An Admiralty pumping station was built on the clifftop in the 19th century for supplying fresh water to the naval base and to the harbour's breakwaters during their construction.
[2] For many decades and through to the second half of the 20th century the bay was in regular use by commercial fishermen.
[3] The Great Southwell Landslip, Britain's second largest recorded historical landslide, occurred in 1734, between Durdle Pier and Freshwater Bay, along a length of 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
[4] Freshwater Bay is reputed to be one of the best places on Portland for fossil locating.
[8] Above Freshwater Bay is Cheyne House and its grounds which were used, along with other locations across Portland and Weymouth, in the 1963 film The Damned.