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Weymouth is a coastal town in Dorset, England. The town is five miles south of Dorchester, and
just north of the Isle of Portland. The district of Weymouth and Portland has a population of 63,648 (2001 UK census
data). The town has a long sand beach and is one of
the most popular British holiday towns.
The town is acknowledged as the first ever tourist destination, after King George III spent 10 weeks there and popularised
sea bathing. The seafront is
entirely georgian architecture, and a white horse is carved into the chalk hills to the east of the
town.
Weymouth and Portland were extremely important in World War II, as
Portland harbour was home to a large naval base, and Weymouth was
home to Nothe Fort, together an
important part of the D-Day preparations and Bouncing bomb development.
Radipole lake, an RSPB Nature Reserve and mouth of the River Wey is an important habitat for birds and fish. The lake flows into the historical Weymouth harbour, where ferries to France and the Channel Islands dock.
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