swuklink: Chiswell, Isle of Portland, <a href="BAAAGBYS.php">Dorset</a>

CHISWELLIsle of Portland, Dorset, England

Chiswell, Dorset, England OS Map Grid Ref: SY691715
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Chiswell, Isle of Portland, Dorset
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The annual November fair has its origins in the livestock fair held annually on Portland since medieval times.

Between the two World Wars the funfair filled the Square and the main road to the point where it begins to climb up to the top of the peninsula. Now, with the pressures of modern road traffic, the square islittle more than a huge traffic roundabout.

THE GREAT STORM OF 1824
In 1824, Chiswell was the largest residential area on Portland. Many of the houses were built on Chesil Beach itself despite the exposure of the area to the south-westerley gales from the Atlantic and its history of flooding. On November 22nd, a gale blew up which steadily rose to hurricane force and, by the following day, the hurricane combined with a spring tide threw waves over Chesil Beach into the Fleet Lagoon and beyond. By the end of the day, 32 houses in Chiswell had been totally destroyed and three times that number ruined to where they could not be repaired. Twenty-six people had been either drowned or crushed by the stone of which houses were built. The inhabitants of the village rebuilt their houses and continued to suffer periodic flooding.

So deep was the water flooding Chiswell that a large ship was thrown over Chesil Beach into Portland Harbour beyond. The village of Fleet was destroyed as was the seafront esplanade at Weymouth.

A sea wall was built to defend the village in 1969. When another major storm hit Chiswell a decade later, the sea wall partially defended the town but the water devastated the Square and surrounding area. Flood defence works costing £5-million were subsequently carried out to carry the flood-waters into Portland Harbour with £2-million of the cost being provided from Central Government funds.

CLICK HERE FOR THE HISTORY OF PORTLAND

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ISLE OF PORTLAND
DORSET
Towns & Villages of Dorset
THE DORSET COAST
Wrecking
GREAT STORMS

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. . . . . the inclusion of these links to other sites is for the interest and convenience of visitors to this site only and does not imply any endorsement of the products or services offered by the individuals or organisations involved nor the accuracy of the information contained therein . . . . .
Portland, Isle of
The 1911 Edition Encyclopedia
Isle of Portland
Geology of the Dorset Coast - Ian West
Isle of Portland
www.imagesofdorset.org.uk
Isle of Portland
www.dorsetriviera.com
Weymouth &Portland Borough Council

FLORA & FAUNA
Portland Bird Observatory & Field Centre
Portland Tout Quarry

www.portlandbill.co.uk

Portland Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve

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CHESIL BEACH

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