Just a few miles from the lovely historic town of Bridport, and once known as Bridport Harbour, West Bay has, since Victorian times, been developing as a leisure and holiday resort, while retaining a good number of working fishing boats. The harbour at West Bay, used as the location for the BBC series 'Harbour Lights' has recently undergone a £17 million rebuild and extension, to offer berthing for visiting yachts, and views from the Isle of Portland to Start Point in Devon.

The area around West Bay is renowned for its beautiful views of the coast and countryside, and the walks along the pier and coastal path can offer amazing sunrises or sunsets. The coast road from West Bay to Abbotsbury and beyond to Weymouth offers unrivalled views in fine weather, or curious mists when it is damp. In stormy weather the harbour piers can offer a good drenching, if it is safe, or spectacular photographs.

Bridport is well known for the rope that used to be made in the town from locally grown flax and wound in the various ‘rope walks’ around the town. So famous it was that to be hung was to be ‘stabbed with a Bridport dagger’.