West Bay Discovery Centre organises and presents a range of events throughout the year, generally linked into our pop up exhibitions. Our aim is to provide a series of enjoyable experiences for our community. These events can cover quite a range of activities, but they all relate in some way to the life, culture, nature and landscape of West Bay. Our pop up exhibitions change on a regular basis so West Bay Discovery Centre is somewhere you can visit time and again.

Guided Walks Self Guided Walks Broadchurch Trail South West Coast Path Walks

New Pop Up Exhibition West Bay – A Resort to Rival Others

Our new exhibition running until 31st December reveals what happened when some 140 years ago a group of local businessmen believed that with investment and imagination Bridport Harbour could become a seaside resort to rival Weymouth or Bournemouth. So what happened to West Bay’s dreams of tourism grandeur ?  Find out more this summer at the Discovery Centre.

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: The History of the British Seaside in 100 Objects

Sandcastles, donkeys, piers and sticks of rock. Beach huts, paddle steamers, promenade shelters and ice cream cones. Our modern seaside is the sum of its parts, and all those parts have their history.  Seaside historian Kathryn Ferry will be charting the part these played in a talk entitled The History of the British Seaside in 100 Objects. The talk unpicks our experience of the seaside through the things that make it distinctive. Thursday 10th October at 7:30pm at Bridport Town Hall. Tickets £8 available from Bridport Tourist Information Office or online.

Kathryn is the author of a number of books on seaside, architecture and design and the talk is based on Kathryn’s book Seaside 100, published by Unicorn in March 2020. She enjoys sharing her passions for the seaside and often appears on radio and television. Since first appearing on the BBC series Coast Kathryn has contributed to shows including BBC Breakfast, The One Show, Flog It!, the BBC Antiques Road Trip, Villages by the Sea, Britain Best Beach Huts and the Secrets of the London Underground. The talk is high point of the West Bay Discovery Centre’s “A Resort to Rival Others” exhibition programme which runs until the end of December.