The Timewalk was an exhibition and visitor attraction located in

Brewers Quay Brewers Quay is a converted Victorian brewery on the south side of Hope Square near the Old Harbour in Weymouth, Dorset, southern England. Much of the complex dates from 1903–04, when it was built as the Hope Brewery for John Groves & Sons L ...

, Weymouth,

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

. It opened in 1990 and closed in 2010. One of Weymouth's most popular attractions, Timewalk took visitors on a journey covering the town's history and maritime connections from the 14th century onwards. It was told by the brewery cat, Miss Paws, and her eight feline ancestors. The attraction aimed to "recreate the sights, sounds and smells, of six hundred years of maritime history". After being introduced to Miss Paws, visitors were taken around a series of nineteen dioramas depicting various historic scenes, including the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

pandemic, the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...

's attempted invasion, the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, the use of

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

Sir Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was acc ...

for the rebuilding of London after the

Great Fire of 1666 The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...

, Weymouth's Royal Patronage by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

, local smuggling and Weymouth's important tourism trade following its railway link opened in 1857. The final part of the attraction was Brewery Days, which covered the history of brewing in Hope Square from 1821. It featured the characters Mr Malt, Mr Hops and Mr Yeast which were known as the Brewery Bunch. Adults were able to taste some real ale in the Drum and Dancer Tasting Bar.

History

Following the closure of

Devenish Brewery Devenish Brewery, also known as J. A. Devenish & Co. Ltd, was a brewery in Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, Dorset, England, that was founded in 1821 by William Devenish. It primarily operated from Weymouth's Hope Square, but also had a facility at Re ...

, Devenish and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council launched a major plan to transform the building into Brewers Quay, a shopping complex with a pub, restaurant and indoor visitor attractions. Opened in June 1990, the new £4.5 million complex included Timewalk and Weymouth Museum, both of which covered the history of Weymouth. The project designer was John Sunderland, and that year, Timewalk won the

British Tourist Authority VisitBritain is the name used by the British Tourist Authority (formerly the British Travel & Holiday Association), the tourist board of the United Kingdom incorporated under the Development of Tourism Act 1969. Under memoranda of understanding w ...

's "Come to Britain Trophy". Timewalk was one of the area's most popular attractions and was praised as part of the Rough Guide to Britain's entry for Weymouth in 2004. In a borough report by the council, Timewalk's annual visitor numbers for 2004 was 41,000. In the summer of 2007, VisitBritain announced that Weymouth was the most searched location on their websites, which was said to have been boosted by both Timewalk and the Sea Life Park. In 2010, Timewalk closed when Brewers Quay shut for redevelopment by Brewers Quay Investment LLP. As part of their plans, it was announced that Timewalk would not be included in the redevelopment, with the attraction being described as "no longer justifiable" due to dwindling visitor numbers. Instead, a new wet weather attraction was announced as its replacement. However, the plans stalled and in 2013, Brewers Quay re-opened as an antiques emporium. Following its closure, the Timewalk figures were placed in storage within the building. In 2016, Weymouth Museum gave 18 figures to the emporium, who retained some while others were sold.

References

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