Wyke Regis (Weymouth)

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Wyke Regis (pronounced /ˌwaɪkˈriːdʒɪs/) is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is part of the south western suburbs of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach. Wyke is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of the county town, Dorchester. The village has a population of around 5,500.[1]

Wyke Regis looks over Chesil Beach and the Fleet lagoon to the west, the Isle of Portland to the south and Portland Harbour to the south and east. The village provides an excellent viewpoint for spectators of events at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, such as the J24 World Sailing Championships, and in 2012 the sailing events of the 2012 Olympic Games. The South West Coast Path passes around the coast of the village, which is also around half-way along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

All Saints' Church in the village is known to have been frequented by King George III during his summer visits to Weymouth between 1790-1805. The church was the main place of worship for Weymouth citizens until the first sizeable church was built in the main part of the town in the 19th century. The victims of the wreck of the Earl of Abergavenny, including its captain John Wordsworth, brother of poet William Wordsworth, are buried in the churchyard as are bodies recovered from the wrecked East Indiaman Alexander. Construction of the church started around 1451, it took 4 years to build and was dedicated on 19th October 1455. The church is constructed of local stone brought from quarries on Portland and at Upwey.

Thanks to treacherous local currents and the long sweep of Chesil Beach on which many ships ran aground, the village, as well as the neighbouring Isle of Portland gained a reputation for both smuggling and the looting of wrecks. This reputation is reflected today in the name of the local public house, the Wyke Smugglers.