Remembering The Timewalk, Weymouth

Still don’t understand why they closed it down


Brewers Quay was once home to the favourite museum of my childhood, The Timewalk.

Characterised by its witty talking cats, The Timewalk told the story of Weymouth and its famed Devenish Brewery. Closing down in 2010, it indicated the end of my childhood and the summers I had spent visiting the museum multiple times.

Where else would you have the joy of experiencing the smell of Black Death and brewing beer in the same place? It began with the Brewmasters office that stunk of unwashed old men, and the famed Miss Paws with her spot on Dorset accent, you walked through a huge clock into the beginning of your walk through time and for me it was like magic, the music, everything.

Granted, I’ve seen some kids cry at some of the exhibits (I never understood how it was scary at all). The chant of “bring out your dead” wasn’t the most positive thing, but as a morbid child I thought it was fantastic.

There was the story about how St. Pauls Cathedral was constructed from Portland Stone, the maid cat with the creepy models of aristocrats, the smuggling rat catching cat, the sandcastle seats where you watched a video about modern Weymouth and its popularity, and the cat that lived in a bucket.

Then there was the little Spanish cat who told Weymouth’s tale in the involvement of the Spanish Armada, culminating in the wreckage of the blown up enemy ship.

The Devenish exhibit had those fantastically creepy singing sacks “Hops are here, hops are there. Puts the flavour in your beer!”, and it smelled so distinctively of brewing beer in the entire area. You pressed massive red buttons and these huge sacks ere mechanically released from giant barrels.

If you lived locally you could get a card that gave you free entry off peak, my cousin had this card and I completely rinsed it. Six years on, I’m still gutted it’s gone but I have the best memories of those talking cats and the sights and smells of The Timewalk. I still have my pressed penny lurking about somewhere.

The old Brewers Quay was in general by all means superior, nothing says nostalgia like the funny little shops and the pub with an indoor bowling alley, as well as the Discovery Centre and the gift shop at the end of Timewalk.

R.I.P. Weymouth Timewalk, long may you live in adult’s childhood memories. I feel old.