Nothe Gardens

Weymouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom

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Nothe Gardens is a stunning public garden located on the Nothe Peninsula in Weymouth, Dorset, England, widely acclaimed as the most beautiful garden the borough has to offer due to its spectacular position overlooking both Weymouth and Portland harbours.

These informal gardens feature a vast array of choice trees, established shrub beds, winding paths that lead to sheltered slopes and picnic areas, spacious grassed areas perfect for ball games, and sheltered rock pools at the seashore where children enjoy crabbing, making them ideal for walkers, sunbathers, and families.

The gardens are home to Nothe Fort, a historic Victorian fort built between 1860 and 1872 as part of the Palmerston defences to protect Portland Harbour from French invasion, which served as a defense system throughout both World Wars until 1956 and has been restored since 1979 as a museum by the Weymouth Civic Society featuring inactive cannons, wartime tunnels, and historical exhibits about Victorian and World War Two soldiers.

The main flat top of the gardens was once a military encampment and is now public open space through which the South West Coastal Path also runs, while nearby amenities include the Nothe Tavern, Nothe Café, Stone Pier Café, children's playground, nature trail, accessible pathways, dog-friendly areas, and protected wildlife zones where visitors can spot birds and grey squirrels.