George III statue, Weymouth

We all have our favourite holiday spot, and kings of England are no different. George III’s was Weymouth. He visited first because sea bathing had been recommended by his doctor (a Weymouth man) as a cure for his recurring mental illness, and George became very fond of the town, visiting another dozen times.

Becoming almost the official Royal resort was excellent for business as visitors flocked to follow their monarch’s example. Suitably grateful, the people of Weymouth voted to erect a statue of George in his Golden Jubilee year, 1809. Critics called it a ‘hideous monstrosity’, but it still stands on its plinth on what is now a traffic island where St Thomas and St Mary Streets meet the Esplanade.

Nearest postcode: DT4 8HP
OS reference: SY679792
What3words: hits.drains.leans