At West Bay Discovery Centre we have both permanent and temporary free exhibitions for you to enjoy. Our pop up exhibitions are popular and are changed on a regular basis, so the Centre is a place that you can visit time and again.

Coming Soon Pop Up Exhibition: Smuggling- Myth and Reality

Imagine a ship gliding in from France in the Dorset at midnight, the splash of a line going over the side: the sound of the oars splashing in the tide; a dark object being slipped into the sea, and another … and another.

‘Smugglers – George Moorland 1799′

The Centre’s latest seasonal exhibition running from 15^th February to 30^th June 2025 looks back to a time in the mid-18th to 19^th Centuries when smuggling was widespread along the South Coast. The governments of the time repeatedly raised customs and excise tariffs on luxuries like brandy, rum, silks, tobacco and tea, to fund war and imperial expansion. For people in rural areas subsistence wages and ‘Free Trade’ promised good money, adventure and access to luxury items. The exhibition “Smuggling – Myth and Reality” explains why Dorset was ideal for smuggling, and why it wasn’t a harmless pursuit. It tells stories of the individuals and gangs involved in it and those who faced the challenging task of preventing their exploits.

Permanent Exhibition

Our permanent exhibition will introduce you to the history, geology and nature of West Bay. Get hands on with our interactive displays and audio-visual displays; and admire the artwork created by our young visitors. The aim of the exhibition is to transform how people discover and explore the natural and cultural heritage of the landscape. It will ignite your curiosity and encourage to explore West Bay in new ways.

Other Events

Talk: Recent Finds In Charmouth’s Old Rocks

Wednesday 22nd January at 2pm at the Salt House, West Bay DT6 4HB

We are delighted to have Phil Davidson joining us from Charmouth Heritage Centre. He will be talking about some of the recent fossil discoveries at Charmouth and how they have added to our knowledge of the Lower Jurassic of Dorset. The area around Charmouth is world-famous for fossils and new discoveries are still being made on this rapidly eroding section of The Jurassic Coast. This illustrated talk will highlight several of these discoveries and the role that we can all play in saving fossils before they are destroyed by the sea.

One of his roles at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is to work with the fossil collecting community to record scientifically important fossils from this part of the World Heritage Site, and to display and interpret these fossils for the public.

Tickets are £6 and are available by calling Bridport Tourist Information Office on 01308 424901 or book on line at any time.