123-689: Southwell Business Park is a business park on the Isle of Portland , Dorset , England . It is housed at the former Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, which closed in 1995 and became the Southwell Business Park in 1997. The Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, built as a Gunnery Establishment at the beginning of the Cold War, was closed in 1995 alongside Portland's naval base. The establishment buildings remained empty for two years, until Roy Haywood and Ray Bulpit, whose business
246-534: A 10-day period between 23 June and 3 July 2011. About 1.7 million tickets were available for football and 600,000 for other sports, including archery, field hockey, football, judo, boxing and volleyball. Ten sports had sold out by 8 am of the first day. During the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics , the Olympic Flag was formally handed over from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London . This
369-597: A flat or maisonette costs £110,500. Crime rates are below average—there were 5.4 burglaries per 1000 households in 2009 and 2010; which is lower than South West England (7.6 per 1000) and significantly lower than England and Wales (11.6 per 1000). Unemployment levels are very low, at 1.9 per cent in July 2011, compared to the British average of 7.7 per cent. The most common religious identity in Weymouth and Portland
492-597: A list of all the things which Portland Race has swallowed up, it would rival Orcus ". 2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics , officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012 , were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London , England, United Kingdom. The first event, the group stage in women's football , began on 25 July at
615-744: A network of roads leading between venues as the Olympic Route Network ; roads connecting all of the Olympic venues located within London. Many of these roads also contained special "Olympic lanes" marked with the Olympic rings—reserved for the use of Olympic athletes, officials, and other VIPs during the Games. Members of the public driving in an Olympic lane were subject to a fine of £130. Additionally, London buses would not include roads with Olympic lanes on their routes. Concerns were expressed at
738-725: A new 600-berth marina and an extension with more on-site facilities were built. 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. 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, scuba diving to shipwrecks, snorkelling, canoeing, and swimming. 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
861-601: 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 . Formerly the Portland Branch Railway also crossed to the island. The corridor is now a traffic-free walking and cycle path. Local buses are run by FirstGroup , with services to Weymouth. Weymouth is the hub for south Dorset bus routes, with services to Dorchester and local villages. Weymouth
984-810: A parish in Jamaica . Portland has been inhabited since at least the Mesolithic period (the Middle Stone Age )—there is archaeological evidence of Mesolithic inhabitants at the Culverwell Mesolithic Site , near Portland Bill , and of habitation since then. The Romans occupied Portland, reputedly calling it Vindelis . Although the beginning of the Viking Age in England is dated to their raid in 793, when they destroyed
1107-735: A pier at Castletown , from where the Portland stone was shipped around the country. 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 . At the end of the 19th century the line was extended to the top of the island as the Easton and Church Ope Railway, running through Castletown and ascending
1230-554: A programme of cultural events which must cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open. The Cultural Olympiad comprised many programmes, with more than 500 events spread over four years across the whole of the United Kingdom, and culminating in the London 2012 Festival . Titled "The Isles of Wonder", the opening ceremony began at 21:00 British Summer Time ( UTC +1) on 27 July in
1353-467: A promotional campaign and website, Get Ahead of the Games , to help provide information related to transport during the Olympics and Paralympics. Through the campaign, TfL also encouraged the use of cycling as a mode of transport. A temporary terminal was created at Heathrow Airport to be used by 10,100 departing athletes after the Games. Up to 35% more bags than normal were expected on 13 August, which
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#17327979469121476-527: A rabbit was seen in a quarry, the workers would go home for the day, until the safety of the area had been assured. As of 2006, older Portland residents were said to be 'offended' (sometimes for the benefit of tourists) by the mention of rabbits; 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
1599-531: 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). The naval base closed after the end of the Cold War in 1995, and
1722-622: A sports hall in Eton Manor was pulled down. The athletes' village in Portland was completed in September 2011. In November 2004, the 200-hectare (500-acre) Olympic Park plans were revealed. The plans for the site were approved in September 2004 by Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The redevelopment of the area to build the Olympic Park required compulsory purchase orders of property. The London Development Agency
1845-598: Is Christianity, at 61.0 per cent, which is slightly above the England and Wales average of 59.3 per cent. The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at 29.3 per cent, also slightly above the average of 25.1 per cent. The A354 road is the only land access to Portland, via Ferry Bridge, connecting to Weymouth and to the wider road network at the A35 trunk road in Dorchester . It runs from Easton , splitting into
1968-471: Is a tied island , 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) wide, in the English Channel . The southern tip, Portland Bill, lies 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth , forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset , England. A barrier beach called Chesil Beach joins Portland with mainland England . The A354 road passes down the Portland end of
2091-597: Is adjoined by the Weymouth Lowlands to the north. 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 . The geology of Underhill
2214-545: Is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the Jurassic Coast Bus service, which runs for 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Exeter to Poole , through Sidford , Beer , Seaton , Lyme Regis , Charmouth , Bridport , Abbotsbury , Weymouth, Wool , and Wareham . Trains run from Weymouth to London, Southampton , Bristol and Gloucester but ferries no longer transport passengers to
2337-399: 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. 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) underneath south Dorset lies a layer of Triassic rock salt , and Portland
2460-548: Is one of four locations in the United Kingdom where the salt is thick enough to create stable cavities. Portland Gas applied to excavate 14 caverns to store 1,000,000,000 cubic metres (3.5 × 10 cu ft) of natural gas, which is one per cent of the UK's total annual demand. It was proposed that the caverns should be connected to the National gas grid at Mappowder via a 37-kilometre (23 mi) pipeline. Plans had it that
2583-475: Is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants. 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. Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the limestone race of the silver-studded blue . The mild seas which almost surround
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#17327979469122706-528: Is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour was made 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, and
2829-555: Is situated approximately halfway 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. 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
2952-703: Is the most common style. 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. Isle of Portland has a Non-League football club Portland United F.C. who play at Grove Corner. They also have a youth set up called Portland United youth football Club. Rabbits have long been associated with bad luck on Portland. Use of
3075-852: Is the nearest further education college, which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas, about 1500 studying A-Level courses. 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. Weymouth and Portland regularly host local, national and international sailing events in their waters; these include
3198-453: The 2019 structural changes to local government , Portland is in the Dorset unitary authority , administered by Dorset Council . The whole island forms Portland ward which is one of the 52 wards and elects three members to the council. Portland is an ancient royal manor , and until the 19th century was a separate liberty , with certain judicial functions for the isle held separately from
3321-514: The ExCeL exhibition centre and providing a crossing every 30 seconds. The plan was to have 80% of athletes travel less than 20 minutes to their event and 93% of them within 30 minutes of their event. The Olympic Park would be served by ten separate railway lines with a combined capacity of 240,000 passengers per hour. In addition, LOCOG planned for 90% of the venues to be served by three or more types of public transport. Two park-and-ride sites off
3444-510: The M25 with a combined capacity of 12,000 cars were 25 minutes away from the Olympic Park. Another park-and-ride site was planned in Ebbsfleet with a capacity for 9,000 cars where spectators could board a 10-minute shuttle train service. To get spectators to Eton Dorney , four park-and-ride schemes were set up. These Park and Ride services were operated by First Games Transport . TfL defined
3567-688: The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales, followed by the opening ceremony on 27 July. There were 10,518 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who participated in the 2012 Olympics. Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and the then- London mayor Ken Livingstone , London was selected as the host city at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore on 6 July 2005, defeating bids from Moscow , New York City , Madrid , and Paris . London became
3690-601: The Panathinaiko Stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, with Parthenon in the background; the reverse features the Games logo, the River Thames and a series of lines representing "the energy of athletes and a sense of pulling together". The medals were transferred to the Tower of London vaults on 2 July 2012 for storage. Each gold medal is 92.5 percent silver and 1.34 percent gold, with
3813-751: The Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Centre . Volunteers also wore photo accreditation badges that were also worn by officials, athletes, family members and media, which gained them access to specific venues and buildings around the site. Organisers estimated that some 8 million tickets would be available for the Olympic Games, and 1.5 million tickets for the Paralympic Games. LOCOG aimed to raise £375–£400 million in ticket sales. There were also free events such as marathon, triathlon and road cycling, although, for
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3936-555: The Water Polo Arena were relocated elsewhere. Building parts like roofing covers and membranes of different temporary venues were recycled via VinyLoop . This allowed organisers to meet the standards of the Olympic Delivery Authority concerning environmental protection. London 2012 inaugurated Olympic Games guidelines that included the recycling of PVC, which was used for temporary buildings such as
4059-520: The Western Front . Portland cement has nothing to do with Portland; it was so named due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand. 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
4182-618: The abbey on Lindisfarne , their first documented landing occurred in Portland four years earlier, in 789, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . Three lost Viking ships from Hordaland (the district around Hardanger fjord in west Norway ) landed at Portland Bill. The king's reeve tried to collect taxes from them, but they killed him and sailed on. A castle on the site of the present Rufus Castle , standing over Church Ope Cove , may have been built for William II of England (also known as William Rufus) soon after
4305-457: The 1970s. In 2011 there were 6,312 dwellings in an area of 11.5 square kilometres (2,840 acres), with a population density of 1112 people per km . The population is almost entirely native to the United Kingdom and 93.9 per cent of residents are of white British ethnicity, well above the England and Wales average of 80.5 per cent. The average price of a detached house on Portland in 2010 was £ 194,200; terraced houses are cheaper, at £149,727, and
4428-688: The 2012 Games completed its tenth and final visit to London in March 2012. Its members concluded that "London is ready to host the world this summer". The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games used a mixture of new venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade . After the Games, some of the new facilities would be reused in their Olympic form, while others will be resized or relocated. The majority of venues were divided into three zones within Greater London :
4551-533: The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Designed by architects Gebler Tooth on the top floor of an office building in Westfield Stratford City, it combined the team HQ, athletes' "Friends and Family" lounge, Press Centre, and VIP lounge. IOC's initial evaluation felt that, if transport improvements were delivered in time for the Games, London would cope. Transport for London (TfL) carried out numerous improvements in preparation for 2012, including
4674-527: The 2012 Summer Olympics: Havana , Istanbul , Leipzig , London, Madrid , Moscow , New York City , Paris , and Rio de Janeiro . On 18 May 2004, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, the IOC reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. All five submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004 and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during
4797-696: The Basketball Arena and for the temporary parts of permanent venues such as the Olympic Stadium. In the Water Polo Arena, PVC roofing was made from recycled cushions to provide insulation. Through this recycling process, the Olympic Games PVC Policy was fulfilled; the policy states: According to Kirsten Henson, Materials Manager for the London 2012 Olympic Park: "The majority of temporary facilities created for
4920-459: The East Weares part of the island to control scrub in 2007. 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. Portland sea lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs; unique to Portland, it
5043-824: The French port of St Malo and the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey . St George's Community Primary School is located in Easton . The only other school on Portland is the Atlantic Academy , an all-through school for pupils aged 3 to 19 based at two different sites. Formerly known as the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy, it formed in 2012 by merging four primary schools and one secondary school. Some students commute to Weymouth or Dorchester to study A-Levels , or to attend other secondary schools nearby. Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis
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5166-761: The Games), westbound trains did not stop at Hackney Wick railway station , and Pudding Mill Lane DLR station closed entirely during the Games. TfL also built a £25 million cable car across the River Thames , called the Emirates Air Line , to link 2012 Olympics venues. It was inaugurated in June 2012 and crosses the Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks , carrying up to 2,500 passengers an hour, cutting journey times between The O2 and
5289-582: The Games. Plans for the relay were developed in 2010–11, with the torch-bearer selection process announced on 18 May 2011. The torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby . On 18 May 2012 the Olympic flame arrived at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall from Greece on flight BA2012, operated by a British Airways Airbus A319 named "Firefly". The relay lasted 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations and six island visits, and involved some 8,000 people carrying
5412-454: The IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut , would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances. Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite, particularly as this was its third bid in recent years. London was initially seen as lagging behind Paris by a considerable margin. Its position began to improve after
5535-403: 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 . The Isle of Portland SSSI encompasses 352 hectares (870 acres), and includes 17 monitored features ranging from Jurassic fossils, calcareous grassland, rock sea-lavender and nationally scarce butterflies. Sea and migratory birds occupy
5658-917: 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. 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. However, as part of the South West of England Regional Development Agency 's plans to redevelop Osprey Quay,
5781-501: The Lexington building in Bow , announcing that a missile system was to be stationed on top of the water tower. This caused concern to some residents. The Ministry said it probably would use Starstreak missiles and that site evaluations had taken place, but that no final decision had taken place. Approximately 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals were produced by the Royal Mint at Llantrisant . They were designed by David Watkins (Olympics) and Lin Cheung (Paralympics). 99% of
5904-488: The North , with reference to its similarities with Gibraltar ; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill 's winding streets. A. E. Housman wrote of the place in his poem, "The Isle of Portland", from A Shropshire Lad . Hilaire Belloc 's book The Cruise of the " Nona " is about sailing near Portland, and the reflections it occasions. He describes Portland Race as "the master terror of our world", and says "... if you were to make
6027-402: The Olympic Games including the Aquatic centre temporary stands, basketball arena, Water Polo Arena, and the shooting facilities at the Royal Artillery Barracks , are essentially big tents. Basically, PVC stretched over lightweight steel frame. This design solution makes them efficient to install, reduces the need for any significant foundations and are, of course, reusable. We were challenged by
6150-624: The Olympic Stadium. Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was artistic director and Rick Smith of Underworld was musical director. The opening ceremony was immediately seen as a tremendous success, widely praised as a "masterpiece" and "a love letter to Britain". The principal sections of the artistic display represented Britain's Industrial Revolution , National Health Service , literary heritage, popular music and culture , and were noted for their vibrant storytelling and use of music. The Games were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II , accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . This
6273-421: The Olympic Zone, the River Zone and the Central Zone. In addition there were a few venues that, by necessity, were outside the boundaries of Greater London, such as the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy some 125 mi (201 km) southwest of London, which hosted the sailing events. The football tournament was staged at several grounds around the UK. Work began on the Park in December 2006, when
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#17327979469126396-399: The Portland Breakwaters from 1848. For a few years until 2005 Britain's only prison ship , HMP The Weare , was berthed in the harbour. There are two tiers of local government covering Portland, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Portland Town Council and Dorset Council . The town council is based at the Portland Community Venue, a converted school in Fortuneswell. Since
6519-410: The Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005. Portland lends its name to one of the BBC 's Shipping Forecast regions. There are still two prisons on Portland: HMP The Verne , which until 1949 was a Victorian military fortress, and a Young Offenders' Institution ( HMYOI ) on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison ( HM Prison Portland ) built for convicts who quarried stone for
6642-430: 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 until 2014. MRCC Portland's area of responsibility extended 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). The 12 Search and Rescue teams in
6765-425: The Tickets For Troops scheme, as well as to survivors and families of those who died during the 7 July 2005 London bombings . Initially, people were able to apply for tickets via a website from 15 March until 26 April 2011. There was a huge demand for tickets, with a demand of more than three times the number of tickets available. On 11 May 2012 a round of nearly one million "second chance" tickets went on sale over
6888-470: 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 672.3 millimetres (26.5 in) is well below the UK average of 1,163.0 millimetres (45.8 in). The population of Portland in 2021 was 13,417; this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since
7011-473: The United Kingdom. Portland averaged 1822.6 hours of sunshine annually between 1991 and 2020, which is 42% of the maximum possible, and 36% above the United Kingdom average of 1402.7 hours. December is the cloudiest month (62.2 hours of sunshine), November the wettest (82.6 millimetres (3.3 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest month (237.4 hours of sunshine, 36.9 millimetres (1.5 in) of rain). Sunshine totals in all months are well above
7134-403: The Were-Rabbit . Out of respect for local beliefs the adverts omitted the word 'rabbit' and replaced the film's title with the phrase "Something bunny is going on" . Thomas Hardy described Portland as "the peninsula carved by Time out of a single stone", and named it the Isle of Slingers and Isle of the Race in his Wessex novels; it was the main setting of The Well-Beloved (1897), and
7257-440: The announcement. 12 years later, Paris would later be chosen as the host of the 2024 games in 2017. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) was created to oversee the staging of the Games, and held its first board meeting on 3 October 2005. The committee, chaired by Lord Coe , was in charge of implementing and staging the Games, while the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), established in April 2006,
7380-489: 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 air frost rare: on average 6.3 days per year — this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost. Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to five days per year; almost all winters have no more than one day with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it almost never settles on
7503-421: The appointment of Lord Coe as the new chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) on 19 May 2004. In late August 2004, reports predicted a tie between London and Paris. On 6 June 2005, the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. They did not contain any scores or rankings, but the report for Paris was considered the most positive. London
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#17327979469127626-509: The beach and then over the Fleet Lagoon by bridge to the mainland. The population of Portland is 13,417. 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. Portland stone , a limestone famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and the United Nations Headquarters , continues to be quarried here. Portland Harbour , in between Portland and Weymouth,
7749-447: The bid. The United States topped the medal table , winning the most gold medals (48) and the highest number of medals overall (104). China finished second with a total of 91 medals (38 gold) and Great Britain came third with 65 medals overall (29 gold). Michael Phelps of the United States became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Saudi Arabia , Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for
7872-469: The capital after the Great Fire of London of 1666. Well-known buildings in the capital, including St Paul's Cathedral and the eastern front of Buckingham Palace feature the stone. 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, and after the Second World War hundreds of thousands of gravestones were hewn for soldiers who had fallen on
7995-439: The cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton . The line closed to passengers in 1952, and the final goods train (and two passenger 'specials') ran in April 1965. The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck stationed a lifeboat at Portland in 1826, which was withdrawn in 1851. Coastal flooding has affected Portland's residents and transport for centuries—the only way off
8118-406: The cliffs in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country. Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks. 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. Ten British Primitive goats were introduced to
8241-411: The closing act. Broadcast live on BBC One , the ceremony attracted a peak viewing audience of over 27 million in the UK. The closing ceremony was held on 12 August. It featured a flashback fiesta to British music with The Who closing the performance. The ceremony also included a handover of the Olympic flag by Boris Johnson , Mayor of London , to Eduardo Paes , Mayor of Rio de Janeiro ,
8364-410: The conquest of England by his father William the Conqueror . None of that castle remains; the existing castle probably dates from the 15th century. In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle for defence against attacks by the French; the castle cost £4,964 (equivalent to £4.21 million in 2024 ). It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is opened to
8487-635: The current MP is Lloyd Hatton ( Labour ). 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 the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959. The borough and nearby Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone since 2007. 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 / 50.55000°N 2.44000°W / 50.55000; -2.44000 (50.55, −2.44). Portland
8610-474: The expansion of the London Overground 's East London Line , upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway and the North London Line , and the introduction of a new " Javelin " high-speed rail service. According to Network Rail, an additional 4,000 train services operated during the Games, and train operators ran longer trains during the day. During the Games, Stratford International station was not served by any international services (just as it had not been before
8733-405: 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. The current only stops for brief periods during the 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 -hour tidal cycle and can reach 4 metres per second (9 mph) at the spring tide of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in). Due to its isolated coastal location,
8856-587: The figure of 13,500 armed forces personnel was greater than the number deployed at the time in Afghanistan. The Metropolitan Police and the Royal Marines carried out security exercises in preparation for the Olympics on 19 January 2012, with 50 marine police officers in rigid inflatables and fast response boats, joined by up to 100 military personnel and a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter . The Ministry of Defence distributed leaflets to residents of
8979-566: The final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Belgian Jacques Rogge , who was succeeded by German Thomas Bach the next year. London was chosen over Birmingham to represent Great Britain 's bid by the British Olympic Association . By 15 July 2003—the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)—nine cities had submitted bids to host
9102-446: The final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore . Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two contenders were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes to 50. The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on London's transport system less than 24 hours after
9225-406: The fire to the 204 petals of the cauldron , representing the countries that participated in the Games. The cauldron was designed by Thomas Heatherwick . The Olympic Park was planned to incorporate 45 hectares of wildlife habitat, with a total of 525 bird boxes and 150 bat boxes. Local waterways and riverbanks were enhanced as part of the process. Renewable energy also featured at the Olympics. It
9348-534: The first city to host the modern Olympics three times, having previously hosted the Summer Games in 1908 and 1948 . Construction for the Games involved considerable redevelopment, with an emphasis on sustainability . The main focus was a new 200-hectare (490-acre) Olympic Park , constructed on a former industrial site in Stratford, East London . The Games also used venues that already existed before
9471-530: The first time in Olympic history, the sailing events were ticketed. Eventually, more than 7,000,000 tickets were sold. Following IOC rules, people applied for tickets from the NOC of their country of residence. European Union residents were able to apply for tickets in any EU country. In Great Britain, ticket prices ranged from £20 for many events to £2,012 for the most expensive seats at the opening ceremony. Some free tickets were given to military personnel as part of
9594-588: The first time, meaning that every currently eligible country has now sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. Women's boxing was included for the first time, and the 2012 Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors. The Games received considerable praise for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military and public enthusiasm commended particularly highly. The Games were described as " happy and glorious ". The opening ceremony , directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle , received widespread acclaim. These were
9717-552: The gold, silver and copper was donated by Rio Tinto from a mine in Salt Lake County, Utah in the U.S. The remaining 1% came from a Mongolian mine. Each medal weighs 375–400 g (13.2–14.1 oz), has a diameter of 85 mm (3.3 in) and is 7 mm (0.28 in) thick, with the sport and discipline engraved on the rim. The obverse, as is traditional, features Nike , the Greek goddess of victory, stepping from
9840-582: The ground—coastal areas in South West England such as Portland generally experience the mildest winters in the UK. Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience. The growing season lasts for more than 310 days per year, and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9. Weymouth and Portland, and the rest of the south coast, has the sunniest climate in
9963-466: 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. Portland Ledge 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
10086-754: The highest in the British Isles, and by far warmer than the United Kingdom average. However, due to the island's proximity to the sea, summers are cooler than the national average, with temperatures rarely climbing to the extremes seen in in-land areas further north. As a result of its coastal extremity and mild winter minimum temperatures, Portland is suitable for plants with the Royal Horticultural Society 's hardiness rating H2. Mean sea surface temperatures range from 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in February to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in August;
10209-535: The island by land 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. Following two severe flood events in the 1970s, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and Wessex Water decided to investigate
10332-594: The island of Portland. The Bill has three lighthouse towers. The Higher Lighthouse is now a dwelling and holiday apartments whilst the Lower Lighthouse is now a bird observatory and field centre providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors, 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
10455-418: The logistics of spectators travelling to the events outside London. In particular, the sailing events at Portland had no direct motorway connections, and local roads are heavily congested by tourist traffic in the summer. However, a £77 million relief road connecting Weymouth to Dorchester was built and opened in 2011. Some £16 million was put aside for the rest of the improvements. TfL created
10578-432: The mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach , a tombolo which runs 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west to West Bay . 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). There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton on Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are
10701-438: The name is still taboo—the creatures are often referred to as "underground mutton", "long-eared furry things" or just "bunnies". 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 . If
10824-525: 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. 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. Portland Harbour
10947-492: The opportunity to recover energy from waste. Where it could not be reused or recycled, food packaging for use at the Olympics—including fast-food wrappers, sandwich boxes and drink cartons—was made from compostable materials like starch and cellulose-based bioplastics . After use, many of these materials were suitable for anaerobic digestion (AD), allowing them to be made into renewable energy. Post-Games, buildings like
11070-451: The original budget for the Games was increased to about £9.3 billion (US$ 15.28 billion) in 2007. The revised figures were announced to the House of Commons on 15 March 2007 by Tessa Jowell . Along with East End regeneration costs, the breakdown was: Unpaid volunteers known as Games Makers performed a variety of tasks before and during the Games. A target of 70,000 volunteers
11193-444: The original venues not being challenging enough or being financially unviable. Both the Olympic road races and the mountain bike event were initially considered to be too easy, so they were eventually scheduled on new locations. The Olympic marathon course , which was set to finish in the Olympic stadium, was moved to The Mall, since closing Tower Bridge was deemed to cause traffic problems in central London. North Greenwich Arena 2
11316-517: 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 Isle of Portland has been designated by Natural England as National Character Area 137. It
11439-668: The park, including an unused 1970s-built wing, into the Portland Spa and an 80-bedroom hotel, known as the Venue Hotel. Completed in 2007, the spa included a gym, a fitness studio and an indoor swimming pool. The Orchid Restaurant was also converted from the former AUWE canteen. It was later renamed to the Cliff Panoramic Restaurant and Bar. In 2010, the park went into administration after the UK recession made it difficult to repay borrowed money used to create
11562-542: The public around the use of PVC; but we considered it to be the right material for certain functions. We therefore challenged the PVC supply chain to have certain environmental performance criteria in place, including a take back and recycle scheme." The Olympic Charter , the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games and for governing the Olympic Movement, states that LOCOG shall organise
11685-536: The public by the custodians English Heritage . In the 17th century, chief architect and Surveyor-General to James I, Inigo Jones , surveyed the area and introduced the local Portland stone to London, using it in his Banqueting House, Whitehall , and for repairs on Old St Paul's Cathedral . His successor, Sir Christopher Wren , an architect and the Member of Parliament for nearby Weymouth, used six million tons of white Portland limestone to rebuild destroyed parts of
11808-404: The remainder copper. The silver medal is 92.5 percent silver, with the remainder copper. The bronze medal is made up of 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc, and 0.5 per cent tin. The value of the materials in the gold medal was about £410 (US$ 644), the silver about £210 (US$ 330), and the bronze about £3 (US$ 4.71) as of 30 July 2012. The Olympics torch relay ran from 19 May to 27 July 2012, before
11931-399: The rest of Dorset. The whole isle was also an ancient parish ; the original parish church was St Andrew's at Church Ope Cove on the east side of the island, which was replaced by St George's Church in the eighteenth century after St Andrew's was damaged by landslips. The isle was gradually divided into smaller ecclesiastical parishes , but remained a single civil parish . The parish
12054-666: The security operation (named Operation Olympics by the Ministry of Defence), with 10,000 officers available, supported by 13,500 members of the British Armed Forces . Naval and air assets were deployed as part of the security operation, including ships situated in the Thames , Typhoon fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles; it was the biggest security operation Britain had faced in decades. The cost of security increased from £282 million to £553 million, and
12177-494: The spa and hotel. The site was sold to Compass Point Estates. After a succession of ownership changes and names, the tenants of the Ocean Spa took over the hotel and restaurant in 2013. In 2016, the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy's new £14 million campus was opened within the park. The Ocean Spa and Hotel had closed in 2014 due to the new school premises, however by 2015 the hotel had reopened with new management, and
12300-408: The structure of the beach, and coastal management schemes that could be built to protect Chiswell and the beach road. In the 1980s it was agreed that a scheme to provide storm protection with a 20% annual exceedance probability to reduce flood depth and duration in more severe storms. Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion running 550 metres (600 yd) to
12423-456: The surface facilities should be complete to store the first gas in 2011, and the entire cavern space available for storage in winter 2013. As part of the £350 million scheme, the Grade II listed former Old Engine Shed would be converted into a £1.5 million educational centre with a café and an exhibition space about the geology of Portland. Portland Bill is the southern tip of
12546-479: The tied island produce 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 11.5 °C (52.7 °F). The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 14.8 to 19.5 °C (58.6 to 67.1 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 4.7 to 8.4 °C (40.5 to 47.1 °F). Mean winter temperatures are amongst
12669-743: The torch about 8,000 mi (12,875 km), starting from Land's End in Cornwall. The torch had three days outside the United Kingdom when it visited the Isle of Man on 2 June, Dublin in Ireland, on 6 June, and both Guernsey and Jersey on 15 July. The relay focused on National Heritage Sites, locations with sporting significance, key sporting events, schools registered with the Get Set School Network, green spaces and biodiversity, Live Sites (city locations with large screens), and festivals and other events. Dumfries and Galloway
12792-423: The wider United Kingdom. The organisation was also responsible for the supervision of the £9.3 billion of public sector funding. In August 2011, security concerns arose surrounding the hosting of the Olympic Games in London, following the 2011 England riots . Some countries expressed safety concerns, despite the IOC's assurance that the riots would not affect the Games. The IOC's Coordination Commission for
12915-453: Was $ 1.4 million. This does not include wider costs for urban and transport infrastructure, which often equal or exceed the sports-related costs. The costs of staging the Games were separate from those for building the venues and infrastructure and redeveloping the land for the Olympic Park. While the Games were privately funded, the venues and infrastructure were largely financed using public money. According to The Wall Street Journal ,
13038-444: Was close behind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations. On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, "I cannot predict it since I don't know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less." On 6 July 2005,
13161-549: Was created for the former urban district, with its council taking the name Portland Town Council. The town council continued to be based at the old urban district council's building at Fortuneswell until 2016. In 2019, the borough of Weymouth and Portland was abolished when Dorset moved to a unitary authority structure of local government. Portland forms part of the South Dorset parliamentary constituency , created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament;
13284-653: Was featured in The Trumpet-Major (1880). 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 also called Portland the Gibraltar of
13407-691: Was followed by a section highlighting London, One month later, the Olympic and Paralympic flags were raised outside the London City Hall . A countdown clock in Trafalgar Square was unveiled, 500 days before the Games. It was a two-sided clock with the Paralympic countdown on the other side. The countdown to the start of the Olympics began with a ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece . The police led
13530-590: 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 "the home of the Asdics," 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. During the Second World War Portland
13653-467: Was in charge of construction of the venues and infrastructure. The Government Olympic Executive (GOE), a unit within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), was the lead government body for coordinating the London 2012 Olympics. It focused on oversight of the Games, cross-programme management, and the London 2012 Olympic Legacy before and after the Games that would benefit London and
13776-465: Was in dispute with London and Continental Railways about the orders in November 2005. By May 2006, 86% of the land had been bought as businesses fought eviction. Residents who opposed the eviction tried to find ways to stop it by setting up campaigns, but they had to leave as 94% of land was bought and the other 6% bought as a £9 billion regeneration project started. There were some issues with
13899-480: Was made a local government district in 1867, governed by an elected local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894. In 1933/1934, Portland Urban District Council built itself a new headquarters at 3 Fortuneswell. Portland Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 to become part of the borough of Weymouth and Portland . A successor parish
14022-914: Was named Ocean Hotel and Bar. The hotel is currently known as the Maritime Hotel. In 2017, business and enterprise director Calvin Samways acquired a stretch of real estate at Southwell Business Park from the Compass Point Estates for a six figure sum. The unused site was then redeveloped into seven industrial units, named the Network Enterprise Complex (NEC). It was officially opened in 2018 by South Dorset MP Richard Drax and Weymouth and Portland's Mayor and Mayoress. 50°31′43″N 2°27′09″W / 50.52873°N 2.45245°W / 50.52873; -2.45245 Isle of Portland The Isle of Portland
14145-485: Was originally planned to provide 20% of the energy for the Olympic Park and Village from renewable technologies; however, only 9% of it was achieved. Proposals to meet the original target included large-scale on-site wind turbines and hydroelectric generators in the River Thames, but these plans were scrapped for safety reasons. The focus subsequently moved to installing solar panels on some buildings, and providing
14268-521: Was predicted to be the busiest day in the airport's history, according to Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow. A study from Oxford University found that the sports-related costs of London 2012 amounted to US$ 15 billion, compared with $ 4.6 billion for Rio 2016, $ 40–44 billion for Beijing 2008, and $ 51 billion for Sochi 2014 (the most expensive Olympics in history). London 2012 went over budget by 76% in real terms, measured from bid to completion. The cost per athlete
14391-498: Was scrapped in a cost-cutting exercise, Wembley Arena being used for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events instead. Test events were held throughout 2011 and 2012, either through an existing championship such as 2012 Wimbledon Championships or as a specially created event held under the banner of London Prepares . Team GB House was the British Olympic Association's operational HQ up to and during
14514-466: Was set as early as 2004. When recruitment took place in 2010, more than 240,000 applications were received. Sebastian Coe said in February 2012, "Our Games Makers will contribute a total of around eight million volunteer hours during the Games and the Games simply wouldn't happen without them". The volunteers wore clothing that included purple and red polo shirts and jackets, beige trousers, grey socks and grey-and-white trainers , which they collected from
14637-487: Was the acquisition and development of former military sites, purchased the site in 1997. The first tenants of Southwell Business Park arrived that year, and the park continued to expand its range of business tenants. In the 2000s, the site was recorded as employing almost 500 people and being home to over 100 businesses. It was estimated that the total turnover generated at the park from 1997 to 2008 reached over £200 million. In 2006, work commenced on developing unused parts of
14760-471: Was the only Region in the whole of the United Kingdom that had the Olympic Torch pass through it twice. A group of young athletes, nominated by retired Olympic athletes, ran the torch around the stadium. These torchbearers were Callum Airlie , Jordan Duckitt , Desiree Henry , Katie Kirk , Cameron MacRitchie , Aidan Reynolds, and Adelle Tracey . Together the torchbearers each lit a petal that spread
14883-786: Was the second Olympic Games opened personally by the Queen, the first being in 1976 in Montreal , Canada. The ceremony featured a short comic film starring Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and the Queen as herself. There was also a musical comedy item starring Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean playing along with the London Symphony Orchestra . These were widely ascribed to Britain's sense of humour . Live musical performers included Frank Turner , Dame Evelyn Glennie , Mike Oldfield , Dizzee Rascal , Arctic Monkeys , and Sir Paul McCartney who performed " Hey Jude " as
15006-456: Was the target of 48 air raids and a total of 532 bombs, although most warships had moved north as Portland was within enemy striking range across the Channel. Mulberry Harbour Phoenix Units can be seen at Black Barge beach, near Portland Castle . 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
15129-579: Was used for the 2012 Olympic Games . The name Portland is used for one of the British Sea Areas , and has been exported as the name of several North American and Australian towns, such as Portland, Victoria , and Portland, Oregon ; the latter of which was named after the city in Maine , which named itself after the isle. The name is also used for a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong , and
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