GLOUCESTER LODGE

THE ESPLANADE, WEYMOUTH

THANKS to Brenda Pickett of Weymouth Civic Society for getting in touch and suggesting we feature this plaque.

Gloucester Lodge was King George III’s summer residence from 1789 to 1805.

The building was one of the earliest to be erected on this part of the Esplanade, which at the time was just an open, windswept spit of land between the Bay and the Backwater, linking the town with the ‘mainland’ to the north.

The King greatly enjoyed his annual summer visits to Weymouth with his family, taking regular bathes in the sea from his bathing machine. He had excursions in Royal Navy ships, rode out with his officers and reviewed the troops, visited places of interest in the local area, and loved attending the theatre.

The visits of the King and his Court brought others of the nobility and gentry to Weymouth, and thus it became established as one of England’s leading seaside resorts.

All the brown rectangular plaques in Weymouth town centre were put up in 1994 by Weymouth Civic Society and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

This was arranged under the Tourism Development Action Programme (TDAP), a one-off initiative, and was funded from various sources including owners of the properties, and in particular from the TDAP.

*If you can think of a plaque and story behind it you'd like to see featured, get in touch with Joanna Davis by emailing joanna.davis@dorsetecho.co.uk