Freshwater Bay
Freshwater Bay is a bay on the eastern side of Portland and east of Southwell. Above the northern region of the bay is the Cheyne Pumping Station and Cheyne House.
Background
Freshwater Bay's name originates from a natural spring which flows down to the bay. With the mid-19th century transformation of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge and the Royal Navy's increasing presence there, the Admiralty soon realised the island's existing water supply was not sufficient for their needs. After settling on the spring at Freshwater Bay, a small waterworks was established at Cheyne during the mid-1850s. Pipes were laid to carry the water to the harbour, the related works on Portland and the ships using the harbour. Under the Portland Harbour Waterworks Act 1857, the Admiralty went on to establish a new, larger pumping station at the same site in 1861.
As part of the works, Cheyne Tunnel was excavated to reach the water below. Although the tunnel still survives, the entrance was blocked by a rockfall in 2011. With the arrival of a piped water supply to Portland in 1899, the pumping station's water was mainly used for industrial or trade purposes rather than consumption. It ceased operations during the 1910s.
Quarrying of the surrounding cliffs of the bay commenced around the mid-19th century, with the nearest, Freshwater Quarries, being formed directly above the bay. Quarrying activity within this region of the island continued to expand into the 20th century, with Sheat Quarries to the south and Duncecroft Quarries to the north-east of the bay. Both quarrying and erosion have caused stone to topple down the cliffs, which have formed scree slopes in some areas. The area has been further characterised by the Great Southwell Landslip, which occurred in 1734 between Durdle Pier and the bay, a distance of one and a half miles. It remains Britain's second largest recorded historical landslide.
The cliffs of the bay are popular with rock climbers, who have given the general area the name Neddyfields. Freshwater Bay has also been reported as one of the best places on the island for fossil hunting, while recreational fishing is popular for a variety of fish, including Wrasse, Conger, Corkwing Wrasse and Pollack. The coastline from Church Ope Cove to Longstone Ope, including the bay, has been listed as one of the UK's Conger Eel hot spots by the British Conger Club.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Exploring Portland - Cheyne Tunnel and Freshwater Bay - Geoff Kirby - website page
2) Isle of Portland - Geological Field Guide - Introduction - Dr. Ian West - website page
3) Jurassic Coastline - Freshwater Bay - Quick Facts Area - website page
4) PortlandBill.co.uk - Portland Fishing - Cheyne, Freshwater Bay & East Weares - website page
5) Rockfax - World Climbing Information - Neddyfields Bouldering - website page
6) UK Fossils Network - Freshwater Bay fossils and fossil collecting - website page
7) UK Fossils Network - Geological Guide to Freshwater Bay - website page
8) UK Fossils Network - UK Fossils Guide - Freshwater Bay, Dorset - PDF document
9) Weymouth Pictures - Portland Map - website page
Background
Freshwater Bay's name originates from a natural spring which flows down to the bay. With the mid-19th century transformation of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge and the Royal Navy's increasing presence there, the Admiralty soon realised the island's existing water supply was not sufficient for their needs. After settling on the spring at Freshwater Bay, a small waterworks was established at Cheyne during the mid-1850s. Pipes were laid to carry the water to the harbour, the related works on Portland and the ships using the harbour. Under the Portland Harbour Waterworks Act 1857, the Admiralty went on to establish a new, larger pumping station at the same site in 1861.
As part of the works, Cheyne Tunnel was excavated to reach the water below. Although the tunnel still survives, the entrance was blocked by a rockfall in 2011. With the arrival of a piped water supply to Portland in 1899, the pumping station's water was mainly used for industrial or trade purposes rather than consumption. It ceased operations during the 1910s.
Quarrying of the surrounding cliffs of the bay commenced around the mid-19th century, with the nearest, Freshwater Quarries, being formed directly above the bay. Quarrying activity within this region of the island continued to expand into the 20th century, with Sheat Quarries to the south and Duncecroft Quarries to the north-east of the bay. Both quarrying and erosion have caused stone to topple down the cliffs, which have formed scree slopes in some areas. The area has been further characterised by the Great Southwell Landslip, which occurred in 1734 between Durdle Pier and the bay, a distance of one and a half miles. It remains Britain's second largest recorded historical landslide.
The cliffs of the bay are popular with rock climbers, who have given the general area the name Neddyfields. Freshwater Bay has also been reported as one of the best places on the island for fossil hunting, while recreational fishing is popular for a variety of fish, including Wrasse, Conger, Corkwing Wrasse and Pollack. The coastline from Church Ope Cove to Longstone Ope, including the bay, has been listed as one of the UK's Conger Eel hot spots by the British Conger Club.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Exploring Portland - Cheyne Tunnel and Freshwater Bay - Geoff Kirby - website page
2) Isle of Portland - Geological Field Guide - Introduction - Dr. Ian West - website page
3) Jurassic Coastline - Freshwater Bay - Quick Facts Area - website page
4) PortlandBill.co.uk - Portland Fishing - Cheyne, Freshwater Bay & East Weares - website page
5) Rockfax - World Climbing Information - Neddyfields Bouldering - website page
6) UK Fossils Network - Freshwater Bay fossils and fossil collecting - website page
7) UK Fossils Network - Geological Guide to Freshwater Bay - website page
8) UK Fossils Network - UK Fossils Guide - Freshwater Bay, Dorset - PDF document
9) Weymouth Pictures - Portland Map - website page
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