Church Ope Cove is a sheltered and secluded spot with soft sand and turquoise waters. One of Portland’s hidden gems, and the only beach on the eastern side of the island, this pretty cove is surprisingly quiet most of the time.

Heiko M. Fischer

June 13, 2019

First recorded site of Viking landing in UK

Mike Cree

July 6, 2024

Some lovely Huts right on the shore, with the stones being used to create small garden walls, enclosing the huts in.
Portland had a large history of smuggling, and Church Ope Cove was one of the famous smuggling beaches. Into the 20th century, fishing was still an industry that used the beach for the launching of boats. For decades, an old rusting hand winch has been left lying on the beach, and is the beach is one of the few beaches on Portland, and due to having cliffs on three sides, is often sheltered from prevailing wind. As the fishing industry declined, the cove became a favourite sheltered beach for swimming and today continues to be popular for fishing, snorkelling and swimming. The beach provides diving access to the numerous wrecks in the surrounding waters too, which has made it a popular area for diving too a reminder of the fishing trade.

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Elevation 60 m

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Monday 27 October

15°C

14°C

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Max wind speed: 35.0 km/h

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Location: Portland, Weymouth And Portland, Dorset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

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