Discover Portland's Unique Heritage
The Isle of Portland has dramatic scenery, spectacular views and a remarkable history that is reflected in the landscape and man's influence upon it. Portland has been occupied since prehistoric times, with remains of Mesolithic settlement still evident. The Romans left over 300 stone coffins, and the Tudors built Portland Castle in 1540, an outstanding example of one of the sea defences commissioned by Henry VIII, and now managed by English Heritage and open to the public. Medieval inhabitants left their mark with the strip fields system or lynchets. More recent fortifications such as the High Angle Battery provide an insight into the protection of the Island in the 19th Century.
