Easton to Weymouth Branch Trackbed Tour

Description

Starting at the station site at Easton, remaining clues were sought out before tracing the track bed out on to the cliffs and along the east coast of the island.

The bike was used to travel the coast path as far as the forbidding fence around the ex-Admiralty property, now a private port. Permission was kindly granted to access the port and some accompanied filming was allowed, showing some sections of the largely overgrown route travelling through where the Navy were based until the year 2000. At the time of filming, significant landslides had obliterated the track bed where it ran close to sea level through the port property, but a well preserved and listed viaduct made the visit very worthwhile.

The route through Castletown and the site of Portland Hospital Halt was speculated on and partly filmed, before moving round to the site of both the first and second Portland stations. A short section was filmed with the camera bolted to the roof of the car, before reverting to the bike for the remainder of the journey.

This consisted of crossing the Fleet and travelling the Rodwell trail, taking in Wyke Regis Halt, Sandsfoot Castle Halt, Rodwell, Westham Halt, Melcombe Regis and finally Weymouth.

Includes constant, well-informed commentary and reference to a vintage map.