Weymouth can be a busy town – in summer holidaymakers crowd the seafront and the town, in winter it’s more peaceful, although the shopping streets are usually busy. Now the Christmas lights are on, the seasonal atmosphere aids the traditional pursuit of spending money and more money.
A Dorset Echo columnist commented that far too much of old Weymouth and Melcombe Regis has been demolished. That is certainly true, but there are still unexpected examples of the old towns which have somehow survived the march of modernisation. Some look increasingly threatened by neglect.
In Elizabethan times, it was Melcombe Regis on the north bank of the River Wey – where the modern town centre is now situated – and Weymouth on the south bank. There were many rows and disputes, until the Privy Council and the Queen forced the two boroughs to unite in 1571.
In the old borough of Weymouth – behind the ghastly concrete structure of the modern Council Offices – stands the rump of the old High Street. Leading from Holy Trinity Church to Boot Hill, this was the trading centre of the old borough – controversially demolished in the early 1960s, considered by many to have been a great corporate act of vandalism.
The old High Street, with the raised pavement, even today has something of the charm of Tudor England. The two oldest buildings are The Boot pub and the Old Town Hall opposite. The old centre of local government is mired in controversy as the owners, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, have allowed this grade II listed building to decay for years. Repairs are estimated at over £100,000 and the council say it doesn’t have the money. Having installed a “temporary” odd replacement window, plastic drainpipes and chicken-wire over the windows, local criticism over their lack of stewardship has been increasing.
Across the road from the Old Town Hall, the splendid grade II listed Boot dates to about 1600. Well known to real ale drinkers, The Boot has won their Wessex Region Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale. This fine old pub, Weymouth’s oldest, is also lauded in the Good Beer Guide and the Good Pub Guide.
There are two versions of how the pub got its name. In the days of Queen Elizabeth I, the River Wey flowed at the back of the pub, with the public slipway running down the side. The Melcombe Regis ferry operated from here and “Boat Inn” could have been corrupted to “Boot Inn.” Others speak of the fact that the Dorchester to Portland mail coach would stop at the inn and force those sitting on top to help push the coach boot up the Hill. Did Boot Hill get its name from the pub, or vice versa? That is unclear.
The hooded stone mullion windows are certainly late Tudor and as the road falls away to the level of the old boat ramp, one door is at lower level. Built on a slope, the bare boarded rise carries on up into the main room, which opens out to the full width of the house. A waist-high skirting board follows round the room and the walls are adorned with local pictures. The black beams are certainly original and the inside has a warm, homely feel. In winter, a real fire warms the room. A carpeted snug forms the right hand room, leading to a few more stairs and the short bar to the right.
Local historian Mark Vine has been researching the Civil War and highlights the many battles that were fought around The Boot and the old High Street. He rightly criticises the lack of official interest in an important historical story and battle site. Many royalist and parliamentary soldiers lost their lives in these skirmishes, the existence of which is not marked in any way.
In 1645, Colonel William Sydenham and his Commonwealth troops set up a defensive line at the top of High Street, near the Boot Inn. Roundheads set up cannon on the raised pavement by the Town Hall and pounded King Charles’ men every time they looked out of The Boot’s door! Eventually, there was a battle royal in High Street and a major massacre of 500 Royalists ensued, right outside the pub and along the quayside.