More than 1,000 people have visited a historic attraction since it re-opened after its lockdown closure was lifted.

Weymouth’s Nothe Fort has been streamlined to include a one-way system and extensive hygiene facilities with staff at rampart, parade ground and underground tunnel levels to provide guidance and ensure as much sanitisation for visitors as possible.

This year has seen the fort bring in a number of new exhibits including the impressive new £50,000 North Terrace area overlooking the harbour.

The fort reopened on Saturday, July 11.

Fort co-manager Kate Hebditch said: “We are very pleased indeed to get so many people back through our doors in only our first week of reopening.

“There was a steady stream of visitors in the first few days in what was a nice relaxed atmosphere. It was a good sign that our visitors will continue to support us.

"Visit England has also given us a boost by awarding us a Kite Mark to show we have met their requirements for a visitor attraction to open to the public in these difficult times.”

She added that part of the Fort’s new look for 2020 has been the official unveiling of its new North Terrace area thanks to a £50,000 grant which Bounce Back Arts helped to set up through the national Coastal revival fund.

The money helped to pay for landscaping and two stone benches with hand-carved scenes from the past 2,000 years of Weymouth history.

Kate said: “Visitors have told us how delighted they were to get out and explore somewhere and they are very pleased that our annual tickets have been extended until the end of 2021 to recognise the difficult situation everyone is in.”

In order to reopen, a fundraising page was set up so that the fort could undertake essential alterations to the museum’s entrance and display areas. The work included barriers at the entrance, signage at Nothe Gardens and in the Fort, portable hand-sanitizer stations, as well as alterations to the ticket desks, entrance and exhibition areas to allow social distancing

To help its visitors during this period, Nothe Fort is extending existing annual passes by three months and any new tickets will provide free entry for the rest of this year and all of next year as well.