In the midsts of some research this morning, I came across this incredible site https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/search?keywords=weymouth&country=global&year=all
Of course, being the butterfly mind that I am, I just had to stop and browse what they had to offer.
I was blown away!
I guess in this day and age, with all the super technology around around us, we all get a bit blasé.
Take for instance the drone.
Nowadays anyone has the ability to get an overhead shot, a view that was unthinkable before unless you were rich enough to own your own means of flight.
Well, Britain From Above offer you a whole selection of overhead photos taken from a variety of years and sources, some going way back.
What’s even better, they are a free resource you can use as long as it’s not for profit!
Consequently I’ve abandoned my original research and just had to post this fascinating series of Radipole Lake (and the emerging garden grounds) over time.
This first one dates to 1920, you can just about make out the Radipole Lake shoreline to the left. (Note the huge expanse of water at Lodmoor in the background)
The next series of four are dated from 1925 and this shows where they are starting to reclaim land from the Backwater to create Melcombe Regis gardens, the bowling green and  tennis courts.
The new Westham bridge is clearly visible which was opened in 1921.
Loving that you can just make out the blurred image of the bi-plane’s wing in this image below.
(Note too a terrace of houses on the Nothe peninsula, old army accommodation built at the start of 1900 that have since been demolished, and tents from an army camp who had set up shop as they did there most years.)
Looks like Radipole Park Drive is under construction in this following picture.
Another view from the same date but different angle.
1932 and you can see Radipole gardens under creation. Their fast forming grounds are still only settling silt and clay dredged from the lake’s bed.
We then come on to the image below from 1946, a year after the end of WWII.
It was during WWII when the green park area was commandeered by the American troops…the original item I set out researching this morning when I chanced upon this site!
This final image of Radipole Lake is from 1947 and I loved this one because sometimes from down on the ground, you can’t always appreciate ‘the whole.’
Hope you’ve enjoyed these old images as much as I have, go check out their website as it’s a sweetie shop waiting to be eaten.
Sue Hogben
