Sumana Chakraborty

Enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Chesil beach When it comes to exploring new places, wanderlust drives today’s millennials. The Instagram appeal of that particular place is also equally significant. Today we are going to explore one of the most beautiful places on the earth, Chesil beach. This single barrier mesmerizing beach is 18 miles long that stretches from Portland’s West Bay.  If you are a beach lover and enjoy walking with someone special under twinkling stars at a dark night, then take all your required information about this most iconic landmark in Dorset before visiting. Some interesting facts about Chesil beach Have you ever visited any British beach? Then you must have seen a line of stripy deckchairs on those beaches. It’s common, isn’t it? But this one is an exception. You will witness huts in this wild, and beauty lies in the mercy of our Mother Nature. That is why John Flowes beautifully described the landscape of this exceptional beach Chesil in his writing. Have you heard those famous shipwreck stories? Chesil beach is also known as Chesil Bank. This beauty is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Surprisingly this one is also famous for its shipwrecks. That’s because if a ship sails in the Channel, it has to clear Portland Bill first to be completely safe while tide and wind push it towards the north. One of the most dangerous parts of the English Channel, Chesil beach, offers bread and butter to fishermen. That is why they have built a vessel to combat sea actions. Chiswell has witnessed many great storms but still standing like a rock. How did smugglers use to decide their position on the beach? Previously smugglers used to land at night on this beach. After landing on this beautiful beach, they used to judge their particular position uniquely, just by picking up shingles. You must be wondering how! Well, the size of the pebbles varies from potato to pea-size in different places. That is why they could easily identify their exact location. Enjoy its breathtaking view from the coast road If you are at Chesil beach, don’t miss its view from Abbotsbury. You will be amazed to know that this view is the third-best beautiful view of Britain, according to a popular magazine. The home of mute swans Just behind Chesil beach, you will find a saline lake, Fleet Lagoon. Don’t forget to visit this site because this brackish lagoon is listed among one of the few remaining lagoons in the world. Travelers usually get attracted to this nesting colony because of the mute swans. You will feel the joy from the inside when you see them playing together. Apart from mute swans, the fleet Lagoon is also a wildlife Habitat for different as the species, including Brent geese with dark belly, greenshanks, and cute egrets. While visiting this place you can spend some quality time in the café with your buddies or someone special. Do you still remember the movie The Dam Busters? It was filmed in the location of Fleet Lagoon. The defending attitude of Chesil must have impressed you a lot. Do you love fishing? If the answer is yes, then your next destination should be West Bexington. This offshore spot allows you to catch mackerel. People usually visit this place in summer. At this time, this beach is dotted with the families of Anglers. You can enjoy the beautiful view of this locality when these families start cooking together on fire. Nearby visiting places Now let’s check out some of the visiting places which you will find within 10 miles. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens If you love green, then you will fall in love with this beautiful award-winning garden. This Woodland Valley is spread across 20 acres where you will find the most exotic plants in the world. After witnessing the beauty of this superior garden, you can spend some quality time in colonial teahouse. A gift shop is also there where you can buy your desired gifts. Apart from that, if you have children with you, they will surely love the bird aviary. They can enjoy playing there with their friends. Abbotsbury Swannery It has already been mentioned that this one is one of the best tourist attractions. Let’s explore something more about this Abbotsbury Swannery. When 600 to 1000 swans gather in this place, it looks out of the world. Adults, as well as children, love to participate in a mass feeding. Children love to feed these swans by their hands. It happens from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. You will be amazed after witnessing the different varieties of wildlife. St Catherine’s Chapel Our next destination will be a pilgrimage made by monks. St Catherine’s Chapel is found on the Hill Top. This one was built in the 14th century. Till now, this Chapel is the perfect example of splendid isolation. Apart from that, how can we forget the breathtaking view of Abbotsbury Abbey from the hilltop? It looks amazing. You can enjoy abbey ruin’s awe-striking view. Here local women pray in an interesting way, which is known as wishing holes. They hide from their husbands while the husbands have to find them. You will also get the occasional services of the local parish. Floodlit Garden If you want to enjoy a romantic walk with your partner in the evening, then you cannot miss this place. This whole garden is illuminated with different lights and unusual colors. Visitors usually love to walk around the beautiful lily ponds. If you visit this place, you will find an old wall near the pavilion. It has become the focal point as they illuminate it with candles, and it looks excellent at night. One thing you need to keep in mind that you have to take a torch with you so that it can illuminate the path for you. Always wear suitable footwear. Try to book the tickets in advance to get a discount. West Gallery Carols If you visit this place at Christmas, then you have to listen to the fantastic folk songs of the Ridgeway band. Their West gallery carols will fill your heart with joy and happiness. These songs represent the roots of this particular place. The vibrant local sources of these beautiful folk songs attract many people. Without this band, their Christmas celebration is incomplete. They have already prepared different new compositions by combining Hilton St Mary manuscripts and Puddletown manuscripts. Enjoy adventure sailing If you are at Chesil beach, how can you miss the experience of adventure sailing? This is the most significant opportunity for everyone, both experienced and novice sailors. Sailing in the Jurassic coastline of England gives you a lifetime experience. After some time, when you will relax and enjoy the sailing sounds and the beautiful sights of the coastline, you will get a heavenly experience. You can get the training before getting this experience because you may have to combat the wind power. These are the experiences that you cherish forever. Imagine drinking coffee or drinks with your buddies at sea. How does it feel? Don’t forget to take dry and warm clothes with you. Castle town D-day center This one is not a mere tourist attraction but an authentic recreation center. From this place, American Troops defended Nazi-occupied French beaches. It was one of the busiest dockyards of Portland in 1944. You can see the original weapons, WW2 artifacts, wartime vehicles, guns, Sherman tanks, and a lot more. Get the unique experience of that time by wearing the military costume. Their highly-skilled staff will help you to get this immersive experience. So this place is an excellent choice for both children and adults. If you are in this historical place, don’t forget to check one of the best boats of wartime named My Girl. Jurassic Safari Explore the mesmerizing beauty of Dorset with safety and style. This is the best way to get this lovely experience. You have to relax in a Safari, and they will take you to this offbeat track. Along with the outstanding views of this place, you can enjoy the wildlife of the Jurassic coast. Remember, you cannot miss this fantastic experience as the drivers carefully choose those river crossings, country lanes, and ancient byways that cannot be accessed by ordinary people. That is why this place has been declared as the World Heritage site of the UK for its unbeatable natural beauty. You will never forget this unique experience of exploring the countryside of Dorset with your family or someone special. Portland Castle Portland Castle was found in the middle of 1500. This fort was one of the most famous forts of Henry VIII. Its beautiful structure is quite impressive. This fort used to protect him against the invaders from Europe, including Spanish and French invaders. That is why it has been re-used at the time on the First as well as the Second World War. Along with that, how can we overlook the magnificent views of Portland Harbour? This one is a perfect example of English heritage. In short, this castle holds national importance. The name of the village of Castletown came from this particular castle.  Apart from this one, don’t forget to visit Sandsfoot Castle, which is found in Weymouth’s west. The structure of this castle is one of the best architectures of the 16th century and the best Henry VIII Castle too. It also has a fascinating history associated with Henry VIII. This castle also protected him from Spanish as well as French attack. Along with that, Sandfoot Castle also participated in the First as well as the Second World War along with the English Civil War. Over 25000 people visit this place every year. The Nothe Fort Are you a mystery lover? Do you love to hear ghost stories? Then you have to visit the Nothe Fort. When you enter Weymouth Harbour, you will understand the importance of the Victorian Fort. From the outdoor areas to the ground structure, the outstanding views of this place contain many mysteries and ghost stories. Apart from that, the informative displays and guns will attract and force you to visit this fort at least once. You will be amazed to know that after building this fort in the year 1860, the civil engineer contractor received an award for this. But the construction was incomplete once for some financial issues. After that, Royal engineers took this responsibility and created this outstanding Nothe fort. This food has converted into a museum now. The Nothe Garden Just near this, Nothe Fort, Nothe garden is also located, which is one of the best visiting places near Chesil beach. This garden connects the Nothe Parade with the area of car parking. Now let’s check out why people love to visit this place. Well, the answer is, of course, the beauty of this 40000 square meter land. It was built in the year 1872 for the protection of the harbor of Portland. Later on, it became one of the best tourist attractions near Chesil beach. Have you ever heard about Grey squirrels? You will find this species here. Apart from that, many types of birds, bats, badgers, shrews, slow worms, foxes, hedgehogs, and different types of plants are available here. If you are a greenery lover, you can spend some time here to enjoy its mesmerizing beauty. Tout Quarry Sculpture Park You cannot even imagine that abundant stones can turn a park into one of the best sculpture parks in Portland. Yes! Over 60 amazing hidden scriptures are discovered in this place. Still, the Falling sculpture of Anthony Gormey is one of the best attractions. Along with that, the natural beauty of butterflies and wildflowers gives you a heavenly feeling. You can even enjoy the beautiful view of Portland Harbour as well as Chesil Beach from here. Both the permanent and temporary works of the emerging artist make it a beautiful sculpture garden. The constant changes in each year make it an uncommon and interesting park. It’s time to revive those childhood memories. This is the best place to enjoy hide and seek with your children. Chesil beach is ruled by our mother nature. That is why it has been one of the best inspirations of many renowned writers. Apart from these places, there are many others to visit. So it should not be out of your itinerary.