West Bay, formerly known as Bridport Harbour, situated on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. Photo:Jeff Gilbert
West Bay, formerly known as Bridport Harbour, is situated approximately two miles from the centre of Bridport on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England, and is at the confluence of the River Brit. It has a fairly small harbour, two piers and two beaches. The east beach is part of the Chesil Beach. West Bay and Chesil Beach make up part of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site, a title that has been much vaunted locally since it was conferred by UNESCO on the beautiful and varied geography of the southern coast. Records of West Bay's harbour history can be traced back to the 13th Century when sluices were constructed across the mouth of the River Brit to form a navigable entrance. The Great Western Railway reached Bridport in 1857, resulting in the decline of Bridport Harbour and its renaming as West Bay. Local business men including the archaeologist Augustus Pitt Rivers and the Earl of Ilchester funded an extension to the harbour, which was completed by 1883. Subsequently they established the West Bay Building Company to build villas and lodging houses for visitors. Only a terrace of 10 lodging houses was completed, designed by the Arts and Crafts Movement architect Edward Schroeder Prior in 1885. The terrace remains a prominent feature of the harbourside.
Size: 3744px × 5616px
Location: West Bay, Jurassic Coast, West Dorset, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Jeff Gilbert / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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