Shopping in Dorset
Weymouth – is a short drive from Portland, 5 miles over the causeway. New Bond Street, St Thomas Street and St Mary Street form a large pedestrian area bursting with spacious modern shops and occasional street performances. Weymouth has invested heavily in new shopping facilities in recent years and the busy shopping area has many cafes, restaurants, bars and inns.
Don’t miss the smaller more individual shops; make sure to visit Great George Street, St Alban Street, and the harbour end of St Thomas Street.
For a unique shopping atmosphere, visit Brewers Quay on the Old Harbour, a shopping village full of a range of specialist crafts from around the world, including items from Peru, China, India and South East Asia, not to mention the skilled woodwork, patchwork, jigsaws, leatherwork, jewellery, souvenirs, glassware, scarves, cards, candles, scented oil, potpourri and collectables. Local products also available and that all important souvenir to take home.
Dorchester is Dorset's county town, 11 miles from Portland, with excellent shopping, markets and museums. It is an attractive place to shop, with a wealth of historic buildings as well as excellent cafes, restaurants and inns. There are busy shopping precincts, department stores as well as independent traders offering individual and interesting gifts such as arts and crafts materials. The museums also have good shops, with unusual gifts, including some with an Egyptian, dinosaur or Dorset theme. Every Wednesday to add to your shopping experience there is a large open air market with hundreds of stalls offering bargains of every kind!
Further afield perhaps on your journey to or from Portland, approximately 40 miles east, why not call in at Bournemouth with its large shopping area with major retailers, consisting of pedestrian streets, filled with cafes, outdoor entertainers and stalls.
Poole Dolphin Centre (under cover shopping), approximately 36 miles east of Portland. You will find over 110 stores dedicated to fashion, beauty, music, gifts, gadgets, food and drink to name just a few. The Dolphin Shopping Centre sits in the heart of Poole with excellent road, bus, rail, taxi and ferry links and offers 1,400 parking spaces. Enjoy a visit to idyllic Brownsea Island or historic Corfe Castle both of which are located nearby, or alternatively explore the vast and varying Dorset countryside or some of the finest beaches in England are located in Sandbanks which is just a short drive away.
If you are heading down from the M5 call in at Street where you will find Clarkes Village. Clarks Village is the jewel of Somerset shopping, with over 90 stores offering up to 60% off R.R.P. every day. There’s a wide choice of fashion, home ware, sportswear and gift ideas - it’s a unique experience. Outlet shopping has never been more enjoyable. Clarks Village offers designer labels and famous names from the high street So if you adore great brands, but hate high street prices, you’ll just love Clarks Village.
Plus if you want to take a well earned break, there are a great variety of places to eat, something to suit everyone’s tastes. There is also heaps to keep the kids entertained, with King Arthur’s Castle, an infants play area and a traditional working carousel.
Channel Islands, whilst staying why not enjoy a day trip to Guernsey or Jersey. Regular crossings from Weymouth. Visit Condor Ferries with rates from only £27.50 per person.
Visit our local markets page for more shopping information.
For transportation options please call the hotel, or ask at main reception when you check in. The bus to Weymouth stops outside the hotel, and train links to Poole and Bournemouth are every half hour.
