Fishing has always been part of West Bay, a source of employment and something that attracts visitor interest. In our latest exhibition ‘Beneath the Waves we have bought to life the history of fishing along the Chesil Beach and in Lyme Bay. We tell the story of the seine fishing Read more…
West Bay Discovery Centre is proud to follow the the Kids in Museums Manifesto guidelines developed with children, young people and families and reflect what they feel makes museums and heritage organisations welcoming and inclusive places. We are one of nearly 1,100 organisations that have signed up to show their Read more…
The water fountain (trough) Have you ever even noticed the water trough or wondered how long it has been at West Bay? This water trough is the only relic left in West Bay of the era of the horse drawn cart. Horses were an integral part of Harbour life, as Read more…
So much of history and personal stories get lost in the realms of time. One of our tasks in the Discovery Centre is to rediscover information about West Bay and share it with you. Until we opened in 2018 there was very little in West Bay to show that it Read more…
Looking back at historical maps of Bridport Harbour (renamed West Bay) we noticed that one from 1860s listed a hospital on the beach and we just had to find out more! The hospital was built to isolate and treat patients who were suffering from cholera, just like Covid it was Read more…
A chance boyhood discovery of an ammonite led to Robert Chandler becoming an internationally recognised expert. Bob’s discovered his first ammonite in a collapsed stone wall on West Bay Road during a school trip. He even recorded the precise time of his find as 18.00 on May 30th 1967. This Read more…
Our Buried in Time exhibition includes several fine fossilised ammonites, but how much do you know about these fossils ? Here’s a brief introduction. Ammonites are marine mollusc cephalopods famous for their spiral shells. Ammonites first appeared around 200 million years ago and lived in warm shallow waters, there was Read more…
We recently had work experience student holiday visitor Bradley come to help us at the Discovery Centre. It was lovely to have him and we wish him all the best for his exams. Here is what he had to say about his day with us! “Hi there, my name is Read more…
Our latest exhibition. ‘Buried in Time’ , tells the story of the area’s history through an amazing selection of fossils from the Jurassic era and marks the 20th Anniversary of the Jurassic Coast becoming a World Heritage Site. West Bay itself, is situated around a third of the way along Read more…
We have been amazed and delighted to have received so many awards of the past few months! To the outsider it might feel as if all we do is put in for awards – which isn’t the case we are too busy welcoming, running the centre and planning new events Read more…