On Friday 20th July 1894 the railway station at West Bay was broken into and ransacked. Fortunately, Mr Price, the station-master, had not left any money about and the thieves had to content themselves by pillaging a collection box for the Widows’ and Orphans’ Railway Benevolent Society. A box containing Read more…
On 22nd September 1930, the passenger service to West Bay was quietly withdrawn- just a few notices were pinned up and the weekly timetable in the Bridport News amended to no longer showing stops at East Street Station and West Bay. This was such a contrast to the joyous open Read more…
We have uncovered lots of stories about the Bridport- Maiden Newton Railway line that shows how much our experiences of life had broadened in the intervening years. We are going to share a few with you over the next few weeks. If you have any stories we would also love Read more…
The War years in West Bay 1939-1945 As we mark the 75th Anniversary of the Second World War we look back at how life changed in West Bay during this period. Like today’s lockdown period ‘normal life’ when it resumed would be very different. West Bay had a year-round population Read more…
We wanted to share one more story from D-Day that came to light during our research. The basic principles of the medical units were to find a casualty, treat him, remove him from danger and transport him to a secure rear area. At Omaha this was impossible – there was Read more…
We were delighted to welcome the 1st Infantry Division Living History Group and dignitaries including a representative of the US Embassy, Dorset’s High Sheriff, Lord Lieutenant and Town Mayor to the West Bay Discovery Centre on Saturday 18th May. They came to visit our exhibition “Warm Beer and Cabbages” as Read more…
It is hard to imagine the impact that 200 plus fit young men with their strange accents had on the close-knit, war-weary folk of Bridport Harbour, but there are still a number of people, children during the Second World War, who remember the time the GIs were billeted in West Read more…
Captain John G. W. Finke was the Commander of F Company, who were based in West Bay from November 1943 to June 1944, when they left Castletown, Portland for Omaha beach on the Normandy coast. We were sent this picture of Captain Finke by the 16th Infantry Regiment Association in Read more…
80,000 US troops stayed in Dorset, training for the D-Day landings. 75 years on, our exhibition will remember the time when American soldiers lived among us in West Bay and the day they disappeared. (Friday 19th April to Sunday 23rd June, 2019). Sergeant Phil Streczyk was billeted in West Read more…