You may have heard that it was the place the Black Death entered the country, but what else do you know about the history of Weymouth Harbour?

Today, it’s still a beautiful spot which is a major tourist draw for the town, and of course, a fabulous place to enjoy a drink in one of the many harbourside bars and restaurants on a summer’s evening. But from the Spanish Armarda to Condor Ferries, Weymouth harbour has played its part in major world events.

Here are just some of the highlights. (Thanks to www.weymouth-harbour.co.uk for some of the info).

1347: The Port of Weymouth supplies 15 ships and 263 mariners for the siege of Calais

1588: Six English ship sail from Weymouth to fight the Spanish Armada. There was also a battle off Portland

1645: Duels broke out when Royalist plotters conspired to deliver the ports back to the control of King Charles I (a cannonball is still lodged underneath a window in Maiden Street)

1848: A regular Portland ferry service begins, with a paddle steamer also taking passengers on trips along the coast, and to Cherbourg and the Channel Islands

20th Century: The paddle steamers were requisitioned to serve as minesweepers during the Second World War. Weymouth also played its part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, with boats leaving from here and all along the Dorset coast. Film crews drew on this heritage and featured Weymouth in the Christopher Nolan blockbuster film, released last year

2015: The last Condor Ferry service left Weymouth, leaving it without a ferry link for the first time in decades, and many questions hanging over the future prosperity of the harbour