Union Jack

Portland

  • Corfe Castle
    Corfe Castle

A Perfect Location, A Unique Opportunity

Portland Port lies at the heart of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO world heritage site renowned for its breath-taking beauty and its incredible historical heritage.

Cruise guests visiting the port are treated to a whole host of exciting options, including the bucket list destination of Stonehenge, another UNESCO World Heritage site. And if two UNESCO World Heritage Sites are not enough for one port, passengers can also choose to visit a third at the Roman City of Bath. On top of those spectacular excursions, Dorset itself is a stunning place to explore, offering the best of countryside, coastline, events and attractions which are perfect for families and couples alike. Passengers can go to the ruins of Corfe Castle to learn about its 1,000 years of history, hear the whimsical tales of Minterne House or visit the unique and fascinating Abbotsbury Swannery. Or if you simply fancy tasting the national dish, Fish and Chips, and enjoying some relaxed sunbathing on an award-winning beach, then Portland Port can provide that too.

The Dorset landscape also provides the perfect setting for all manner of outdoor pursuits, with woodland trails, mile upon mile of rolling green countryside and some of the most dramatic coastline to be found anywhere. The county has an adundance of activites on offer, from gentle walks and relaxing rounds of golf to high speed RIB rides and paddle boarding in Portland harbour, host to the 2012 Olympic sailing events.

Portland Port has witnessed remarkable growth within the cruise market and has been the recipient of two awards from Cruise Insight Magazine: “Most Improved Destination 2012” and “Most Responsive Port 2014”, whilst at the same time establishing itself as the leading cruise destination in the South West of England.

And when the time comes to depart our beautiful shores be sure to keep your eyes on the quayside. Portland Port prides itself on providing a memorable send off with a musical “Bon Voyage” and a 3 shot salute from the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade.

Ian McQuade – General Manager – Commercial

Top Five Facts About Portland Port

  1. Home of Portland Stone Portland stone is a limestone which was formed during the Jurassic period. It has been quarried on Portland since the Roman times and has been used as a building stone for many major public buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral in London and the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
  2. At the heart of the Jurassic Coast The Jurassic Coast is a 95 mile stretch of coast which reveals the history of Earth over 185 million years. It forms a near-complete record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and is world famous for its abundance of fossils. It is a site of such international importance that it was designated as England’s first natural World Heritage Site in 2001.
  3. Gateway to the “Black Death” The nearest town to Portland Port is Weymouth, which has the dubious honour of being the port where the devastating Black Death first entered England in 1348.
  4. Proud owner of a long naval history King Henry VIII was the first to realise the strategic significance of Portland Port and built two castles to protect the approaches, Portland and Sandsfoot Castle. Portland Castle is open to the public and is within walking distance of Portland Port; it is one of the best preserved of its kind in the UK. In 1845 Portland Harbour became a naval base and convict labour was used to build a breakwater with 4 million tons of stone. It was bombed by the Germans in the Second World War and later nearly half a million American troops embarked for the D-Day landings. The Royal Navy sold the naval base to Portland Port Ltd in 1996.
  5. So hot it’s cool! The Dorset Naga is grown in Dorset and is said to the hottest chilli in the world with an average score of 923,000 Scoville Heat Units.
Port Info
Passenger Facilities
Contacts & Further Info
Time zone:

GMT

Operational hours :

24hrs

Berth Enquiries / Reservations:

To General Manager – Commercial (i.mcquade@portland-port.co.uk)
with Amy Sandford Smith copied in (a.sandfordsmith@portland-port.co.uk)

Latitude & Longitude:

50.570596, -2.432908

Prevailing weather:

South westerly

Berth information :

Primary cruise berth – Outer Coaling Pier
Seconary cruise berth – Deep Water Berth
Other berths available on Queens Pier

Anchorage not applicable

Vessel length:

340m

Vessel width :

Unrestricted

Air draft restrictions :

None

Vessel draft :

8.5m (allowing 1m UKC)
There is a dredging programme currently being planned which will increase the vessel draft for OCP to 10m (allowing 1m UKC) prior.

Depth on berth :

OCP 9.5m increasing to 11m
DWB 11.6m
Q Pier 7.6m to 8.2m increasing to 10.5m

Largest cruise ship to call:

Norwegian Breakaway in April 2018

VTS channel :

74

Max ship dimension:

MAX LOA 340m

Pilotage :

Complusory

Tugs :

3 ASDs (2 x 55T, 1x 22T)

Security facilities:

ISP compliant

Gangways:

2 gangways are available:
14.2m x 1.25m
20m x 1.3m (covered)

Fresh water:

On request via shipping agents

Power supply :

No

Fuel supply :

Yes via Bunker Barge, contact Monjasa Ltd.

Hot works, painting, lifeboats :

Permitted but permit to work required via harbour office.

Waste handling :

On request via shipping agents

Terminal building :

Yes

Currency exchange:

In Weymouth (5miles/8km)

Internet access:

Yes, in Cruise Terminal

Telephones:

No

Taxis:

Taxis can be called to meet passengers at the entrance to the berth or main port entrance. There will also be a number of taxis waiting at the shuttle bus drop off point in Weymouth.

Distance to railway station:

Weymouth train station is the closest to Portland Port – 5 miles/8km (15 minutes).

Distance to airport :

Bournemouth Airport – 43 miles/70km (1hr 10 minutes)
Exeter Airport – 56 miles/90 km (1hr 25 minutes)
Southampton Airport – 68 miles/109km (1hr 30 minutes)
Heathrow Airport – 123 miles/198km (2hr 20 minutes)

Banks/ATMs:

In Weymouth

Restaurant/Cafe :

No

Name:

Ian McQuade, General Manager – Commercial

Telephone number:

00 44 (0) 1305 824044

Email :

i.mcquade@portland-port.co.uk

Social media:

Facebook – Portland Port UK @UKPortlandPort)
Twitter – Portland Port (@portland_port)

Address:

Portland Port, Castletown, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1PP

Visitor info:

Experience Portland

Stonehenge

Click for more..

Roman City of Bath

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Jurassic Coast

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Abbotsbury Swannery & Subtropical Gardens

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Minterne House & Gardens

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Spectacular Dorset countryside

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Corfe Castle

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Portland Bill & Lighthouse

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The Tank Museum

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