The railway line to Bridport Harbour (West Bay)

The Victorian era was a period of development and there was a great enthusiasm for building railways. There were many options for connecting Bridport to the railway line but when none materialised a group of Bridport Businessmen set up the Bridport Rail Company and the first train ran down the line from Maiden Newton in 1857.

In 1884 the line was extended from Bridport station to Bridport Harbour which was renamed West Bay in an attempt to create a tourist destination as popular as Bournemouth – find our more in our new exhibition ‘ West Bay A resort to Rival Others’ which will run until 31 December 2024.

The extension to West Bay opened on 31^st March 1884 with a grand figurative flourish of trumpets, and with real bands, bunting, decorations, and detonators, the formal opening ceremony of this extension took place. The town presented the appearance of gaiety and festivity. All business establishment – excepting the public houses of course – closed at 1pm, the remainder of the day being given up to amusements of various kinds. (Extract The Dorset County Chronicle)

It was hoped that the opening of the line to Bridport Harbour and renaming the location ‘West Bay’ would become a favourite and flourishing little watering place, attracting many visitors.

The passenger service operated with five trains down to West Bay and back each day. Reports suggest that passenger numbers did not meet up to expectations.

Although many thousands of visitors arrived at West Bay by the railway over 46 years and despite assurances to the contrary, on Monday 22^nd September 1930 the passenger train service between Bridport and West Bay was quietly withdrawn. The freight service continued, the Second World War bringing extra business. Shingle was taken from the beach at West Bay for use in airfield construction and train loads of nets were dispatched to the military.

Eventually only one train a week ran, and the West Bay line was finally closed to freight traffic on 3^rd December 1962 and in 1965 the rails were finally removed.

There are still reminders of the railway line in West Bay. The station building despite years of neglect and many other uses is restored and along with the accompanying  train carriages is now the popular Station Kitchen restaurant. The route of part of the railway line is now an attractive cycle track and footpath to Bridport.

NB: In a previous exhibition ‘ Down the Track’ in 2019 we looked back on the 90th Anniversary of the closure of the Passenger service to West Bay. All of our past exhibitions have been recycled into folders that can be viewed by the public when they visit the Centre.