For the more adventurous walkers you can start the walk in Weymouth, on the Rodwell Trail. The Rodwell Trail runs from Westham Halt (Abbotsbury Road) to Ferrybridge. The walk (or cycle route) follows the track bed of the Weymouth & Portland Railway. Click on the link at the foot of this page for the Weymouth & Portland Council prepared walk leaflet.

 

The line closed to Passengers on 2nd March 1952 and finally closed to Freight traffic on 5th April 1965. The trail is a very pleasant walk with access points at several places along the line.

 

            photo:Westham Halt at the start of the Rodwell Trail

 

 

The Rodwell Trail has a number of interesting points of interest, for a full detailed tour contact info@portlandwalks.co.uk . For those who intend walking (or cycling) the trail look out for the World War II Gun Emplacement Viewing Point, Rodwell Station, Buxton Road Tunnel, Sandsfoot Halt (leave the trail here for Sandsfoot Castle and refreshments) Wyke Regis Halt and the site of Whiteheads Torpedo Factory.

 

           photo:Wkye Regis Halt

  

 

 

All along the Rodwell Trail you can see reminders of Railway History and it is very easy to imagine in your mind the Steam Locomotives Screaming across this once beautiful railway line. Along the western side of the Rodwell Trail you can look accross Portland Harbour to the Isle of Portland. The national sailing academy is located on the south of the harbour and during the summer of 2012 these waters will be the sailing race courses for the olympic and paralympic games.  

 

           photo: View across Portland Harbour

 

 

At the end of the Rodwell Trail you will arrive at Ferrybridge (where the train crossed the mouth of the Fleet Lagoon). On the picture below you can clearly see the track bed of the railway and the curve of the line following the edge of Portland Harbour. The picture is taken adjacent to the site of Whiteheads Torpedo Factory (now housing).

 

 

At Ferrybridge you can either continue along the Weymouth & Portland Railway following the edge of Portland Harbour towards Victoria Square (Portland) or you can take time to explore the Fleet Lagoon with its nature reserve and area of special scientific interest.

 

 

Heading across the edge of Portland Harbour you still follow the track beds of the Portland Branch of the Weymouth & Portland Railway taking in breathtaking views of Chesil Beach, the massive harbour (home of the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition), Portland Castle and the North View of Portland.  

 

         photo:View of Portland Harbour from Railway Line

 

 

Portland Railway Walks will take over the tour at Victoria Square, the site of the former Portland Railway Station. At this point the walks split into different walking abilities with the steep climbs of the Merchant Railway lines straight up the side of the rock face to the quarries on the top of the Island for the more energetic walker and the less energetic taking the more gradual route along the Easton & Church Hope Railway. 

 

As you can see from the picture below Portland Railway Walks are 'probably the most scenic railway walks on the south coast'.

 

 

The History of the standard gauge railways of Portland is very complicated as it involved more than one railway company, here is a brief outline of the 'then' working comapnies:

Weymouth & Portland Railway : This railway company built the section from the main line at Weymouth to the first Portland terminus in Victoria Square. Opened 16 Oct 1865 with the original station closing to passengers 1 Sep 1902 when the replacement through station opened alongside.

Admiralty Railway : The former W&P siding to Castletown Pier was upgraded and lengthened to run into the Naval Base. Completed in 1877 it opened in 1878 and was predominantly horse worked.

Easton & Church Hope Railway : This line was originally proposed solely as a short line on the top of the Island linking quarries to the coastal pier. Totally impractical, it was ultimately built circling the Island and descending the East cliffs joining the Admiralty Railway, and providing a through route to England and the main line.

 

photo:Outline of the Portland Standard Gauge Railway Lines 

 

 

The passenger service to Portland ceased on 3 Mar 1952 and the remaining goods services were withdrawn on 5 Apr 1965.