Chiswell , sometimes , is a small village at the southern end of Chesil Beach, in Underhill, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is the oldest settlement on the island, having formerly been known as Chesilton. The small bay at Chiswell is called Chesil Cove, and the beach promenade and sea wall which form Chiswell's coastal defences are a prominent feature. The village occupies much of the flat land close to sea level adjacent to the beach, and is distinguished from the adjoining village of Fortuneswell which occupies the steeper hills and streets above. At the northern entrance to the village is the 19th-century development of Victoria Square, which forms a roundabout on the main A354 road onto the island. As with the other villages and settlements on Portland, Chiswell was designated as a conservation area as part of Underhill in 1976, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. The village has been maintained by the Chiswell Community Trust since 2003. History Chiswell was established predominantly as a fishing community alongside the pebble bank of Chesil Cove. The settlement dates back to Roman times when it was known as "Coesl". A small tidal creek known as the Mere formerly reached Chiswell, but it progressively silted up as the settlement straddled it expanded. Many of the village's stone and thatched cottages were originally established on the shingle of Chesil Beach. Despite its vulnerability to sea storms and flooding, Chiswell developed into a thriving community, and by the beginning of the 19th century it had become well established as a "burgeoning centre of trade and exchange". In the 19th century, Chiswell was predominantly inhabited by fishermen, quarrymen, traders and their families and was the island's biggest settlement. Frequent incidents of flooding were part of village life. One of the best-documented incidents of flooding was the Great Storm of 1824. Chiswell received the full force of the storm, which saw the death of thirty residents, the destruction of eighty houses, and the damage of many others. The damage so extensive that the village never made a full recovery. Traces of the effect the storm had on the village can be seen today. On the west side of the main street, the house frontages have gaps, some from loss of buildings, but others from purpose-built "opes", a local term used in street names such as Big Ope. These