Bridport - Dorset
Important History Dates For Bridport
Friday, 30th July 2010 - Visitors currently online: 20
| Late 9th Century |
A 'Burh' fortification was set up to protect Bridport from Danish invasion. |
| 1150 | The Keeper of Bridport Castle was taken prisoner by the future King of England, Henry II. |
| 1189 | The Pipe Roll, during the reign of King Richard, referred to Bridport as having Borough status. |
| 1211 | King John commissioned, according to 'Bridport weight', to produce ships' ropes and cables, due to the imminent war with France. |
| 1213 | King John ordered that there be 'made at Bridport by night and day, as many ropes for ships both large and small as they could'. |
| 1240 | It was documented that by this date, there existed a hospital of St John the Baptist and Chapel at East Bridge (eastern end of East Street on the current site of the Masonic Hall). |
| 1240 | Documents indicate that a hospital existed in the Allington area. |
| 1253 | Bridport was granted its borough charter during Henry III's reign. |
| 1260 | St Andrew's Chapel was built, just outside the Bridport town boundary (where the Town Hall currently stands). It was probably built for the Carmelite friars. |
| 1265 | Carmelite friars (known as 'white friars') settled and preached in Bridport for the next 100 years. |
| 1272 | Records indicate that the River Brit was navigable as far as Bridport at high tide by small flat bottomed ships. |
| 1280 | Bridport claimed all rights to sea wrecks on the beaches. |
| 1288 | Bridport claimed rights to 'Take tolls from all Ships'. |
| 13th Century |
East Street and West Street were added at the northern end of the town's South Street, probably developed from the old Dorchester to Exeter Roman route. |
| 13th Century |
Earliest evidence of the construction of a church on the site of St Mary's in South Street. |
| 13th Century |
The Chantry, near the bottom of South Street was built and probably used as a beacon tower for ships at sea. Its construction was possibly on the site of the timber constructed Bridport Castle. |
| 1307 | A toll house was built on the northern side at the junction of East Street and West Street. The toll house was later to be named the Guildhall and used as a council chamber and local court. |
| 14th Century |
A Coaching Inn and Tavern was built in East Street, the building being renamed 'The Greyhound' during the 17th Century. |
| 1365 | Sir John Chideock failed to secure land in Bridport to build a friary, so the friars, including the Carmelites, left the area. |
| 1369 | The Chantry building was converted into a priest's house. |
| 1395 | Bridport was represented in Parliament by 2 MP's. |
| 15th Century |
Various further additions were made to St Mary's Church in South Street. |
| 15th Century |
Hemp boiling mill (for rope making) constructed along West Street, replaced in 19th Century by West Mill. |
| 16th Century |
A second Coaching Inn, 'The Bull', was built further along East Steet. |
| 1554 | Elizabeth I confirmed the right for Bridport to hold a twice weekly market and three annual fairs. |
| Late 16th Century |
The Old Castle in South Street was built in early Jacobean style, now the Bridport Museum. It is believed that it may possibly occupy the original site of Bridport Castle. |
| 1619 | James I incorporated Bridport by granting a mayor and corporation. |
| 1623 | Bridport was granted its 'Coat of Arms'. |
| 1625 | The plague reached Bridport. |
| 1651 | Charles II was almost captured by troops at the 'Old George Inn' in East Street (now the Cancer Research charity shop) after his defeat from Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester. |
| 1667 | Charles II granted Bridport a new charter, under which the town was governed until 1835. |
| 1685 | The Duke of Monmouth's first conflict occurred at the 'Bull Inn' in East Street during his failed attempt to overthrow his uncle, James II from the throne. |
| 1697 | The Friends’ Meeting House (Quakers) in South Street was formed. The former house and barn were given to the Friends by Daniel Taylor, owner of the Bull Inn. |
| Mid 18th Century |
There were around 30 licensed public (beer) houses in Bridport. |
| 1746 | Chapel built in Barrack Street, later to become a Temperance Hall, then the Lyric Theatre. |
| 1768 | The Dissenters Academy was built in East Street, later to become the Bridge House Hotel. |
| 1769 | The Marquis of Granby Inn was built on the former site of St John the Baptist Hospital and Chapel in East Street, later to become the Masonic Hall. |
| 1782 | The Guildhall (council chamber and local court) was badly damaged by fire. It was demolished. |
| 1785 | Act of Parliament passed for building a Town Hall, better cleansing, paving and prohibiting any new buildings from being roofed with thatch. |
| 1785 | At the junction of East Street and South Street, St Andrew's Chapel was demolished to make way for the new Town Hall. |
| 1786 | Completion of Bridport's Grade I listed Georgian Town Hall and Market House, at a cost of £3,000. |
| 1789 | Downe Hall, a large mansion sitting on the side of Coneygar Hill, was built for William Downe. |
| 1794 | Mountfield, the current location of Bridport's council offices, was built for William Downe. It is believed that The Grove was also built for him around this time. |
| 1794 | The Chapel in the Garden, a Unitarian Church, was built along East Street. |
| 1794 | Wykes Court was built around this time for the manufacture of sailcloth, net and twine by William Fowler, later by William Hounsell & Co. Now the site of a public car park. |
| 1794 | A brewery was set up by Samuel Gundry at the bottom of South Street, later to become Palmers. |
| 1796 | Fire destroyed 24 houses, including two public houses, the Ship and White Lion. |
| 1800 | The principal coaching inns for Bridport were The Bull and The Golden Lion. |
| 1805 | Doctor Giles L. Roberts, a Methodist and apothecist in Bridport, bought the 'Old George Inn' and set up a pharmacy to produce a widely used ointment called the 'Poor Man's Friend'. |
| 1805 | Lieutenant Laponetiere changed horses at The Bull Inn on his journey from Falmouth to London with news of England’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. |
| 1806 | A cupola and clock were added to the Town Hall. |
| 1809 | The Grove Iron Works was converted from a boiling mill. |
| 1816 | On 2nd September, the Government (Commissioners for the Affairs of Barracks) sold land, wooden huts and other particulars in Barrack Street. The sale would have been due to the diminishing threat of a Napoleonic invasion and probably accounts for the origins of the street's name. |
| 1819 | A smallpox epidemic spread through Bridport, killing 26 people. |
| 1831 | Gas street lighting arrived at Bridport, provided by the Bridport Gas & Coke Company, from gas works near the bottom end of South Street. |
| 1832 | Cholera outbreak kills 19 people. |
| 1834 | The Literary and Scientific Institute was built in East Street. Fra Newbery was a pupil and teacher at this School of Art. |
| 1834 | The Union Workhouse opened in Barrack Street, housing 200 inmates or paupers who work in return for food and accommodation. |
| 1834 | Thomas Beach and John Barnicott took over Dr Giles Roberts' pharmacy and continued to produce the 'Poor Man's Friend' ointment. |
| 1835 | Asker Mills built as weaving shop and bleaching works. |
| 1838 | A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built along South Street, now the home of Bridport Arts Centre. |
| 1840's | Various proposals put forward to link Bridport by railway to a main line. |
| Late 1840's |
A hide and skin yard was built at New Zealand (east of South Street) later to be sold to Thomas Tucker & Co. for a net making factory. |
| 1849 | The Bull Inn was sold to the Knight family, refurbished and remained in the family for 110 years. |
| 1851 | Various Tanneries were built around this time, including the 'Britside' by Thomas Ewens Biddlecombe, now the location of the Coach and Bus Station. |
| 1855 | The necessary Act of Parliament was passed on 5th May to build a railway to link Bridport to Maiden Newton. |
| 1855 | The Bridport News, local newspaper was established. |
| 1857 | On 12th November, The Bridport Railway Company opened its rail link. |
| 1860 | The United Church in East Street was built on the old site of The Crown Public House. |
| 1865 | Bridport Police Station was located in South Street. |
| 1866 | The Drill Hall in St Michael's Lane was built for the 1st Dorset Rifle Volunteers Regiment 'A' Company. |
| 1868 | The number of MP's representing Bridport was reduced to 1. |
| 1872 | A water company was formed to supply piped water throughout Bridport from works at Litton Cheney. |
| 1874 | The railway link from Bridport to Maiden Newton was converted from broad gauge to standard gauge during the period of 18th to 22nd June. |
| 1876 | The Old Castle (current location of Bridport Museum) was seriously damaged by fire. |
| 1879 | The Temperance Movement arrived in Bridport, opening the Bridport Coffee Tavern / Hotel at 3 East Street, opposite the Town Hall. |
| 1879 | A water wheel was added to the brewery in South Street. |
| 1879 | Act of Parliament was passed to extend the Bridport Railway down to Bridport Harbour. |
| 1884 | A new railway station at Bridport was opened, called East Street and the railway opened its services to Bridport Harbour (West Bay) on 31st March. |
| 1885 | Bridport lost all representation in Parliament. |
| 1885 | On 7th October, Bridport Football Club was formed by a group of members from the town's cricket and lawn tennis clubs. |
| 1888 | A trust was created, stating that when the Dorset Rifle 'A' Company were not using Drill Hall in St Michael's Lane, the hall could be used by the town as the mayor decided. |
| 1896 | The Palmer family bought Samuel Gundry's brewery, now the only thatched brewery in England. |
| 1898 | Hospital for Infectious Diseases opened in Allington. |
| 1902 | A horse-drawn Fire Engine with Merryweather & Sons Steam Pump 'Greenwich Gem' was housed beneath the Town Hall, at Bucky Doo Square. Bought to commemorate the coronation of King George VII. |
| 1902 | The Post Office was built on the site of the old cattle market, on the corner of West Street and Victoria Grove. |
| 1903 | The cattle market was moved to St Michaels Lane. |
| 1903 | Local magistrates were given sufficient powers to force the closure of unruly public houses. |
| 1903 | Palmers shut 4 beer houses in South Street, buying up houses either side of existing outlets to avoid further complaints. |
| 1912 | The Palace Cinema opened in Barrack Street, a hall previously used as headquarters of the Royal Field Artillery and later, the Lyric Theatre. |
| 1914 | The Union Workhouse in Barrack Street became an institute for the 'Mentally Defective'. |
| 1915 | King of Prussia pub in East Street (named in the mid 18th Century after Frederick the Great) was renamed 'King of the Belgians', due to the number of Belgians in Bridport working for the war effort. |
| 1915 | Bridport General Hospital opened in Park Road, North Allington. |
| 1916 | Steel wire anti-submarine nets were manufactured in Bridport during the First World War. |
| 1926 | The Palace Cinema in Barrack Street was moved to South Street and opened as the Electric Palace, accommodating 400 people on the ground floor plus 100 in the circle. |
| 1927 | Parish boundary changes. West Bay, previously shared between the parishes of Symondsbury and Burton Bradstock, now came under the control of Bridport Municipal Borough Council. |
| 1930 | Mains electricity arrived through the foundation of the Bridport Borough Electricity Undertaking. The power station was at Fulbrooks Lane, off St Swithins Road. |
| 1932 | The Old Castle was donated to Bridport Borough Council by Captain Codd for use as a museum. |
| 1934 | In December, the Lyric Theatre in Barrack Street opens as a modern cinema. Previously the building had been the Liberal Hall and Palace Cinema (built in 1746 as a chapel). |
| 1935 | Plans were passed to move the Fire Station from beneath the Town Hall at Bucky Doo and be replaced by public conveniences. A new fire station to be opened in Gundry Lane. |
| 1935 | In May, automatic traffic lights were installed next to the Town Hall, to control the flow of vehicles at the junction of South, East and West Street. |
| 1940 | King of the Belgians pub in East Street had a second name change, this time to the 'Lord Nelson'. |
| 1947 | Bridport Rotary Club started on 13th August. |
| 1948 | The Union Workhouse building in Barrack Street became a geriatric hospital and renamed 'Port Bredy Hospital'. It was eventually converted into residential apartments. |
| 1953 | To celebrate the 7th Centenary (700 years) of Bridport's Royal Charter (1253), Princess Margaret visited the town. |
| 1957 | Britside tannery demolished to make way for a coach and bus station. |
| 1958 | The gas works in South Street were closed down and later demolished. |
| 1959 | Diesel locomotives replace steam engines on the Bridport Railway. |
| 1960 | Bridport's Merryweather & Sons fire engine of 1902 was discovered in a Birmingham scrap merchant's yard. It was refurbished and is currently on display at Highlands End Holiday Park. |
| 1960 | In June, fire destroyed St Michael's Foundry, including a garage and engineering workshop. |
| 1961 | The cattle market in St Michael's Lane was closed. |
| 1962 | Bridport's Lyric (Cinema) Theatre in Barrack Street was closed down. Later it became the location of the Bernard Gale School of Dancing (Lyric Studios). |
| 1966 | Bridport supplied the goal nets for England's football World Cup victory at Wembley Stadium. |
| 1972 | Bridport was designated a 'Conservation Area'. |
| 1973 | Bridport Arts Centre opened in South Street, in the old Methadist Chapel. |
| 1974 | Following local government reorganisation, Bridport Municipal Borough Council was replaced by Bridport Town Council. |
| 1974 | Bridport Museum Trust was set up by the Bridport Town Council to run Bridport Museum. |
| 1975 | The Bridport to Maiden Newton rail link closed on 5th May. |
| 1984 | Drill Hall, a listed building in St Michaels Lane was demolished to make way for a public car park. The 1st Volunteer Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (A Co.) had been based there. |
| 1987 | On 19th July, the River Brit Viaduct was opened as part of the new A35 Bridport Bypass. |
| 1993 | Bridport Community Hospital was built on the site of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Allington. |
| 1995 | Fire Station relocated from South Street (now Bridport Library) to purpose built premises at Sea Road South. |
| 1996 | Downe Hall at Coneygar Hill was sold off for conversion into apartments. |
| 1996 | Octagonal obelisk with seating constucted in Bucky Doo Square by Bridport Town Council, to commemorate the important heritage and landmarks of Bridport. |
| 1996 | The geriatric hospital 'Port Bredy' in Barrack Street, formally the Union Workhouse, was closed down. Work started to convert into residential apartments. |
| 1997 | Bridport Library transferred from East Street to South Street. Building's original stone facade was restored from having been the local Fire Station. |
| 1998 | Temporary recycling centre was opened in South Street, to replace a previous facility in Bothenhampton. |
| 1999 | The Electric Palace was closed, through competition from video and tv. |
| 2000 | Port Bredy Hospital in Barrack Street which closed in 1996, opened as residential apartments. |
| 2001 | On 30th May, the Millennium Green, just north of Rax Lane, was officially opened by H. R. H. Duchess of Gloucester. |
| 2002 | The old Co-op in South Street was closed down and rebuilt as retirement apartments - Folly Mill Lodge. A new larger Co-op opened along Sea Road North. |
| 2002 | West Mead Hotel in West Allington, demolished to make way for a housing estate. |
| 2003 | The Police Station in St Andrews Road was redeveloped into retirement apartments - Peelers Court. |
| 2003 | Bridport Police Station was relocated to Tannery Road. |
| 2005 | The Bull was dedicated as part of the New Trafalgar Way and bears a plaque to commemorate its role at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. |
| 2007 | The Electric Palace was refurbished and re-opened. |
| ** | Taking the suburbs of Allington, Bradpole and West Bay into account, there have been more than 80 different licensed public houses over the years in Bridport, of which only about 20 remain today. |
History records have been sourced from various locations including:
Local History Centre, The Coach House, Gundry Lane, Bridport, Dorset.
& Bridport News
Note that some dates are approximate / unconfirmed.
