scubish.com: Scuba diving Portland, Dorset - United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland

The Isle of Portland is a long by wide limestone island in the English Channel. The isle is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. The island is connected to the mainland by a large pebble tombolo, Chesil Beach, and by the A354 road bridge to Weymouth.

The island is a central part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, with a spectacular landscape and important ecology and bird life. Additionally, the island's name has been used for one of the British Sea Areas, and been exported as the name of several North American cities and Australian towns. High quality Portland limestone, still quarried here, has been used extensively in British architecture, and in war memorials.

Portland is notable for its large, deep artificial harbour which was an important Royal Navy base during World Wars One and Two, and a key Royal Navy and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) training base through until the 1990s, though now a small civilian port and popular recreation area. England's National Sailing Academy is situated at the harbour and will host all of the sailing events for the London-based 2012 Olympics.

History

Portland has been inhabited since at least the Mesolithic period. There is strong evidence of Mesolithic inhabitants near Portland Bill, and of all ages since. The island was occupied by the Romans, who reputedly called the Island "Vindelis". One of England's best-loved authors Thomas Hardy called Portland "The Isle of Slingers", as it is well documented that the inhabitants were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their island. He also named it "The Gibraltar of the North", as a reference to the island's similarities with Gibraltar; its physical geography, isolation, mild climate and Underhill's winding streets.

Portland is recorded in an Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Annals of St. Neots as the site of the earliest Viking raid on mainland England in the year 789. Portland Castle was built by Henry VIII in 1539 in response to attacks by France, and cost £4,964 to construct. The castle is one of the best-preserved castles from this period of British history. It is administered by English Heritage and is open to the public.

The island is an ancient Royal Manor, recorded as "being held by the king" in the Domesday Book, and until the 19th century remained a separate liberty within the county for administrative purposes. It was the crown who opened many of the quarries which make Portland famous. After the Great Fire of London Christopher Wren used six million tons of white Portland limestone to rebuild much of London, and some well-known buildings which are built of Portland stone, including St Paul's Cathedral and the eastern front of Buckingham Palace in London, and the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. After World War I a dedicated quarry was opened to provide stone for the Whitehall Cenotaph and half a million gravestones. A further 800,000 gravestones were carved after World War II. Portland stone is...