“West Bay” is a comparatively recent name for this area, invented by the Great Western Railway in 1884 as a snappy title for the station built to cater for day-trippers and freight. The GWR had hoped that our little village might grow to rival Brighton, but (perhaps fortunately) this never quite seems to have happened. 

The railway to Bridport and West Bay was eventually dismantled in the early 1970s, and the track-bed between the two is now a footpath and cycleway.

Amazingly, West Bay station is still there and has been fully restored.

Until Summer 2008, it was in use as a restaurant (the West Bay Express), complete with two railway carriages alongside the platform to provide extra seating. Regrettably, the coaches have now gone, and West Bay's platform stands forlornly waiting for its next train...maybe in another 40 years time?

 The original settlement was clustered around the river-mouth, and began to develop in importance in 1388 when a local entrepreneur began to build a harbour to serve Bridport. This must have been a successful enterprise as it appears in Ecclesiastical records in 1444, when the Bishop of Salisbury agreed to support the repair of the harbour after a typical winter storm had wrecked it.

This is a recurring theme, with countless breaches of the sea defences occurring right through into the 1970s, when one storm left huge floods that recreated the former wide estuary.

Despite these challenges, Bridport harbour remained successful and much the same in appearance from 1744 until 2005, when new sea defences and a new west pier were commissioned to replace the two original south-westerly facing piers.

It has to be said that the original design was poorly thought out, with access impossible for boats for half the year due to the prevailing wind and swells, giving the old West Bay harbour the reputation of having one of the most dangerous entrances in Britain until it was replaced by the new piers.

With the new harbour protection scheme in place, West Bay is now able to offer an "all-tide" refuge to yachts on passage across Lyme Bay. In recent unexpectedly stormy weather (Spring 2008) the harbour welcomed a 60ft sail training vessel and several smaller yachts, all glad to escape the weather.

We are also visited annually by the "BALMORAL", a vintage cruise ship that (just!) fits into the new outer harbour, offering a day cruise to the Isle of Wight along the Jurassic coast for several hundred trippers.

The fishing fleet is still a main user of the harbour facilities, and we regularly see continental road vehicles collecting crabs and fish unloaded from trawlers from all over the British Isles as well as local boatmen.

For those wanting to go to sea, Lyme Bay RIB Charter offers trips along the coast throughout the season, and there are many dive charter and deep sea fishing boats for those who want even more adventure.

When you have worked up an appetite there's a wide range of eating opportunities, ranging from the traditional kiosks around the harbour serving burgers, fish and chips to pubs, cafes and gourmet restaurants to suit all tastes. 

For people-watching and sun-soaking, there's not much to beat a lazy summer afternoon spent with some prime fish and chips and an ice-cream down at West Bay harbour!

 If you are a golfer, you’ll perhaps already be a member of the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club on the East Cliff. You may not know that the club’s predecessor was actually a nine-hole course set out in Victorian times on the West Cliff where our Estate now lies. The houses in the middle of the south side of Brit View Road are situated on what was the second tee, but it would require extreme dedication to play a round on the cattle-pasture behind them now!

 The esplanade above the West Beach where the ice-cream kiosk is situated was constructed in 1887, and extended further west in 1969. In Victorian and Edwardian times West Bay boasted three bathing machines; sea bathing is still popular, although it can be very dangerous in conditions other than a flat calm due to tide rips and the shingle beach on the East side that can be treacherous underfoot.  

 West Bay relied upon shipbuilding in its early years, and was responsible for the construction of many sailing ships over the centuries, including warships for Nelson’s fleet. The last vessel was launched in 1879, and the dry dock where it was constructed is now underneath the Quay West development.