the Shambles sand-bank

The Shambles is a long, shifting sandbank lying a few miles off Portland Bill on the Dorset coast. Formed by the powerful tides that sweep around the headland, it has been a notorious hazard to shipping for centuries, lying directly in the path of vessels rounding Portland between Weymouth Bay and the open Channel. Many wrecks lie scattered across its flanks, and the bank is closely associated with the fearsome Portland Race, the turbulent stretch of water that boils up where tidal streams collide.

For visitors, the Shambles is best appreciated from the cliffs at Portland Bill, where on a clear day the disturbed water and breaking waves over the bank are visible from the lighthouse and viewpoints. It is a popular destination for sea anglers, who travel out by charter boat from Weymouth in search of bass, bream, plaice and turbot that gather over the shallow ground. The surrounding waters are also rich in seabirds and occasional dolphin sightings.

While the sandbank itself cannot be walked on, it forms a key part of the dramatic seascape of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and is a reminder of why this stretch of Dorset coastline has shaped so much maritime history.