How Much Do You Know About Weymouth?

The following quizzes are for those who like them easy and then for those who like them more challenging.

Answers at the bottom of each quiz.

The Easy Quiz

1. In which county is Weymouth located?
2. Which body of water does Weymouth Bay open onto?
3. Weymouth forms part of which UNESCO World Heritage Site?
4. What is the name of the female monarch who has a statue in Weymouth?
5. Which Georgian landmark stretches along the seafront?
6. Which monarch famously stayed in Weymouth in 1789, helping to popularise seaside holidays?
7. What type of beach is Weymouth Beach best known for?
8. Which nearby island is connected to Weymouth by a causeway?
9. What is the name of the fort built by Henry VIII to defend the harbour?
10. Which international sailing event took place in Weymouth during the London 2012 Olympics?
11. What is the nearest country to Weymouth by sea?
12. Which popular tourist attraction features swans and other water birds?
13. What local fishing industry has historically been important to Weymouth’s economy?
14. Which author, closely associated with Dorset, set several novels near Weymouth?
15. What is the name of the nature reserve and lagoon located just south of the town?
16. Which nearby village is famous for its thatched cottages and smuggling history?
17. What colourful tradition involves lighting up the harbour at night during summer events?
18. Which railway line connects Weymouth to London Waterloo?
19. What can usually be found every Thursday evening in the summer on Weymouth’s seafront?
20. What nickname is often used to describe Weymouth due to its mild climate?

Answers

1. Dorset
2. The English Channel
3. The Jurassic Coast
4. Queen Victoria
5. The Esplanade
6. King George III
7. A sandy beach
8. The Isle of Portland
9. Sandsfoot Castle
10. Olympic sailing (Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy)
11. France
12. Abbotsbury Swannery
13. Fishing and shellfish (particularly crab and lobster)
14. Thomas Hardy
15. Radipole Lake Nature Reserve
16. Abbotsbury
17. Harbour illuminations
18. The Southwestern Main Line
19. Classic Cars
20. The “Sunshine Resort”

The Hard Quiz

1. In which year was Weymouth officially granted its town charter?
2. What was the original medieval name of Weymouth before it became known by its current name?
3. Which 18th-century architect was responsible for much of Weymouth’s Georgian seafront development?
4. What engineering feature allows Weymouth Harbour to remain accessible to ships and boats at different tides?
5. Which Royal Navy operation in the 17th century used Weymouth as a significant embarkation point?
6. What is the name of the tidal river that flows into Weymouth Harbour?
7. Which specific fossil-rich geological period is most strongly represented along Weymouth’s stretch of the Jurassic Coast?
8. What role did Weymouth play in the early development of British seaside tourism in the late 18th century?
9. Which nearby headland provides panoramic views across Weymouth Bay and the Fleet Lagoon?
10. What was the original defensive purpose of the Nothe Fort?
11. Which European country was connected to Weymouth by regular ferry services during the late 20th century?
12. What major World War II armament was tested at Chesil Beach?
13. What was the colloquial name given to navy personnel who visited Weymouth?
14. Who wrote ‘On Chesil Beach’?
15. What rare habitat found at Radipole Lake Nature Reserve makes it nationally important?
16. Which annual religious pilgrimage historically passed through Weymouth en route to continental Europe?
17. What was the strategic importance of Weymouth and Portland during the Second World War?
18. Which literary movement is Thomas Hardy associated with that features Weymouth as part of “Wessex”?
19. What traditional fishing method was once commonly practised in Weymouth Bay?
20. Which climatic feature gives Weymouth one of the highest sunshine records in the UK?

Answers

1. 1252
2. Wyke/Melcombe Regis
3. Sir John Wyattville
4. A tidal harbour with lock gates
5. The Monmouth Rebellion embarkations
6. The River Wey
7. The Jurassic period (especially the Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian stages)
8. It became a fashionable royal seaside resort after visits by King George III
9. Chesil Beach (near Abbotsbury)
10. To defend Portland Harbour from naval attack
11. France
12. The Bouncing Bomb—Dambusters Raid
13. Matlows
14. Ian McEwan
15. Reedbed wetland habitat
16. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
17. D-Day embarkation and naval operations
18. Victorian realism / regional literature
19. Seine net fishing
20. Sheltered southerly aspect and coastal microclimate

How did you do?

36-40—Wizard

30-35—Good

Under 30—You should read more