The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) wide, in the English Channel and forms the southernmost point of the county of Dorset. A barrier beach called the Chesil Beach joins it to the mainland and the A354 road passes down the Portland end of the beach and then over the Fleet Lagoon by bridge to the mainland. (Ref. Wikipedia)

There are numerous quarries on the isle - Portland stone has been used to face many of London's buildings - and there are also two prisons - HM prison The Verne, dating from Napoleonic times and now an Immigration Removal Centre, and a young offenders' institute.

Portland is a beautiful place, unspoilt by development - the surrounding waters were used as the venue for the sailing events at the 2012 olympics.

Tags:   Portland Jurassic Coast

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Another shot of S with the rock lifting equipment.

For those Flickrites with enquiring minds who have asked how this equipment works, I have concluded that its been substantially modified from its working days and left as a tourist attraction. There seems to be no way that the structure can rotate to load the rock onto a waiting boat.

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At the site of the rock lifting machinery

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A pause in our walk for a photosession.

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The lighthouse at Portland Bill

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