Breakfast at the Smugglers Inn sets us up for today’s stroll towards Weymouth. We find the coast path a little way out of the village and head up the steps to the cliff top where the path takes us inland around the large undercliff area.. All along this walk there is evidence of the ever-changing coastline with massive cracks in the land suggesting imminent cliff falls, we stay well clear of the edge! We spot a white horse on the cliff –which are later informed by our taxi driver is riden by King George…

The path skirts around a children’s activity centre and along the cliffs to Bowleaze Cove – we can see what looks like a holiday camp but when we get to the other side of it we find a most incredible Modernist style hotel. The Riviera Hotel built in the 1930’s has seen various owners including Fred Pontin of Pontin’s Holiday Camp fame. As a huge fan of this style of building my camera starts clicking away and I can’t resist heading inside for a quick peek of the foyer and bar area.

Our pace quickens as we pass through Fantasy Island Fun Park and on to Furzy Cliff – an interpretation panel tells us about the activity here in 2012 as it was the sailing venue for the London Olympics.

A quick tea break stop then along the promenade to Weymouth. We admire the delightful two storey beach huts, painted sea blue with iron pillars and balustrades , I would love to have seen them in use back in the heyday of English Seaside towns.

Weymouth turns out to be a delightful seaside town – rows of guest houses with quaint coloured awnings above the front door, coloured beach huts, people dining outside seafront cafes, art deco style pier head building (sadly no pier), grand looking hotels, palm trees and donkey rides.

An interesting shell like building on the seafront turns out to be a showground for a local sand sculpturer – WOW..

Just round the corner we pay the ferryman a £1 each and he rows across us the harbour inlet to Nothe Point – a walk around the headland takes us passed Nothe Fort. A newly built promenade and a new bridge leads us behind the waterside residencies to our final stopping point, the cafe at Sandsfoot Castle. For a Pasty…

A local cabbie from Portland takes us back to our car; on the journey I enjoy an interesting chat about the highlights of our next walk on the Island of Portland.