Plan Your Family Visit
There is so much to do at the Fort! You can explore the maze of underground tunnels; visit our Victorian Gun Deck; sit on our impressive WW2 gun high up on our Ramparts; discover our secret underground Nuclear Bunker or simply enjoy our stunning 360 degree views of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.
We pride ourselves on our top quality visitor experience with friendly volunteers on hand to help, and fun trails to keep the children busy.
Please below for more advice and ideas for your visit to North Fort, including; recommended timings, refreshments and family friendly facilitates.
Tickets and Timing
Annual Ticket
Nothe Fort offers a free Annual Pass with every ticket purchased. This means that you can return during the year to enjoy our programme of family activities such as our famous Halloween half term! Please keep up-to-date of our event programme by signing up for our newsletter. You can pay on arrival or pre-book.
Book in advance to fast-track your entry.
Timing
You should allow between 1-3 hours to fully enjoy your visit. There is a lot to see at Nothe Fort!
Clothing Tip
We advise comfortable footwear as some of the ground can be uneven and there can be a lot of walking involved in a visit to Nothe Fort. The underground tunnels can also be chilly (even in summer) so we suggest you bring an extra layer with you.
“I took my 2 young children and they loved the many attractions set up of younger kids whilst the big kids could take in the many artefacts and signboards dotted around the site”
Amy, May 2023
Activities
During the school holidays Nothe Fort runs a varied programme of family activities which are free with the price of the Annual Pass. Regular activities include Halloween Fun at the Fort, World War II Week, Easter Fair and Pirate week. Please check our events page before visiting.
Nothe Fort is renowned for our Mouse Hunt which has been enjoyed by generations of our visitors. We have a dedicated Mouse Desk where our team will explain the Mouse Hunt to your family and issue Mouse Hunting Certificates! Our mouse hunt is really popular with children of all ages – even the grown up ones!
The Nothe Fort Artillery fire on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the Month. While it is a great, fun experience to watch the cannons fire, they are very loud. We have a limited number of ear defenders, and we recommend that you bring your own if you have them. If your children are unhappy with loud noises, we recommend that you utilise the downstairs Magazine Levels.
An added extra which all the children remember is our Ghost Tunnel! Infact, Nothe Fort has been voted one of the spookiest locations in the UK. We recommend to use your phone torch if you children are a bit nervous.
Nothe Fort is situated in the stunning Nothe Gardens often referred to Weymouth’s hidden gem! We highly recommend that you enjoy the gardens after visiting Nothe Fort.
There are accessible paths around the park and a small play park for younger children. For the more energetic families Nothe Gardens has a 3 level Orienteering Course which you can download and print off before your visit.
There are opportunities throughout the Fort to engage with interactive displays. Some of our activities include dressing up, sending morse code or firing a canon by jumping on a stomp rocket.
Our wonderful cafe offers children’s picnic bags at £4.50 as well as freshly made and reasonable priced light lunches and wonderful homemade cakes!
There are high chairs, bottle warming, and baby changing facilities available. We also have accessible spaces for buggies, push chairs and wheelchairs inside and outside.
Enjoy free wifi while you relax with refreshments. Refill your water bottle at the cafe!
We appreciate that walking around the Fort can be tiring and many families bring picnics with them. We have a designated Family Room for you to eat, rest and play.
We also have a dedicated picnic area on our Ramparts and benches around the Fort. You will be able to sit, relax, and admire the Fort’s stunning views while enjoying your lunch.
Accessibility for Buggies
Nothe Fort is accessible for families with prams via our lift. You are also welcome to leave your buggy and bags at our admission tills.
Baby Changing
There are 2 baby changing areas in our accessible toilets.
We appreciate that dogs are part of the family, and we love seeing them around the Fort. We provide water bowls by the cafe area. However, we do ask that all dogs are kept on a short lead, and supervised at all times when visiting the Fort.
Opening Times
we are open daily
10.30am – 4.00pm
Admission Prices
Adult £9.95
Concession * £8.50
Child 5-16 £4.50
Under 5 Free
Family 2+2 £24.50
Small Family 1+2 £14.50
Groups of 10+ £8.50/person
Find Us
Barrack Road
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 8UF
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