92-512: Melcombe Regis is an area of Weymouth in Dorset , England. Situated on the north shore of Weymouth Harbour and originally part of the waste of Radipole , it seems only to have developed as a significant settlement and seaport in the 13th century. Melcombe Regis received a charter as a borough in 1268. Melcombe was one of the first points of entry of the Black Death into England in
184-632: A borough with the neighbouring Isle of Portland . Since then the area has been governed by Dorset Council . Weymouth, Portland and the Purbeck district are in the South Dorset parliamentary constituency . A seaside resort , Weymouth and its economy depend on tourism. Visitors are attracted by its harbour and position, approximately halfway along the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site , important for its geology and landforms. Once
276-514: A civil parish in 1866. In 1911 the parish had a population of 10,952. On 1 April 1920 the parish was abolished and merged with Weymouth. After two centuries of decline, the town's fortunes were dramatically revived by the patronage of the Duke of Gloucester , brother of King George III , in the 1780s, and then of the King himself, who regularly used the town as a holiday resort between 1789 and 1811. He
368-463: A temperate climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ), with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The average annual mean temperature from 1991 to 2020 was 11.6 °C (52.9 °F). The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 14.4 to 20.3 °C (57.9 to 68.5 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 4.1 to 8.9 °C (39.4 to 48.0 °F). Maximum and minimum temperatures throughout
460-609: A decline in popularity. This was helped by a high-profile anti-Conservative campaign by musician Billy Bragg . The seat was gained from Labour by Richard Drax for the Conservatives at the 2010 General Election, and held by him in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany, since 1986, and the French town of Louviers , in
552-420: A few cases one). From 1535 each Welsh county and borough was represented, by one knight or burgess. The franchise was restricted differently in different types of constituency; in county constituencies forty shilling freeholders (i.e. landowners) could vote, while in boroughs the franchise varied from potwallopers , giving many residents votes, to rotten boroughs with hardly any voters. A county borough
644-697: A form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . The existing constituencies were created, effectively, for the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, in 1999. When created, all but two had the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies. The two exceptions were the Orkney Holyrood constituency , covering the Orkney Islands council area , and the Shetland Holyrood constituency , covering
736-545: A lifeboat at Weymouth for the first time on 26 January 1869. A boathouse was built with a slipway by the harbour and is still in use, although the lifeboat is now moored at a pontoon. In 1887, to mark the 50th year of Queen Victoria 's reign, a multi-coloured Jubilee Clock was erected on the esplanade . During World War I, about 120,000 Australian and New Zealand Army Corps personnel convalesced in Weymouth after being injured at Gallipoli or other theatres of
828-421: A long, continuous arc of buildings which face Weymouth Bay along the esplanade, which is home to statues of Victoria , George III and Sir Henry Edwards , Member of Parliament for the borough from 1867 to 1885, and two war memorials . In the centre of the town lies Weymouth Harbour, separating the two areas of Melcombe Regis (the main town centre) and Weymouth (the southern harbourside) from each other. Since
920-448: A more suitable label cannot be found. Where used, "The compass point reference used will generally form a prefix in cases where the rest of the constituency name refers to the county area or a local council, but a suffix where the rest of the name refers to a population centre." This is the reason for the difference in naming between, for example, North Shropshire (a county constituency ) and Reading West (a borough constituency ). In
1012-442: A new borough called Weymouth and Portland . Further local government reforms in 2019 abolished the borough of Weymouth and Portland, with that council's functions passing to Dorset Council as the new unitary authority for the area. A new civil parish called Weymouth was created at the same time for the unparished part of Weymouth and Portland, corresponding to the pre-1974 borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. The Town Council
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#17327653959811104-608: A number of single-member first-past-the Post constituencies, matching the way Westminster MPs are elected. Following the decision that all MEPs should be elected by some form of proportional representation , the Labour government passed the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 , creating eleven constituencies on Great Britain, which were first used in 1999 . The South West England constituency
1196-688: A population of 53,416 in 2021. It is the third-largest settlement in Dorset after Bournemouth and Poole . The history of the town stretches back to the 12th century and includes roles in the spread of the Black Death , the settlement of the Americas and the development of Georgian architecture . It was a major departure point for the Normandy Landings during World War II . Prior to local government reorganisation in April 2019, Weymouth formed
1288-541: A port for cross-channel ferries, Weymouth Harbour is now home to a commercial fishing fleet, pleasure boats and private yachts, while nearby Portland Harbour is the location of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy , where the sailing events of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games were held. The modern town of Weymouth originated as the two settlements of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis , on opposite sides of Weymouth Harbour in Dorset . The older of
1380-421: A total population of 55,535 in 2021. A larger "greater Weymouth" area defined by CityPopulation.de, including Bincombe, Chickerell, Osmington and Portland, has a population of 72,802. The number of residents has grown steadily since the 1970s and there is an above average number of residents aged 60–84 (27.4%); however, this is less than the Dorset average of 30.2%, and the proportion of those between 18 and 59
1472-654: Is a Grade II listed building and contains artefacts from the Roman, Tudor and Georgian periods, which relate to the town and its surrounding area, including a collection of historic maps and documents. Nothe Fort was an operational coastal fort from 1872 to 1956. It is now a museum dedicated to its own history and that of coastal defence. Sited on the same promontory as the fort are Nothe Gardens , an informal garden of trees and established shrubberies. A large expanse of grass
1564-565: Is a gateway town to the Jurassic Coast . The 155 km (96 mi) of the Dorset and east Devon coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is important for its geology and landforms . The South West Coast Path has two routes around Weymouth and Portland—one around its coast, and one along the South Dorset Downs , which reduces the path's length by 31.0 km (19.3 mi). The steep ridge of chalk, locally known as The Ridgeway, separates Dorchester and Weymouth. Weymouth
1656-456: Is a popular place for ball games and picnics while other areas are used for a nature trail and orienteering . Orienteering also takes place at Lodmoor Country Park , which is close to the town centre and also the venue for a weekly 5 km fun run. Other facilities include an outdoor gym and children's play park. Adjacent is the RSPB salt marsh nature reserve. More formal gardens, in and around
1748-516: Is also above the Dorset average. The population is 95.2% White British , slightly below the Dorset average of 95.6%, and well above the England and Wales average of 80.5%. The most common religious identity in Weymouth and Portland is Christianity, at 61.0%, which is slightly above the England and Wales average of 59.3%. The next-largest group is those with no religion, at 29.3%, slightly above
1840-558: Is based at the New Town Hall on Commercial Road. The borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis had been created in 1571, administratively uniting the two formerly separate boroughs. It was reformed in 1836 to become a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries were significantly enlarged in 1933 when
1932-516: Is based at the New Town Hall, which had been built in 1860 as a school, then served as an arts centre from 1955 until 2007. It was then converted to become the offices of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, and transferred to the new Weymouth Town Council on the local government reorganisation in 2019. The following wards of Weymouth elect councillors to Dorset Council: Littlemoor and Preston , Melcombe Regis , Radipole , Rodwell and Wyke , Upwey and Broadwey and Westham . Weymouth, Portland and
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#17327653959812024-520: Is commemorated by a prominent statue on the Esplanade, or sea-front, recording the gratitude of the inhabitants, and by the locally well-known Osmington White Horse . The well-known terraces of large late Georgian town houses on the Esplanade date from this period, with additional building later in the 19th century. The town has the Regis name. The town was well established as a successful resort by
2116-751: Is in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh , while the main meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is the Palace of Westminster , in the City of Westminster . There are 73 Holyrood constituencies covering Scotland , and each elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first-past-the-post system . Also, the constituencies are grouped into eight electoral regions, and each of these regions elects seven additional members , to produce
2208-534: Is part of the Melcombe Regis ward which elects 1 member to Dorset Council . Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth ( / ˈ w eɪ m ə θ / WAY -məth ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the Dorset district , in the ceremonial county of Dorset , England . Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey , 7 miles (11 km) south of the county town of Dorchester , Weymouth had
2300-500: Is relatively low, at just over 4%, much of the work is seasonal, part time, and low paid. A Government initiative to help reinvigorate seaside economies was announced in 2015 and in 2019, Weymouth was awarded £3.79 million from the Coastal Communities Fund. The money will help with refurbishment of the area around the town's quay; first proposed in 2006, the plans were abandoned in favour of other works prior to
2392-582: Is the largest town in the area, larger than the county town of Dorchester , which lies 11 km (7 mi) to the north, and hence is a centre of activity for the nearby population. Weymouth's esplanade is composed of Georgian terraces, which have been converted into apartments, shops, hotels and guest houses. The buildings were constructed in the Georgian and Regency periods between 1770 and 1855, designed by architects such as James Hamilton, and were commissioned by wealthy businessmen. These terraces form
2484-526: The 2005 United Kingdom general election , the House of Commons had 646 constituencies covering the whole of the United Kingdom. This rose to 650 in the 2010 election following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies . Each constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the " first-past-the-post " system of election. The House of Commons is one of the two chambers of
2576-624: The Acts of Union 1707 , Scottish burghs were grouped into districts of burghs in the Parliament of Great Britain , except that Edinburgh was a constituency in its own right . After the Acts of Union 1800 , smaller Irish boroughs were disenfranchised, while most others returned only one MP to the United Kingdom Parliament. The Reform Act 1832 reduced the number of parliamentary boroughs in England and Wales by eliminating
2668-518: The Art Deco , a tourist information centre and café was built (2020), along with repairs and painting to existing Victorian-style shelters and new cafe seasonal kiosks, a beach rescue centre (2020), and a sand art pavilion for the sculptures of Mark Anderson. Other alterations to the promenade were made, particularly around key areas such as the Jubilee Clock and the pier bandstand, with
2760-517: The Duke of Gloucester , built a country house named Gloucester Lodge there; the Duke spent the winter of 1780 at the house. George III made Weymouth his summer holiday residence on fourteen occasions between 1789 and 1805, even venturing into the sea in a bathing machine . In celebration of the king's patronage, in 1810, a painted statue was placed on the seafront. Known simply as the King's Statue , it
2852-696: The European Parliament , prior to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (see European Parliament constituency ). In local government elections (other than for the London Assembly) electoral areas are called wards or electoral divisions . House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly constituencies are designated as either county or borough constituencies, except that in Scotland
Melcombe Regis - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-414: The Purbeck district are in the South Dorset parliamentary constituency , which elects one Member of Parliament: since 2024, Lloyd Hatton ( Labour ). Dorset South was the most marginal Labour seat in the 2001 general election , won by 153 votes. Jim Knight was expecting to have a difficult 2005 election, yet he won with a margin of 1,812 votes—this was in contrast to other areas, where Labour suffered
3036-594: The Red Barracks were constructed for cavalry troops stationed at Nothe. They were badly damaged in 1798 by a fire and work started on new buildings and a parade ground at Radipole. These premises could house 953 officers and men together with 986 horses. The Red Barracks were rebuilt in 1801 and given over to infantry. Militarisation of the town continued through the Victorian era , with work starting on Portland Harbour in 1849. Built specifically to accommodate
3128-473: The River Wey before it flows into Weymouth Harbour, are important habitats for fish and migratory birds, and over 200 species of plants. Radipole is an important tourist attraction; it and Weymouth Beach are situated very close to the town centre. There are 11 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the borough, which cover an area of 1,979 acres (801 ha), and there are 37 other Nature Conservation Designations . Situated approximately midway, Weymouth
3220-531: The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 , which enabled the creation of a new set of Westminster constituencies without change to Holyrood constituencies. The new Westminster boundaries became effective for the 2005 United Kingdom general election . There are 40 Senedd constituencies covering Wales , and each elects one Member of the Senedd (MS) by the first-past-the-post system . Also,
3312-580: The Shetland Islands council area . For Westminster elections, these council areas were covered (and still are covered) by the Orkney and Shetland Westminster constituency . In 1999, under the Scotland Act 1998 , the expectation was that there would be a permanent link between the boundaries of Holyrood constituencies and those of Westminster constituencies. This link was broken, however, by
3404-564: The United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons . Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called " constituencies " as opposed to " wards ": Between 1921 and 1973 the following body also included members elected by constituencies: Electoral areas called constituencies were previously used in elections to
3496-546: The bicameral Parliament of the United Kingdom , the other being the House of Lords . There are fourteen London Assembly constituencies covering the Greater London area, and each constituency elects one member of the assembly by the first-past-the-post system . Eleven additional members are elected from Greater London as a whole to produce a form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . Constituency names and boundaries remain now as they were for
3588-504: The department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959. Weymouth is built on weak sand and clay rock which in most places along the Dorset coast, except for narrow bands at Lulworth Cove , Swanage and Durdle Door , has been eroded and transported away. This weak rock has been protected at Weymouth by Chesil Beach and the strong limestone Isle of Portland that lies offshore, 3 km (2 mi) south of Wyke Regis. The island affects
3680-498: The first general election of the assembly, in 2000. The assembly is part of the Greater London Authority and general elections of the assembly are held at the same time as election of the mayor of London . There are 18 Northern Ireland Assembly Constituencies : four borough (for Belfast ) and 14 county constituencies elsewhere (see below). Each elects five MLAs to the 90 member NI Assembly by means of
3772-547: The sediment regime in Weymouth Bay, narrowing the beach at Greenhill and widening the sands in Weymouth. A study conducted as part of the redevelopment of the Pavilion complex showed that the proposed marina will contribute slightly to this effect, but sand dredged out of the marina could be used to make the beach up to 40 m (130 ft) wider. Due to its location on the south-west coast of England, Weymouth has
Melcombe Regis - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-424: The single transferable vote system. Assembly Constituency boundaries are identical to their House of Commons equivalents. The constituencies below are not used for the election of members to the 11 district councils . Scottish Parliament constituencies are sometimes called Holyrood constituencies, to distinguish them from Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies. The Scottish Parliament Building
3956-411: The 18th century they have been linked by successive bridges over the narrowest part of the harbour. The present Town Bridge , built in 1930, is a lifting bascule bridge allowing boats to access the inner harbour . The sand and clay on which Weymouth is built is very low-lying—large areas are below sea level, which allowed the eastern areas of the town to flood during extreme low pressure storms. In
4048-594: The 1970s, cheap package holidays abroad caused a reduction in the town's tourist trade, and harbour trade also suffered a decline; but the number of ferry passengers continued to rise and in 1980 a new terminal with improved facilities was built. From 1990, the demand for bigger vessels forced the cross-channel ferry operators to transfer to larger ports, such as Poole; the last ferry left Weymouth in 2015. There are two tiers of local government covering Weymouth, at civil parish (town) and unitary authority level: Weymouth Town Council and Dorset Council . The town council
4140-512: The 1980s and 1990s a sea wall was built around Weymouth Harbour and along the coast road in Preston; a rip rap groyne in Greenhill and beach nourishment up to Preston have created a wide and artificially graded pebble beach, to ensure that the low-lying land around Lodmoor does not flood. The defences at Preston, the extended ferry terminal and the widening of the esplanade have changed
4232-566: The 2012 Olympics. In addition to beautification and better access, aimed at attracting visitors, there will be improved facilities for fishermen, including secure compounds for equipment and increased cold storage for catches. The town was voted Number 1 in The Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches 2023, and best UK beach in the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Awards 2024. There are over two hundred events held throughout
4324-566: The Americas to bolster the population of Weymouth, Nova Scotia and Salem, Massachusetts , then called Naumking. During the English Civil War , control of Weymouth changed a number of times and the town was much damaged as a result. When conflict first broke out in 1642, Weymouth was peacefully occupied by Parliamentarians , but it was captured in August the following year by 2,000 Royalist cavalry and held until June 1644, when it
4416-559: The Boundary Commissions for England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland the power to create names for constituencies, and does not provide a set of statutory guidelines for the Commissions to follow in doing so. Constituency names are geographic, and "should normally reflect the main population centre(s) contained in the constituency". Compass points are used to distinguish constituencies from each other when
4508-603: The Isle of Portland, Dorchester, Poole, Wool , Beaminster , Axminster , and to other villages and the town's holiday parks. Weymouth is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by route X53 , which runs from Axminster to Weymouth, through Lyme Regis , Charmouth , Bridport and Abbotsbury . In addition, More Buses operate a summer only service to Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Wool, Dorchester, Wareham and Swanage. United Kingdom constituencies In
4600-583: The Sea Life Trust. Weymouth railway station is the terminus of a route from London Waterloo , and a route from Westbury , Bristol and Gloucester . A station that handled summer tourist traffic was demolished in 1986 after this traffic declined. A smaller station took up part of the site and the rest was given over to commercial development. Services to London Waterloo began running every 30 minutes from December 2007, but services through Bristol to Cardiff were reduced. An unusual feature of
4692-451: The UK, it is a business-led initiative supported by Government legislation that enables the local businesses to raise funding to improve the trading environment. The town has undergone considerable regeneration , much of it in anticipation of 2012 Summer Olympics . Work began in 2007 on improvements to the esplanade: a public square was constructed around the restored statue of King George III,
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#17327653959814784-408: The United Kingdom average, and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average, particularly in summer; this summer minimum of rainfall is not experienced away from the south coast of England. The average annual rainfall of 770.4 mm (30.3 in) is well below the UK average of 1,163.0 mm (45.8 in). The population of Weymouth civil parish at the 2021 census
4876-475: The United Kingdom elected its Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) through twelve multimember European Parliament constituencies . One, Northern Ireland , used single transferable vote , while the eleven covering Great Britain used the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation . For its first European Parliamentary elections in 1979 Great Britain was divided into
4968-503: The United Kingdom, along with many south coast towns. The resort averaged 1904.4 hours of sunshine annually between 1991 and 2020, which is 44% of the maximum possible, and 42% above the United Kingdom average of 1402.7 hours. December is the cloudiest month (64.5 hours of sunshine), November the wettest (98.7 mm (3.9 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest month (245.6 hours of sunshine, 40.7 mm (1.6 in) of rain). Sunshine totals in all months are well above
5060-485: The area is in Melcombe Regis, consisting of two pedestrianised streets (St. Thomas's and St. Mary's Street), shops along the esplanade, and a new precinct stretching from St. Thomas's Street to the harbourside, built in the 1990s. There are shops and restaurants in the pedestrianised Hope Square and Brewers Quay, which are linked to the town centre by town bridge and a small passenger ferry service across
5152-412: The average of 25.1%. Tourism is important to the local economy, employing 17% of the local workforce. In 2019, over two million day trips and 469,600 longer stays, brought £209,560,000 of visitors money into the Weymouth and Portland area. Weymouth's coast and beaches, lakes, museums, aquarium, and two shopping centres are the main attractions for visitors. The visitor accommodation consists of hotels on
5244-669: The built-up area. King Henry VIII had two Device Forts built to protect the south Dorset coast from invasion in the 1530s: Sandsfoot Castle in Wyke Regis and Portland Castle in Castletown . Coastal erosion forced the abandonment of Sandsfoot as early as 1665 and parts have since fallen into the sea. In 1635, around 100 emigrants from the town crossed the Atlantic Ocean on board the ship Charity and settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts . More townspeople emigrated to
5336-493: The constituencies are grouped into five electoral regions, and each of these regions elects four additional members , to produce a form or degree of mixed-member proportional representation . The current set of Senedd constituencies is the second to be created. The first was created for the first general election of the National Assembly for Wales, in 1999. Before its withdrawal from the European Union in 2020,
5428-456: The council. The spending limits for election campaigns are different in the two, the reasoning being that candidates in county constituencies tend to need to travel farther. For by-elections to any of these bodies, the limit in all constituencies is £100,000. In the House of Commons of England , each English county elected two " knights of the shire " while each enfranchised borough elected "burgesses" (usually two, sometimes four, and in
5520-567: The distinction; the Boundary Commission for England has stated that, "as a general principle, where constituencies contain more than a small rural element they should normally be designated as county constituencies. Otherwise they should be designated as borough constituencies." In Scotland, all House of Commons constituencies are county constituencies except those in the cities of Glasgow , Edinburgh , Aberdeen , Dundee and three urban areas of Lanarkshire . In England and Wales,
5612-531: The ground; low-lying coastal areas on the South Coast of England such as Weymouth experience milder winters than the rest of the United Kingdom. The lowest temperature of −9.8 °C (14.4 °F) was recorded on 13 January 1987. The growing season in Weymouth lasts for more than 310 days per year, and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9b. Weymouth and Portland has one of the sunniest climates in
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#17327653959815704-467: The harbour and the esplanade, after the Ritz Theatre was destroyed by fire in 1954. The Pavilion was owned and operated by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, providing a venue for local community groups and schools, and hosting seasonal 'end-of-the-pier' entertainment and year-round shows and events. A failed proposal to regenerate the area in 2006, led the council to announce the demolition of
5796-418: The harbour's backwaters from Radipole Lake. For centuries the harbour was a passenger terminal and trade and cargo port: goods handled included wool and spices, and in the 20th century, fertiliser and cars. Cross-Channel ferry services ceased in 2015 but the harbour is still a working port with docks, unloading areas and a fishing fleet, which in 2004 had 82 boats, catching the largest mass of fish in England and
5888-548: The harbour. In 2005 the town centre had 292 shops and 37,500 m (404,000 sq ft) of floorspace, and there was 0.4 km (100 acres) of industrial estate in the area. Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone since 2007 and in May 2013 local businesses voted in favour of creating the Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID). Like other BIDs located around
5980-421: The harbour. In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I became so tired of the petitioning that she united the two towns in an Act of Parliament , to form a double borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis . Both towns have become known as Weymouth, despite Melcombe Regis being the main centre. The villages of Upwey , Broadwey , Preston , Wyke Regis, Chickerell , Southill , Radipole and Littlemoor have since become part of
6072-540: The introduction of new cafes and bars, improved lighting and seating areas with planting, fountains and trees. Figures released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government , in 2014 and 2019, suggested that the ex-borough of Weymouth and Portland was in the top 10% of the most deprived districts in the UK. Central Weymouth and the Littlemoor estate were the town's worst areas. Although unemployment
6164-486: The neighbouring parishes of Broadwey , Preston , Radipole , Upwey and Wyke Regis were all abolished and their areas absorbed into the borough (with some adjustments to the boundaries with other neighbouring parishes). The borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The area was merged with the neighbouring urban district of Portland to become
6256-406: The new steam navy, the project was completed in 1872. Between 1860 and 1872, Nothe Fort was constructed at the entrance of Weymouth Harbour, overlooking the new harbour at Portland. Weymouth's popularity, both as a trading port and as a holiday destination, also grew in this period and the arrival of the railway in 1857 boosted both industries. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed
6348-485: The next two largest sectors with a 13.66% share each. Most businesses, 83.1%, had less than nine employees while only 0.5% were large, employing over 250 staff. Two of the area's largest employers are the aerospace parts manufacturer, FGP systems, and the retail clothing firm, New Look . Weymouth Harbour is long and narrow, and formed the estuary of the River Wey until the building of a dam in 1872, which separated
6440-551: The port so accessible that in 1433 the staple was transferred to Poole . Melcombe Regis is thought to be the first port at which the Black Death came into England in June or July 1348, possibly aboard either a spice ship or an army ship from Calais , where fighting was taking place in the Hundred Years' War . In their early history, the two towns were rivals for trade and industry, and many arguments broke out over use of
6532-465: The position of returning officer in borough constituencies is held ex officio by the mayor or chairman of the borough or district council, and the high sheriff of the county in county constituencies. The administration of elections is carried out by the acting returning officer, who will typically be a local council's chief executive or Head of Legal Services. The role, however, is separate from these posts, and can be held by any person appointed by
6624-413: The previous common electoral quota for the whole United Kingdom and replaced it with four separate national minimal seat quotas for the respective Boundaries commissions to work to, as a result the separate national electoral quotas came into effect: England 69,534; Northern Ireland 67,145, Wales 58,383 and in Scotland only 54,741 electors. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 gives
6716-624: The railways in Weymouth was that, until 1987, main line trains ran through the streets and along the Weymouth Harbour Tramway to the Quay station at the eastern end of the harbour, to connect with ferries to mainland Europe . Due to declining business, goods traffic ceased in 1972 but passenger services continued until 1987. The line officially closed in 2016 and, in 2020, work began on its removal. Local bus services are provided by First Bus Wessex . Routes run from Weymouth to
6808-800: The rotten boroughs. It also divided larger counties into two two-seat divisions , the boundaries of which were defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 , and gave seven counties a third member. Similar reforms were also made for Scotland and for Ireland . The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 ( 48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) equalised the population of constituencies; it split larger boroughs into multiple single-member constituencies, reduced smaller boroughs from two seats each to one, split each two-seat county and division into two single-member constituencies, and each three-seat county into single-member constituencies. The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1958 , eliminated
6900-454: The seafront, guest houses around the town centre, and caravan and camping sites just out of town, including three sites owned by Haven and British Holidays : Littlesea, Seaview and Weymouth Bay. In 2019 there were 2,160 business units in the Weymouth and Portland area, employing 18,000 local residents. The largest sector was Wholesale, Retail and Repair at 17.66% of all local businesses. Construction and Accommodation and food services were
6992-414: The summer of 1348 (the disease was possibly carried there by infected soldiers and sailors returning from the Hundred Years' War , or from a visiting spice ship). The two boroughs, Melcombe on the north shore and Weymouth on the south, were joined as a double borough in 1571, after which time the name Weymouth came to serve for them both. Nevertheless, Melcombe Regis remained a separate parish and became
7084-430: The term burgh is used instead of borough . Since the advent of universal suffrage , the differences between county and borough constituencies are slight. Formerly (see below ) the franchise differed, and there were also county borough and university constituencies. Borough constituencies are predominantly urban while county constituencies are predominantly rural . There is no definitive statutory criterion for
7176-421: The theatre and on 31 May 2013, it closed but following a formal tender process, the theatre was leased to a local businessman and reopened on 13 July 2013. Weymouth Pavilion is now operated by Weymouth Pavilion CIC as a not-for-profit organisation. The town has both a general and a specialist museum. Weymouth Museum , located in the older part of the town, is situated in a former brewery. The Victorian building
7268-446: The third largest in the United Kingdom. Fishing and cargo trading employ fewer people in the area since their peak in earlier centuries, the commercial fishing fleet has been reduced to 32 vessels but, together with the charter boats, was still worth £4 million per annum in 2018. Local boats offer fishing and diving trips, pleasure cruises along the Jurassic Coast, and thrill-rides to the Isle of Portland. The main shopping centre in
7360-553: The tides of the area, producing a double low tide in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour. The maximum tidal range is small, at around 2 m (7 ft). There are two lakes in the borough, both designated Nature Reserves by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)– Radipole Lake in the town centre, and Lodmoor between the town centre and Preston. Radipole Lake, the largest nature reserve, and mouth of
7452-487: The time that George's visits ceased, and has continued as such to the present day. Weymouth & Melcombe Regis was used as a base for Allied troops in the D-Day landings of World War II , and has since operated on and off as a cross-channel ferry terminus. In the UK national parliament, Melcombe Regis is within the South Dorset constituency . After 2019 structural changes to local government in England , Morcombelake
7544-404: The town, include Radipole Park and Greenhill gardens. Weymouth's Sea Life centre , a zoo and adventure park on the outskirts of the town, has over 1,000 examples of aquatic and semi-aquatic life, including sharks, turtles, otters, frogs and penguins. The centre takes part in an extensive breeding programme and also helps protect marine environments across the world through its partnership with
7636-422: The two, on the south side, was referred to as Weymouth as early as the 10th century, as part of the parish of Wyke Regis , and by 1252 had become a chartered borough and established seaport, trading in imported wine. Melcombe Regis, on the north side, was first noted in the 11th century. It developed separately from the mid 12th century onwards and in 1310 was a licensed wool port . However, French raiders found
7728-483: The war was a difficult time for Weymouth which, in common with other seaside resorts, was not seen as a priority for government investment. In 1960, Southampton stopped services to the Channel Islands , leaving Weymouth as the UK's major link with the islands. A linkspan constructed in 1972 and the introduction of a passenger service to Cherbourg in 1974 helped to further revive the town's fortunes. During
7820-512: The war. In September 1942 the first full-scale testing of the bouncing bomb was carried out west of the town, on the lagoon behind Chesil Bank . Tens of thousands of Allied troops departed Weymouth and Portland for D-Day , bound for Omaha in Normandy . By the time the conflict in Europe had ended, 517,816 troops and 144,903 vehicles had been through the ports. The immediate aftermath of
7912-479: The war; the existing army camps and mild climate made it an ideal location. Most of the soldiers were repatriated in 1919; some stayed and married local women. Weymouth's military importance made it a target for German bombing during World War II. The air raids destroyed 1,200 civilian dwellings and killed 76 civilians, and the High Street was so badly damaged that much of it had to be demolished after
8004-607: The year are above England's average, and Weymouth is in American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat zone 1 . 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). Days with snow lying are rare: on average zero to five days per year; Most winters have one day or less with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it rarely settles on
8096-415: The year in the borough, including firework festivals , dragon boat racing, beach volleyball, and motocross, and the annual carnival in mid-August. Weymouth is the only port in the world to have hosted the start of The Tall Ships' Races three times —in 1983, 1987 and 1994; the 1994 race attracting 300,000 spectators. The Pavilion Theatre was built in 1960 on a peninsula of reclaimed land between
8188-425: Was 53,416, making it the largest settlement in rural Dorset and third largest overall, after Bournemouth and Poole. A built-up area of 18.5 km (4,600 acres), gives the town a population density of 2,868 people per square kilometre, in 26,747 dwellings. The Office for National Statistics define a "Weymouth Built-up Area", which includes parts of the neighbouring parishes of Bincombe and Chickerell , having
8280-537: Was extensively renovated in 2007–08. A second tribute to George III, completed two years earlier in 1808, is the mounted white horse at Osmington . Designed by local architect James Hamilton, and cut into the chalk hillside by soldiers under his direction, the figure measures 280 ft (85 m) long by 323 ft (98 m) high. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars , Weymouth started to gain some military importance: in 1795,
8372-473: Was retaken. Around 250 people were killed in the local Crabchurch Conspiracy when sympathetic residents let Royalist soldiers into the town in February 1645. It was recaptured later that month and remained in Parliamentarian hands for the remainder of the war, despite enduring a protracted siege. The resort is among the first modern tourist destinations, after one of King George III 's brothers,
8464-465: Was the constituency of a county corporate , combining the franchises of both county and borough. Until 1950 there were also university constituencies , which gave graduates an additional representation. Similar distinctions applied in the Irish House of Commons , while the non-university elected members of the Parliament of Scotland were called Shire Commissioners and Burgh Commissioners. After
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