Sutton Poyntz is situated right up under the hills to the East of Weymouth and its large mill-pond has been a beauty spot since visitors first came to Weymouth in the 18th century. Sutton Poyntz is the 'Overcombe' of Thomas Hardy's novel The Trumpet Major. The village offers considerable beauty and many pleasant walks.

Many visitors come this way to climb up to the Iron Age fort of Chalbury, half a mile west, but the walk east across fields takes you to the famous White Horse, carved into the chalk hill. The 250 foot high and 300 foot wide carving of King George III astride his horse is visible from Weymouth and Portland - a feature being the enormous tail, as wide as a

Legend has it that the man who executed the carving threw himself over the cliffs to death, when he realised that he had portrayed His Majesty leaving town. Simple truth is that it was cut in 1807 to the order of one John Ranier, under the supervision of a Mr. Wood, a local bookseller, and it is possible that he was purposely portrayed going east to visit his friend Sir Thomas Weld at Lulworth.

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