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 Bridport
dates back to the early Middle Ages when the Anglo-Saxon Alfred
the Great created the ‘Burgh of Brydian’ in the 9th
century.
The predominant industry in the town was rope making and in 1213
King John demanded that Bridport produce ropes ‘night and
day’. This trade was later to expand to Newfoundland and resulted
in many fine houses being built in Bridport in the 18th century.
In 1253 Henry III made the town a royal borough and Charles II stayed
in the town to escape the Cromwellians in 1651.
The main streets are among the widest in the west of England and
the town is blessed with more than 1,000 listed buildings of historical
architectural merit. The principal streets of South Street, East
and West Street meet at the Town Hall. The town has expanded out
from the town’s heart and the earlier Saxon settlement centred
on St Mary’s Church.
Bridport is flanked on either side by two rivers, the Brit and the
Asker, which converge by Palmers Brewery to become a tidal river
before flowing into the sea at West Bay.
The harbour was first recorded in the 13th century, and in the Napoleonic
wars, sixteen ships were built there.
Bridport’s street market has operated for hundreds of years
on the three main streets of the town. Today, it is a lively, flourishing
location to visit on Wednesdays and Saturdays from around 8 am until
late afternoon. A special feature of the market is the large group
of bric-a-brac stalls located in South Street on Saturdays.
In Saxon times, ‘port’ meant a place of trade, not necessarily
a seaport, and the market or ‘bull ring’ was usually
a widening of the main street in the town centre - in Bridport,
this was by the Woodman Inn in South Street.
When Henry III granted a Charter in 1253, the market gradually moved
to a position outside the Bull Hotel in East Street and then to
the site of the town hall, which was contained at the small church
of St Andrew. Shambles - permanent fixed open stalls with roofs
- were built opposite the town hall on the pavement by the George
Inn, now the Cancer Research Shop.
 When
the town hall was built between 1785 and 1787, 37 butchers’
stalls were included on the ground floor with other traders’
stalls housed on a site, which is now Bucky Doo Square. The Square
is located in the middle of Bridport town centre and is a popular
meeting place.
Today, Bridport is a thriving, bustling market town and services
the surrounding parishes and hinterland. It is recognised as a Gateway
Town to the Dorset and East Devon Jurassic Coast, the first natural
World Heritage site designated in England. It is also classed as
a Beacon Town promoting the high quality and variety of local food.
Bridport Town Council and its Town Plan
The Town Council was formed in 1974 following Local Government reorganisation.
Its principal role is to administer the local services and amenities
in addition to those provided by the principal authorities, and
to be the focus and voice of the community. Further details are
provided later on in this publication.
The Bridport and West Bay Town Plan was launched in Quarter 2, 2005
as a working  document
for consultation and, following its introductory year, it has undergone
its first annual update. The 2006 plan has been approved and issued
in Quarter 2, 2006.
The focus of the Town Plan is on those areas where the Town Council
has direct responsibility or a strong influence. Other topics which
are not included fall within the remit of West Dorset District Council,
the Local Planning Authority, or Dorset County Council.
The purpose of the Town Plan is to identify the key strategies,
objectives and projects that the Town Council should pursue for
the benefit of Bridport and West Bay. In addition, the Town Plan
seeks to set the priorities for the various projects that have been
identified.
There are ten key strategies, which cover the following areas -
Inclusion, Organisation, Property, Open Spaces and Recreational,
Market, Communications, Tourism and Information, Environment and
Social Wellbeing, Economy/Business/Prosperity and Grants.
Examples of the initiatives recently undertaken within the Open
Spaces and Recreational Strategy are an Open Spaces & Recreation
Audit, budget established for West Bay Play Area, additional allotments
and improvements in flower beds.
Examples of the initiatives to be undertaken within the Tourism
& Information Strategy are the publication of a new Town Guide
for 2007, new tourism signage and joint meetings with local Tourist
promotion bodies.
Other initiatives by the town council have included a town centre
CCTV system, financial grants to the Arts Centre, Museum, Citizens’
Advice Bureau, Leisure Centre and a number of community and voluntary
groups, the establishment of the Bridport Local Area Partnership,
improvements to play areas and the development of a major Heritage
Lottery bid for the refurbishment of the Grade 1 Listed Town Hall.
A significant challenge facing the town council is the development
of the South West Quadrant, which will take place in the coming
years.
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