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 ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of ...

. 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 pandemic, the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an a ...

's attempted invasion, the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

, the use of

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a buildi ...

Sir Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 church ...

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 Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...

, Weymouth's Royal Patronage by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

, 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 and

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Weymouth and Portland was a local government district and borough in Dorset, England. It consisted of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and includes the areas of Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southill, ...

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 Weymouth Museum is a museum in Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, Dorset, England. Its permanent home is in Brewers Quay on the south side of Hope Square near Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, Weymouth Harbour. However, due to redevelopment of the building, it ...

, 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, the tourist board of Great Britain incorporated under the Development of Tourism Act 1969. Under memoranda of understanding with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the offshore i ...

'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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