Wednesday, October 31, 2012

England 2 - West Bay, Bridport, West Dorset – Gateway to the Jurassic coast

Here is what I did

It was a surprise find as I went out on a drive with my family. However, this is one of those places which do not have a stark presence on a tourist map and is solely for the viewing pleasure of those residing in the nearby towns which makes the place special. I spent a couple of hours and took some great pictures of an evening well spent.

Clad in green, the Sandstone cliff on the West Bay beach

West Bay is a sea side resort close to the ‘market town’ of Bridport located in West Dorset. It is situated at the Western end of the Chesil beach. I visited what is known as the ‘East Beach’ south of the Bridport harbour. The beach itself is a very fine shingle ridged beach.
The West bay beach is formed of fine shingle and sand. The beach is best locations to find fossils on the Jurassic coastline

It seemed like a quiet place even in the month of July although it is said to be popular amongst tourists. There was a RV park close for those interested in camping holidays. There are a plenty of fast food places around the harbour and no dearth of hearty fish and chips.

West Bay and surrounding  area offers great coastal walks


The beach itself lies on what is called the Jurassic Coast which stretches between the Dorset and East Devon coast. And it is part of the area recognized as ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’.

Here is what you could do

Fossil hunting – “(West Bay) is considered to be possibly the most successful place to find fossils along Lyme Bay's Jurassic Coastline.
Fishing – You could fish from the beaches
CampingEype beach close by offers great options for camping and caravan stays
Bridport – A close neighbour to West bay, Bridport has street markets, arts center, a 13th century church and a museum  
Or simply walk along the coastal paths exploring the quiet towns or sea side
Fisherman on the beach - Fishing for pleasure
Experience rating
My experience of travelling to the place was 3 out of 5. Although, I enjoyed my stay at the beach, I will not visit it again given its connectivity to London is poor. You need a car to explore the West Dorset area. Beach by itself is not worth a 4 hour trip it takes to get here.


There are camping options available in vicinity


Useful links

4 comments:

My Incredible India said...

Great post. though must say that the pictures look a tad oversaturated unless you meant them to be. Informative content nevertheless

Unknown said...

Thank you! I think I am doing the photoshop...but all part of the learning curve

Unknown said...

wow..i remember this. It was me who drove you here, I can still see you walking along the cliffs with mini with mannat chasing you two. me and manveena went to get fish and chips which we relished on the gravel...love that time..wish we have more of this in future.

Unknown said...

Yes, it was a lovely time bhaiya! we will be back for more of these