Portland's secret tunnels...

Chesil beach! 

Portland's Chesil beach is seemingly endless, 18 or 19 miles of beach and I happen to spot this, what looks like a drain, so oddly out of place within all these pebbles.

If it is a drain that is, my imagination run away with me at the time because it didn't really look like a drain, more an entrance for something than anything. We all know on Portland that's possible ;o)

Portland's hidden secrets fascinate me...

Portland's Ope cove, pebble gardens and castles

Gateway to Church Ope Cove

Portland's Rufus castle stands above Church Ope cove, a small beach which is a dot on the landscape in comparison to Chesil beach, though it is one of Portland's secret treats of which mostly locals use.

Lucky us!

A small cove surrounded by cliffs and two castles plus a 13th century church ruins, hence the name.

Rufus castle, the drawbridge of which you see here atop the arch is the old castle, a ruin really, you walk under this arch to get to the top of the 152 (I think) steps leading down to the cove and beach.

The other is Pennsylvainia castle sat to the right and on the main road to this castle.

Portland's biggest knob!

The Nicodemus knob...

On the east side of Portland sits this stack, at a guess it's about 25-35 metres high, overlooking the Jurassic coast with a fantastic view of the sheer white chalk cliffs in the distance just before Lulworth cove.

I have to say, it's not recommended at all to climb on this, although people have done so it is dangerous and at least 500 to 600 metres from the nearest house and main road, with no ambulance access you certainly wouldn't want to fall off that!

This was I presume part of the cliff at one time, as the east side was quarried a long time ago, the old railway ran along this side under the cliffs just on the other side of the stack.

Partly what alarms me is the sheer amount of stone that's been taken from the outsides of the island, the cliffs are quite some way back from the seashore.

Portland must have been quite a bit bigger one time, shame to have lost that but then the stone from the east side here is what ended up at St Paul's cathedral, among many other grand buildings for the world to see.

I am not sure why this stack is called Nicodemus knob to be honest but it is a landmark for us, if it was to disappear it would look odd for us locals.

UPDATED: It seems there is a theory by Geoff Kirby as to the name and reason behind it, according to his theory, it was named after an Irish man who had been keen on the ladies! (check the part inside the red box)

Portland UK : Church Ope cove beach

The secluded beauty of this beach means it's rarely full in the summer but when it is it's usually the "locals" rather than holiday makers or "grockles" as they are fondly known as.

In the picture you can see part of the reason this coast is so well known as the jurrasic coast, the rockbed is pointing up like it does so clearly at Lulworth cove a few miles along the coast due to the "bending" of the rockbed under force millions of years ago.

It cut this cove off nicely.

There are a few hundred steps to walk down to get to this beach, not forgetting going back up them again to get out, a good work out for your legs that is.

"Rufus castle and the church ruins"

I recently posted a picture of Rufus castle sitting above "Ope cove" and it's lovely secluded beach. I mentioned the church ruins between the castle and the beach.

Here is a picture of the church ruins and clearly you can also see Rufus castle sitting high up above.


The huge church walls can clearly be seen here on the left middle, and the gravestones on are on the right side of the picture taking up almost half of the space up here, it was a small thin but long church.

Sturdy though, looking at the size of the walls!

Most of the gravestones are very worn but a few letters and dates can be read so always worth looking. :o)

"Portland's ghost tunnels"

Effectionately known as the ghost tunnels, on the highest part of the Island, these gun placements were used to fire toward the sea.

There are tunnels here, with gates, which were all locked, only two of the three are locked now.

Kids played up here alot when I was younger, though I rarely see anyone here anymore.

The tracks used for the little tram boxes are still there.


This whole place was tidied up many years ago, sadly it has fallen into decay again.

A worthy project for tidying up I think, this could be all done in one summer and if kids got involved they would be more likely to keep it that way and keep an eye on others mistreating it.

Playing doesn't need to be vandalising.

These were built in the late 1800's and a real part of Portlands history.

One of the huge gates and the date carved on the top.

Inside, there are several branches of rooms to either side, pitch black in there!

"Rufus castle above Ope cove"

Church ope cove, a hidden gem of portland, a small beach where locals enjoy the summer...spent many a good summer here during my chldhood.

The name church Ope may seem odd, but below the castle and above this beach is a church ruin from the 13th century. The gravestones and outside walls of the church are still there.

Rufus castle sits high up and is not accessible to the public anymore.

"A kickabout anyone?"

An amazing football pitch.

This was created by the local prisoners a long time ago, it is
set into an old disused quarry.

Many a school holiday spent here having a game with friends.
It can get very hot down there in the summer, a real suntrap.

At the top you see some steps leading down, I can only
imagine what it felt like walking down there when it was full
of spectators.

It has been said the actual pitch is only slightly smaller
than the old Wembley!
Around this side there are banks of grass steps, where
people would sit and watch.
It is rarley used nowadays and thats a shame.

It is not an easy place to find when visiting the island.

I feel like a gladiator when I go down here. :o)