Radipole Village
Radipole Park and Gardens borders the village of Radipole
Radipole Village stands at the head of Radipole Lake. The River Wey passes through it on its journey to Weymouth Harbour and the sea.
There is some evidence of prehistoric occupation in the area and it is believed that the Romans had a small port or landing stage at the head of the lake. A Romano-British burial site was found nearby (during the construction of a playing field at Southill Primary School) and the present road between Weymouth and Dorchester broadly follows the line of a Roman road that ran from Radipole to Dorchester (Durnovaria).
Radipole was an independent parish until it was abolished as a separate local government unit in 1933. It remains a separate ecclesiastical parish. It had its own railway station, on the South Western Main Line and Heart of Wessex Line, until 1984.
Timeline: History of Radipole Park
Did you know?
Radipole Park and Gardens was built on land reclaimed from ‘the Backwater,’ a once tidal estuary located between Weymouth and Radipole village. Follow the timeline to learn more about how water became park…
Local Memories
I remember when...
As part of our National Lottery funded project, we have been collecting local people’s memories of the Park.
We’re adding them to this site under ‘Local Memories’ – take a look!