The Dairy

About Dorset (Bridport)

The vibrant Saxon market town of Bridport, with its Georgian buildings and 13th-century church, is sometimes described as "Notting Hill on Sea" and has set the scene for several TV programmes, including River Cottage and Broadchurch.

The fantastic monthly farmers' markets are a tradition stretching back centuries, showcasing the best of local, often organic, produce. But if you don't catch one of these you can still go along to one of the twice-weekly street markets, and pick yourself up a distinctive Bridport Market bag as a souvenir.

There is a thriving art scene in Bridport, and the newly restored art-deco Electric Palace theatre, with its celebrity patron list and well-known local chef, is a wonderful way to spend an evening, as are the many delightful restaurants and pubs (try the acclaimed Riverside Restaurant in West Bay for gorgeous seafood).

Once famous for its rope-making (including the hangman's rope, giving rise to the phrase "stabbed by a Bridport dagger"!), the town is rich in history, and this can be explored at both the Bridport Museum and the Local History Centre.

There is plenty happening in this bustling town, with the Literary Festival (attracting many renowned writers), the Food Festival, the Round Table Beer Festival and the RNLI Raft Race (in the basin of the River Brit) to name just a few. And the August Carnival, which includes a fun-fair, torchlight procession and live music, is a family event not to be missed.

Bridport was originally a fishing town, and the Harbour at West Bay (one mile away) was originally called Bridport Harbour, but was renamed in the 19th century. Like most of the Jurassic Coast, West Bay is popular with fossil hunters because of its loose clay cliffs, and is sited on the pretty, pebbly Chesil Beach, an 18-mile stretch which is separated from the mainland for much of its length by the Fleet Lagoon. Here you will find walks and scenery in abundance to satisfy the most adventurous visitors.