Wyke Regis
Encyclopedia
Wyke Regis ˌ is a village in south Dorset
, England
. The village is part of the south western suburb
s of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour
and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach
. Wyke is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of the county town, Dorchester. The village has a population of around 5,500.
during his summer visits to Weymouth between 1790-1805. The church was the main place of worship for Weymouth citizens until the first sizeable church was built in the main part of the town in the 19th century. The victims of the wreck of the Earl of Abergavenny
, including its captain John Wordsworth, brother of poet William Wordsworth
, are buried in the churchyard as are bodies recovered from the wrecked East Indiaman Alexander
. Construction of the church started around 1451, it took 4 years to build and was dedicated on 19 October 1455. The church is constructed of local stone brought from quarries on Portland and at Upwey.
Thanks to treacherous local currents and the long sweep of Chesil Beach
on which many ships ran aground, the village, as well as the neighbouring Isle of Portland
gained a reputation for both smuggling and the looting of wrecks. This reputation is reflected today in the name of a local public house, the Wyke Smugglers previously known as the Wyke Hotel.
Wyke Regis looks over Chesil Beach
and the Fleet lagoon to the west, the Isle of Portland
to the south and Portland Harbour
to the south and east. The South West Coast Path
passes around the coast of the village, which is also around half-way along the Jurassic Coast
World Heritage Site
.
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The village is part of the south western suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach, sometimes called Chesil Bank, in Dorset, southern England is one of three major shingle structures in Britain. Its toponym is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning "gravel" or "shingle"....
. Wyke is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of the county town, Dorchester. The village has a population of around 5,500.
History
All Saints' Church in the village is known to have been frequented by King George IIIGeorge III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
during his summer visits to Weymouth between 1790-1805. The church was the main place of worship for Weymouth citizens until the first sizeable church was built in the main part of the town in the 19th century. The victims of the wreck of the Earl of Abergavenny
Earl of Abergavenny (East Indiaman)
The Earl of Abergavenny was an East Indiaman that was wrecked in Weymouth Bay, England in 1805. She was one of the largest built and William Wordsworth's brother John was her captain her last two successful voyages to China. He was also her captain on her fifth voyage and lost his life when she...
, including its captain John Wordsworth, brother of poet William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
, are buried in the churchyard as are bodies recovered from the wrecked East Indiaman Alexander
Alexander (East Indiaman)
-References:*Grocott, Terence, Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras, Caxton Editions, Great Britain: 2002. ISBN 1-84067-164-5....
. Construction of the church started around 1451, it took 4 years to build and was dedicated on 19 October 1455. The church is constructed of local stone brought from quarries on Portland and at Upwey.
Thanks to treacherous local currents and the long sweep of Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach, sometimes called Chesil Bank, in Dorset, southern England is one of three major shingle structures in Britain. Its toponym is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning "gravel" or "shingle"....
on which many ships ran aground, the village, as well as the neighbouring Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
gained a reputation for both smuggling and the looting of wrecks. This reputation is reflected today in the name of a local public house, the Wyke Smugglers previously known as the Wyke Hotel.
Industry
The major industry in the area was Whitehead Torpedo Works, which has now closed. As the major employer in the village, Whitehead's funded the building of two schools, which opened in 1897. Whitehead's expertise also led to the Royal Naval establishment at Portland becoming a major anti-submarine and torpedo warfare centre in both the First and Second World Wars. The Whitehead site is now a housing estate.All Saints' Church of England School
All Saints' is a secondary school situated on the Portland Road. The school is a Church of England school specialising in languages and science.Wyke Regis Infant And Junior School
The Infant school is situated along Portland Road, and the nearby Junior school is on the High Street. There is a Nursery school within the grounds of the Infant school. The Infant school has approximately 200 children, and the Junior school has about 350.Location
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach, sometimes called Chesil Bank, in Dorset, southern England is one of three major shingle structures in Britain. Its toponym is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning "gravel" or "shingle"....
and the Fleet lagoon to the west, the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
to the south and Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
to the south and east. The South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
passes around the coast of the village, which is also around half-way along the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Landmarks
On Westhill Road is a folly known as Wyke Castle, dating from the nineteenth century and now divided into three dwellings.See also
- Rodwell TrailRodwell TrailThe Rodwell Trail is a short-distance footpath that runs from Wyke Regis to the town centre of Weymouth in Dorset. The trail, opened in 2000, travels along the former route of the Weymouth and Portland Railway and is part of the South West Coast Path.-Route:...
- Regis (Place)Regis (Place)Regis, Latin for "of the king", occurs in numerous English place names. The name usually recalls the historical ownership of lands or manors by the Crown. - in other places it honours Royal associations rather than ownership...
- List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom