Yes, the "PATRON ARISTIDE LUCAS" is a big lifeboat. A mythical boat which was based for 34 years at Le Conquet and which now sits at Plouarzel in front of the entrance to the CROSS Corsen, the Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue of which it has quite naturally become the emblem.
The Pays d'Iroise borders one of the most dangerous maritime sectors on the planet: strong currents, strong winds causing frequent storms, numerous pitfalls and, to complicate all this, a circulation of ships among the most world.
In these extreme conditions, rescue operations have always been a priority for the population and coastal ports have had to adapt to them and equip themselves with ever more efficient equipment.
Ice Storms
One type of winter storm that can be particularly damaging is the ice storm - a storm in which freezing rain occurs and glazes roads and other exposed outdoor surfaces.
Freezing Rain SchematicFreezing rain occurs when rain forms in a relatively warm (above freezing) layer of air and falls through a shallow layer of air that is below freezing. The rain is "supercooled" (still liquid) as it falls through the cold layer near the surface of the earth. When the supercooled, but still liquid, raindrops strike the ground or an object below freezing, they freeze on contact. The resulting coating of ice is commonly known as glaze.
A heavy accumulation of ice can topple power and telephone lines, television towers, and trees. Highways become impossible to travel on, and even stepping outdoors on foot can be extremely dangerous.
The severity of an ice storm (that is, the amount of damage) depends on:
The amount of rain and thus icing taking place;
The strength of the wind;
Whether the storm strikes an urban or rural area.
Urban areas tend to suffer more economic and physical damage than rural areas because of the concentration of utilities and transportation systems (aircraft, trains, vehicles) — all of which may be affected to a great degree by the ice storm. Trees and power lines, in particular, can be heavily damaged. A half inch of ice on a tree branch or on power lines can add hundreds of pounds of weight. In the more severe ice storms, broadcast towers and similar structures hundreds of feet high can be crumpled by the weight of ice.
Source: mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/living_wx/icestorms/index.html
The Mobile Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is a large surface rover used by the Q-Tron space rescue organisation as a local networking hub and temporary headquarters for rescue and disaster-relief efforts.
Crewed by at least four and usually up to six Q-Tron personnel, the rover incorporates power-generation capacity enough to serve as an emergency power source for quite a large base.
nside the rover's relatively capacious rear section are computers and communications gear for coordination of rescue efforts and strategic planning.
The Mobile Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is a large surface rover used by the Q-Tron space rescue organisation as a local networking hub and temporary headquarters for rescue and disaster-relief efforts.
Crewed by at least four and usually up to six Q-Tron personnel, the rover incorporates power-generation capacity enough to serve as an emergency power source for quite a large base.
nside the rover's relatively capacious rear section are computers and communications gear for coordination of rescue efforts and strategic planning.
The Mobile Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is a large surface rover used by the Q-Tron space rescue organisation as a local networking hub and temporary headquarters for rescue and disaster-relief efforts.
Crewed by at least four and usually up to six Q-Tron personnel, the rover incorporates power-generation capacity enough to serve as an emergency power source for quite a large base.
nside the rover's relatively capacious rear section are computers and communications gear for coordination of rescue efforts and strategic planning.
Destroyed in WWII, the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1952-1955 and automated in 1986. Cap Griz-Nez, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
Adjoining it is the building that houses one of seven CROSS (Centres régionaux opérationnels de surveillance et de sauvetage en mer), this one monitoring traffic and coordinating operations in the eastern part of the English Channel/La Manche. It began in 1973 and works in collaboration with Britain's Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) at Dover.
The nearest sheep looks to be part of the listening system.
The Mobile Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is a large surface rover used by the Q-Tron space rescue organisation as a local networking hub and temporary headquarters for rescue and disaster-relief efforts.
Crewed by at least four and usually up to six Q-Tron personnel, the rover incorporates power-generation capacity enough to serve as an emergency power source for quite a large base.
nside the rover's relatively capacious rear section are computers and communications gear for coordination of rescue efforts and strategic planning.
Am Morgen des 29. Mai 2015 wurde die Fregatte Hessen von der Seenotleitstelle (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre - MRCC) ROM zu mehreren Seenotfällen etwa 30 Seemeilen nordwestlich der Stadt ABU KAMMASH (Libyen) gerufen. Mit Landungsbooten werden die Geretteten zur Fregatte Hessen gebracht.
©Bundeswehr/Alexander Gottschalk
The Mobile Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is a large surface rover used by the Q-Tron space rescue organisation as a local networking hub and temporary headquarters for rescue and disaster-relief efforts.
Crewed by at least four and usually up to six Q-Tron personnel, the rover incorporates power-generation capacity enough to serve as an emergency power source for quite a large base.
nside the rover's relatively capacious rear section are computers and communications gear for coordination of rescue efforts and strategic planning.
Am Morgen des 29. Mai 2015 wurde die Fregatte Hessen von der Seenotleitstelle (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre - MRCC) ROM zu mehreren Seenotfällen etwa 30 Seemeilen nordwestlich der Stadt ABU KAMMASH (Libyen) gerufen. Mit Landungsbooten werden die Geretteten zur Fregatte Hessen gebracht.
©Bundeswehr/Sascha Jonack
Ja Moin, wir haben uns die ganze Woche nicht gemeldet ,weil die Neuheiten sich überschlagen hatten. Aus Pool kamen die beiden Rettungsboote hier nach Möltenort zum Erfahrungsaustausch. Wir waren natürlich gebauchpinselt das die RNLI unsere Station ausgewählt hat. Am ersten Tag haben wir den Kollegen erst mal Ortskenntnisse vermittelt damit sie hier mit dem Revier vertraut wurden. Wir hatten auch das Okay von MRCC Möltenort und waren mit der Margaret Graham freigestellt.Natürlich ging es erstmal nach Kap Wums zum Brandungstraining. Die Besatzung von der City of Sheffield fühlten sich dort pudelwohl und sie hatten eine Menge Spaß. Am Tag der Seenotretter waren wir in Laboe,aber wir waren auf dem Fußweg nach Laboe unterwegs gewesen. Dort trafen wir Micha Müller und die Boote waren nicht mehr so wichtig,sondern die Gespräche unter Seenotrettern.Als nächste Mission hatten wir mit der Margaret Graham und der City of Sheffield zur Tonne Zehn zu fahren um dort den Küstenbereich wie z. B .Wellen und Wind zuerkunden.. Die Wellen haben dort halt eine andere Periode als Cap Wums vor Laboe. Das tollste an der ganzen Woche war,wir haben hier auf der Rettungsstation zusammen gefrühstückt und zu Abend gegessen und wir konnten auch hier auf der Station schlafen Auch wenn es nur im Schlafsack war.Es war einfach schön.In dieser Woche sind wir uns sehr nahe gekommen und es worden unter den Besatzungen neue Freunschaften gefunden,einfach nur schön.Eine Woche später war bei uns der Tag der Seenotretter.Die Boote der RNLI und der DGZRS standen vor dem Rettungsschuppen und die Besucher waren entzückt davon mal auch Rettungsboot von anderen Ländern zu sehen. Wir haben auch an diesem Tag viele Spenden eingenommen. Wie immer waren auch die Modelbaufutzis da!!! Wie immer eine totale Katastrophe,die meinen immer Sie wären die größten. Der einzige Modellbauer der gefahren war ,war Kami!!! Kami seine Boote sind Wasserdicht von oben und von unten. Diese Modellbauer erzählen auch wirklich nur Quatsch und dann laufen sie noch in den Klamotten rum,als ob sie echte Seenotretter wären,Katastrophe !!! Zum Abschluss sind wir dann auch noch mal mit der Tedje raus,sowas hatten die von der Insel auch noch nie gesehen. Alles in allem geht eine wunderschöne Woche zur Neige und wir haben denen aus POOL gesagt ,sie sind immer herzlich willkommen hier in Möltenort. Die Vorleute haben die Telefonnummern ausgetauscht um in Verbindung zu bleiben und haben auf jeden Fall gesagt, dass wir das wiederholen müssen. Eine sehr schöne Woche die zu kurz war geht zur Neige und die Kollegen sind wieder in ihre Heimathäfen unterwegs. Es bleibt sehr viel hängen vom Erfahrungsaustausch,wir glauben das wir dadurch noch bessere Erkenntnisse haben als vorher ! Wir um Erich Topp und Besatzung verabschieden uns in vollem Respeckt von den coolen Jungs aus Pool,Danke!!!!!
Am Morgen des 29. Mai 2015 wurde die Fregatte Hessen von der Seenotleitstelle (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre - MRCC) ROM zu mehreren Seenotfällen etwa 30 Seemeilen nordwestlich der Stadt ABU KAMMASH (Libyen) gerufen. Insgesamt werden Schiffsbrüchige von sechs Booten aufgenommen. Damit befinden sich zum Meldezeitpunkt insgesamt 880 Menschen an Bord der Fregatte Hessen, davon 118 Frauen und 27 Kinder.
©Bundeswehr/Alexander Gottschalk
Am Morgen des 29. Mai 2015 wurde die Fregatte Hessen von der Seenotleitstelle (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre - MRCC) ROM zu mehreren Seenotfällen etwa 30 Seemeilen nordwestlich der Stadt ABU KAMMASH (Libyen) gerufen. Mit Landungsbooten werden die Geretteten zur Fregatte Hessen gebracht und versorgt.
©Bundeswehr/Alexander Gottschalk
Am Morgen des 29. Mai 2015 wurde die Fregatte Hessen von der Seenotleitstelle (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre - MRCC) ROM zu mehreren Seenotfällen etwa 30 Seemeilen nordwestlich der Stadt ABU KAMMASH (Libyen) gerufen. Insgesamt werden Schiffsbrüchige von sechs Booten aufgenommen. Damit befinden sich zum Meldezeitpunkt insgesamt 880 Menschen an Bord der Fregatte Hessen, davon 118 Frauen und 27 Kinder.
©Bundeswehr/Alexander Gottschalk
Mareel Vermillion at Great Yarmouth.
Name: Mareel Vermillion
Vessel type: Crew transfer vessel (CTV)
Class: Austel Wind Express 21
Home port: Beaumaris
Flag: United Kingdom
MMSI: 235102965
Call sign: 2HEI2
Crew 2 to 3
Passengers: 12
Length overall: 21.3 m
Beam: 7.3 m
Draught: 1.2 m
Max deadweight: 12.3 ton
Cargo capacity: 10 ton
Fuel capacity: 1,320 gal. (6,000 litres)
Engines: 2 x MTU 10V2000, Series M72
Engine output: 2 x 1,410 hp (1,051 kW)
Waterjets: 2 x Rolls Royce 45A3
Sprint speed: 28 knots
Service speed: 24 knots
Builder: Austel (Australia), Cebu, Philippines
Yard number: 359
Year Built: 2013
Construction: Aluminium
Owner: Mareel Ltd, Conwy, Wales
Previous name:
Beaumaris Bay
FIRE OFF NORDERNEY..
At 3.20 a.m. on 31st. October 2015, an engine room fire broke out aboard the Beaumaris Bay off Norderney. The ship was on duty for Dong Energy’s 312MW Borkum Riffgrund 1 offshore wind farm. The crew activated an automatic alert on which the MRCC Bremen immediately responded. The lifeboat Bernhard Gruben was also alerted by the mayday call of the master on VHF, and headed towards the crew boat which was lying off Norderney's north beach in Force 4 southern winds. It had on board 12 passengers and a crew of two who started to tackle the blaze. The lifeboat arrived at the ship 12 minutes after the alert, the fire in one of the two engine rooms was under control at that time. The Bernhard Gruben escorted the Beaumaris Bay to Norddeich where both ships arrived at 4 a.m. At 5.15 a.m. the lifeboat was back at its station Norderney.