Chesil Beach

Chesil Beach is a single bank of shingle, about 18 miles long, joining the Isle of Portland to the Dorset mainland and running west to West Bay. It is up to 15 metres high and 200 metres wide in places. Behind it lies the Fleet, a shallow lagoon up to 3 metres deep that is home to wading birds and to Abbotsbury Swannery.

The shingle

The stones are sorted by the sea. They are about 5 cm long at the Portland end and pea-sized at West Bay, which fishermen once used to work out where they were. The beach and the Fleet are a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a Ramsar site, and access to parts of it is restricted through the summer to protect nesting birds, including a little tern colony.

Swimming

Do not plan to swim here. Visit Dorset’s beach guide says bathing can be dangerous, the beach shelves steeply and there is a strong undertow. There are no lifeguards. Portland Town Council describes the beach as a haven for anglers.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome all year but must be kept under control near nesting birds and mudflats. Dorset Wildlife Trust asks for dogs on leads around the edge of the Fleet lagoon and on the mudflats where birds are resting and feeding. Check the signs, because bird protection areas can change.

Getting there and facilities

A convenient start is The Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre, formerly the Chesil Beach Centre, run by Dorset Wildlife Trust on the edge of the Fleet just off Beach Road between Weymouth and Portland. A boardwalk gives access onto the beach, and the centre has toilets, an accessible toilet and a cafe. Chesil car park is next to the beach with 616 spaces, and the sea is a five minute walk over the ridge. The toilets are open when the centre is, so check its opening times before you rely on them.

Nearby

The western end of the bank is at West Bay East Beach. The Great Storm of 1824 destroyed much of the village of Chiswell on the Portland side, and the beach is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.