SWCP - Day 50 - Isle of Portland

Steps/ Distance: 21,877 15.01 km
Rating: n/a

I walked to the famous Portland Bill Lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. I watched the rain forecast and left in the early afternoon when it was supposed to clear up. I started out on the path, but soon found it too slippery in my sandals. So I exited at the first opportunity to a road and kept to the road the entire time, passing Portland's Stone Henge semi-circle and the stone 2012 Olympic rings. The view from the top of Old Hill was fantastic even on an overcast day.

Then it started to pour. I was completely soaked and ducked into the nearest pub and waited (with ale, of course) almost two hours for it to stop. Then continued down to the lighthouse.
From visit-dorset.com:
"Portland Bill Lighthouse has been standing majestically for the past one hundred and fourteen years at a height of 41 metres (135 ft). The distinctive red and white tower first shone its famous four flashes of light every twenty seconds on 11 January 1906 and had a range of 25 nautical miles which has guided passing vessels through the hazardous waters around Portland Bill as well as acting as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel. The station was re-engineered in 2019 and the optic has been removed from the lantern room and re-erected in the tower base as a display. The range of light is now 18 nautical miles."

At the same site, there's also the Portland Bird Observatory (their website has listing of bird sightings) and Trinity House Obelisk (built in 1844 from Portland stone)

Following these visits, I caught the bus back and stopped for a great pizza at a tiny food trailer across the street from my hostel.