About
A guestbook can be signed by clicking here.
A warm welcome to the Encyclopaedia of Portland History website. Created in 2014, the purpose of this website is to provide an easily-accessible and educational resource on Portland, focusing on the many sites of interest located across the island. The website has information on all of Portland's villages and other settlements, as well as the history of the various military sites, attractions, beaches, gardens, churches, industry and other relics of Portland's intriguing past.
The origins of this website dates back to September 2012 when I first expanded a Portland-related article on Wikipedia. The expansion of Portland's coverage on the online encyclopedia soon became an ongoing project for the next couple of years, and a wide range of historical sites had their own articles created and existing ones were expanded. In May 2014, I decided to create a dedicated website on Portland. The main reason for this was to free myself from the general guidelines and restrictions imposed on Wikipedia. In particular, original research is not permitted and so the use of primary sources was an issue. With my own website, I have been able to cover topics more freely, using a wider range of sources, and add more photographs to each topic than would be possible otherwise.
Born in Dorchester in 1994, I moved from Weymouth to Portland in 1998 and spent seven years there, living at Weare Close in Fortuneswell, which started a great fondness for the island. Although I left the island in 2005, my connection to Portland has been maintained by frequent visits.
I'm proud of the work achieved here. I hope that the website allows anybody with an interest in the island to enjoy instant access to a wide range of its history. Portland is a place with lots of potential, and much to see, even if there is a danger of losing a lot of its history through lack of care and investment. The website is regularly being updated, while new articles will also continue to appear into the foreseeable future.
Ashley Smith
A warm welcome to the Encyclopaedia of Portland History website. Created in 2014, the purpose of this website is to provide an easily-accessible and educational resource on Portland, focusing on the many sites of interest located across the island. The website has information on all of Portland's villages and other settlements, as well as the history of the various military sites, attractions, beaches, gardens, churches, industry and other relics of Portland's intriguing past.
The origins of this website dates back to September 2012 when I first expanded a Portland-related article on Wikipedia. The expansion of Portland's coverage on the online encyclopedia soon became an ongoing project for the next couple of years, and a wide range of historical sites had their own articles created and existing ones were expanded. In May 2014, I decided to create a dedicated website on Portland. The main reason for this was to free myself from the general guidelines and restrictions imposed on Wikipedia. In particular, original research is not permitted and so the use of primary sources was an issue. With my own website, I have been able to cover topics more freely, using a wider range of sources, and add more photographs to each topic than would be possible otherwise.
Born in Dorchester in 1994, I moved from Weymouth to Portland in 1998 and spent seven years there, living at Weare Close in Fortuneswell, which started a great fondness for the island. Although I left the island in 2005, my connection to Portland has been maintained by frequent visits.
I'm proud of the work achieved here. I hope that the website allows anybody with an interest in the island to enjoy instant access to a wide range of its history. Portland is a place with lots of potential, and much to see, even if there is a danger of losing a lot of its history through lack of care and investment. The website is regularly being updated, while new articles will also continue to appear into the foreseeable future.
Ashley Smith
Cartoon drawn and kindly supplied by John L. D. Barnett.