Bridport, Dorset - West Street - Salmon postcard c.1970s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  West Street, Bridport, Dorset - seen is Dewhursts and Royal Oak pub
• Publisher:  J Salmon (91-54-17-01)
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England, situated approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) inland from the English Channel near the confluence of the small River Brit and its tributary the Asker. Its origins are Saxon and it has a long history as a rope-making centre, though many of its buildings date from the 18th century.

On the coast and within the town's boundary is West Bay, a small fishing harbour previously known as Bridport Harbour.

In the 21st century Bridport's arts scene has contributed to the town becoming increasingly popular with people from outside the locality. It has an arts centre, theatre, library, cinema and museum, and several annual events. It features as 'Port Bredy' in the fictional Wessex of Thomas Hardy's novels.

In the 2011 census the population of Bridport's built-up area was 13,568. The town is twinned with Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, France.

Bridport's origins are Saxon. During the reign of King Alfred it became one of the four most important settlements in Dorset—the other three being Dorchester, Shaftesbury and Wareham—with the construction of fortifications and establishment of a mint.^[1]

Bridport's name probably derives from another location nearby. In the early 10th century the Burghal Hidage recorded the existence of a fortified centre or burh in this area, called 'Brydian',^[2] which is generally accepted as referring to Bridport.^[3] 'Brydian' means 'place at the (River) Bride',^[2] and this name may have come from an earlier burh in the Bride Valley a few miles to the east, which perhaps was abandoned or not completed in favour of the harbour site at Bridport. A probable location for an earlier burh is at Littlebredy.^[4] In 1086 the Domesday Book recorded that the town was called 'Brideport';^[3] 'port' is Old English for a market town, thus 'Brideport' may have described the market town belonging to or associated with Bredy.^[2] At a later date, in a reversal of a more typical derivation, the town lent its name to the river on which it stood; previously this had been the River Wooth, but it became the River Brit.^[4]

The Domesday Book recorded that Bridport had 120 houses in the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042–1066). In 1253 the town was awarded its first Charter by Henry III.^[5]

Since the Middle Ages Bridport has been associated with the production of rope and nets.^[6] The raw materials for this industry, flax and hemp, used to be grown in the surrounding countryside, though they were superseded in modern times by artificial fibres such as nylon.^[7] Bridport's main street is particularly wide due to it previously having been used to dry the ropes, after they had been spun in long gardens behind the houses.^[6] Ropes for gallows used to be made in the town, hence the phrase ""stabbed with a Bridport dagger"" being used to describe a hanging.^[8][9]

In 1651 Charles II briefly stayed in the town as he sought to escape Parliamentarian forces after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester.^[5]

Many buildings in Bridport, particularly in the main street, date from the 18th century. The town hall was built in 1785-6, with its clock tower and cupola added about twenty years later.^[5] Older buildings can be found in South Street, and include the 13th-century St. Mary's parish church, the 14th-century chantry and the 16th-century Bridport Museum.^[5][6][7]

Bridport lies in the county of Dorset in South West England, situated in the West Dorset administrative district approximately 14 miles (23 km) west of Dorchester, 15.5 miles (24.9 km) southsouthwest of Yeovil, 33 miles (53 km) east of Exeter and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) inland from the English Channel at West Bay. The town centre lies at an altitude of 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) and is sited between the small River Brit and its tributary the Asker, approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of their confluence. Another small tributary, the River Simene, also joins the Brit to the west of the town centre.

Bridport is composed of several small suburban districts, some of which used to be separate villages. These suburban districts include Allington, Skilling, Coneygar, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Court Orchard and St Andrew's Well. Bothenhampton in particular is still regarded by locals as a separate village. One and a half miles from the town centre and within the town's boundary lies West Bay, a small fishing harbour known as Bridport Harbour until the arrival of the railway. At that time it was ""rebranded"" to its current name to make it sound more attractive.

Bridport is situated close to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and the western end of Chesil Beach. The loose clay cliffs in the area are abundant with fossils making the area popular with fossil hunters. The town's most notable landmark is the conical Colmers Hill, its distinctive shape and small clump of summit trees being very noticeable from West Street.

type=real photographic (rp)

city/ region=bridport

period=post-war (1945-present)

publisher=j salmon

postage condition=unposted

number of items=single

size=standard (140x89 mm)