A circuit of the Isle of Portland

Join us for a 9-mile / 15 kilometre walk on the South West Coast Path, around the Isle of Portland!  This circular walk begins near the Olympic Rings and circumnavigates the island in an anti-clockwise direction. The route mostly follows the official South West Coast Path.  Ascent is around 340 metres, resulting from ups and downs along the way, and with a gradual rise from Portland Bill back to the Olympic Rings.

Highlights of the walk include:

• Outstanding views from the top of West Cliff of Chesil Beach and Fleet Lagoon, which is the largest tidal lagoon in Britain.
• The extensive fortification of the Verne Citadel which was built in the 19th century overlooking Portland Harbour, which it was built to defend.  If you’re interested in military architecture, there’s more info here.
• The “pirate graveyard” at the ruined old church of Saint Andrew, so-called because of the skull-and-crossbones design which can be seen on a number of tombstones.
• Pulpit Rock and Portland Bill at the southernmost tip of the island, from where spectacular views extend to Start Point in Devon and to Durlston Head in the east.  On a clear day, you can probably see more of the English south coast than from anywhere else.
• Portland Bill Lighthouse, which was built by Trinity House in 1906 to guide vessels heading for Portland and Weymouth and acts as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel.  If you’re interested in lighthouses, there's more info here.
• Near the end of the walk, the sculpture park at Tout Quarry is a showcase of modern sculptures created in an old quarry. There’s more info here.

We may meet other OutdoorLads along the way who are climbing on the Portland cliffs this weekend, if so we'll stop for a chat and maybe watch them climbing for a short while.  

Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome on the walk, but must be under close control at all times and on a lead in the vicinity of livestock or where wildlife may be disturbed.

Waitlist: if this event is fully booked and you want to join us, just add yourself to the wait list because places usually become available closer to the event date. 

IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement

You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend. 

Photo credits: three photos by the event leader, with permission granted to OutdoorLads for their use, plus: photo of Verne Citadel © Copyright Chris Gunns and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence; photo of Portland Bill lighthouse © Copyright Ian Capper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence and photo of South West Coast Path © Copyright Malc McDonald and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.