West Bay, formally known as Bridport Harbour is situated approximately two miles from Bridport on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England.

It has a fairly small harbour, two piers and two beaches. The east beach is part of the Chesil Beach and can be seen in the photo to the right. 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.

Construction work is currently under way to replace the west pier and rebuild the east pier. This is part of a new coastal defense scheme and also extends the facilities of the harbour with a new slip way. The work is due to finish in the last half of 2004, and is currently nearing completion. After the construction work, a small regeneration scheme is in operation, with new housing being planned around the harbour area.

West Bay was also the location of a television series by the BBC, Harbour Lights aired in 1999 and 2000 starring Nick Berry.

Facilities

West Bay has a number of local caravan and camping sites, as well as hotels and B&Bs both in the bay and in surrounding villages such as Burton Bradstock.

There is also the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club situated on top of the east cliff (in the photograph) just a short walk from West Bay with a full 18-hole course and 9-hole "pitch and putt" course in the summer season.

There are lots of fishing trips available in the summer, including deep sea fishing. Boats can also be hired to row up the river Brit towards Bridport.

The bay has a number of kiosks, serving traditional fish and chips, often with locally caught fish. Also available are a few pubs, cafes and restaurants.

External Links:

• Official Bridport and West Bay website