Bridport & West Bay

Set amongst the spectacular rolling Dorset hills, Bridport is a lively town with a friendly and vibrant character. As well as being a Gateway Town to the Jurassic Coast, Bridport has also been named a Beacon Town for the quality and variety of its locally produced food. Bridport’s culinary delights can be sampled any day of the year, however, the town truly comes to life on the second Saturday of every month when the popular farmers' market arrives and also annually in June when Bridport hosts its own food festival.

In addition to being a town well known for its tasty dishes, Bridport has a captivating history. Bridport was one of the most important towns in the country in the 19th century for its rope making industry and the town can boast some of the broadest streets in the west of England, designed especially for the twisting and dying of ropes and nets. The trade still continues today and there are a number of local businesses which produce specialist nets for customers all over the world. Visitors who wish to learn more about the historic background of the town should visit the Bridport Museum, which presents a great collection of exhibitions and artefacts from Bridport’s yesteryear.

Bridport is a town of contrast and alongside its history runs a thriving and artistic literary community. The Bridport Arts Centre runs a varied programme of events throughout the year ranging from contemporary theatres to the more traditional and the Electric Palace has recently become one of the south’s most popular venues for live music, comedy and cinema. The town is also home to Britain’s only thatched brewery, Palmers of Bridport, which runs as a visitor attraction. The Palmers name has remained synonymous with Bridport for the past 200 years.

A mile south of the town is West Bay, a bustling little harbour which becomes a popular tourist resort in the summer months. Visitors can do a spot of crabbing, take a fishing boat trip or simply sit on the harbour side and unwind to the soft lapping of the waves and tinkle of the boat masts. West Bay is also recognisable as being the pretty harbour village from the 1990s television series Harbour Lights.