Dorset’s charming town is bursting with appeal
Here are 10 sites and attractions to take in next time you visit Bridport and the surrounding area
Buy water at the nearby Spar (you’ll need it) before ambling through the wood
up until – massively out of breath – you reach the top of Golden Cap
Your reward: panoramic views of the wide sweep of vast Lyme Bay
from Portland on your left to Exmouth in Devon
Return to the Anchor Inn for crab brioche rolls and local Palmers beer
The beach at Seatown is a fossil hotspot – hunt for ammonites at low tide
To catch the essence of Bridport (bridportandwestbay.co.uk)
don’t miss the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
when the town’s three main streets are transformed into bustling hubs of activity with stalls selling food
The market has a long history dating back to 1253 when King Henry III granted the town a charter
You’ll often find a band playing in the main square
The Wednesday market is smaller but great for secondhand books and cut flowers
It would be hard to find a more atmospheric fishing village than West Bay with its dramatic sandstone cliffs and views of Golden Cap
The bustling harbour is a heady mix of yachts and working fishing vessels
there’s nothing nicer than buying the freshest fish and chips from one of the local kiosks and strolling to the harbour wall to tuck in while the sun goes down
This two-room Aladdin’s cave on South Street
part of Bridport’s literary and business landscape for 25 years
specialist volumes on specific villages and vintage maps
There are many first editions and (currently) all 12 volumes of Marcel Proust (Chatto & Windus 1949) for £50 (11 South Street; 01308 425689)
This article was amended on 13 April 2025
An earlier version misspelled Chideock as “Chideoak”
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Dorset Council has successfully completed its first Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a long-term
This is the culmination of over 5 years work
communicating and negotiating with the legal owner
to get the property back into use. Where all efforts fail
This action forms part of the Council's developing Empty Homes Strategy
The council recognises that empty homes are a wasted housing resource and blight local communities
The new strategy aims to use the Council's full influence and legal powers to get empty homes back into beneficial use for the wider benefit of all
Cabinet Portfolio lead for Housing at Dorset Council
said: "Our work on empty homes "just makes sense." Getting empty homes back into use won't solve our housing crisis
but while we are in desperate need of homes
we can't just stand by and leave these houses to rot
CPO is a last resort for us; however this action in Bridport demonstrates that Dorset Council will not shy away from legal action
Dorset Council will be working with stakeholders in Bridport to work out the best options for the reuse of the property
The council has an active caseload of empty homes investigations and enforcement with more legal action in the pipeline.
To find out more about our work to bring long-term empty homes back into use and to let us know about an abandoned home in your community, please see - https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/housing/empty-homes
Categories: Housing Services