Golden Cap and the Anchor Inn, Seatown
Drive down the tiny lane from Chideoak to Seatown and park at the Anchor Inn (theanchorinnseatown.co.uk). Buy water at the nearby Spar (you’ll need it) before ambling through the wood, across fields and up, up, up until – massively out of breath – you reach the top of Golden Cap, the south coast’s highest cliff. Your reward: panoramic views of the wide sweep of vast Lyme Bay, from Portland on your left to Exmouth in Devon. Return to the Anchor Inn for crab brioche rolls and local Palmers beer. The beach at Seatown is a fossil hotspot – hunt for ammonites at low tide.
Bridport Vintage Quarter
The Alleyways Antiques market is home to more than 50 traders selling a huge variety of artefacts from high-end antiques to quirky kitsch. It’s tucked away behind the main high street on the St Michael’s trading estate. First stop is Paul Michael Farnham at Studio 49 (instagram.com/paul_michael_farnham), an antiques dealer with an astonishing eye for Persian carpets, sculptures and more. From there it’s a short walk to the covered market filled with blue-and-white china, lighting and furniture. Don’t worry about getting stuck here: there’s also great food available on site at the Red Brick Café (redbrickcafebridport.com).
Bridport Markets
To catch the essence of Bridport (bridportandwestbay.co.uk), don’t miss the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when the town’s three main streets are transformed into bustling hubs of activity with stalls selling food, clothing and bric-a-brac. The market has a long history dating back to 1253 when King Henry III granted the town a charter. You’ll often find a band playing in the main square, behind the town hall, or further down South Street. The Wednesday market is smaller but great for secondhand books and cut flowers, vintage textiles and local honey.
Hive Beach
A short drive from Bridport, glorious Hive Beach is a postcard-perfect stretch of the Jurassic Coast, with honey-coloured cliffs, bracing waves and coastal walks. Hive Beach Café (hivebeachcafe.co.uk), a local institution, serves the freshest seafood right on the beach: fish and chips, but also crab sandwiches and chilli-and-lime squid. For a spot of retro glamour, walk 100 yards up the cliff to the Seaside Boarding House, a hotel and restaurant run by former Groucho Club co-founder Mary-Lou Sturridge. Enjoy amazing seaviews from the terrace over afternoon tea – or a cocktail at sunset. Rooms from £235 per night; theseasideboardinghouse.com
Mary Moore’s Dress
For a thrilling mix of vintage dresses, don’t miss this shop curated by Mary Moore. In the 60s, Moore (daughter of the sculptor Henry) designed clothes for musician clients including the Animals and Eric Clapton. Previously based in Notting Hill, she relocated her entire clothing collection to this cute store on South Street. We saw gems by Etro, Valentino and Westwood among the 1940s evening dresses, classic 1950s, psychedelic 60s shifts and 80s bling. Shop online to search by era and designer, from Amies to Westwood (dressbridport.co.uk).
West Bay Harbour
It would be hard to find a more atmospheric fishing village than West Bay with its dramatic sandstone cliffs and views of Golden Cap. The bustling harbour is a heady mix of yachts and working fishing vessels. On a sunny evening, there’s nothing nicer than buying the freshest fish and chips from one of the local kiosks and strolling to the harbour wall to tuck in while the sun goes down.
G&T Garden Tours
Jason Goodwin and Simon Tiffin founded G&T Garden Tours to share their passion for the glorious gardens of Dorset. In particular, ones not normally accessible to the public, with the gardens’ owners sharing stories and personal insights. Past trips have taken in Jasper Conran’s spectacular grounds and the Beaminster garden of furniture designer John Makepeace. Tour guests stay at lovely Symonsbury Manor, with gourmet meals by Caroline Purchase. Don’t miss the chance to walk up the nearby iconic cone-shaped Colmers Hill, one of the most recognizable landmarks in West Dorset. Booking the tour is essential as groups cap at 14 and premium summer slots sell out months ahead (gtgardentours.co.uk).
Eating out
Bridport is a foodie paradise with a thriving independent scene built around local, seasonal and sustainable food. Soulshine (wearesoulshine.co.uk) is a wonderfully relaxed café for breakfast, lunch or dinner, owned by former River Cottage colleagues. For Italian food, try the Napolitana pizzas at Mercanto Italiano (mercatoitaliano.uk) or go to the little takeaway bakery Brassica Forno (brassicaforno.co.uk) for arancini, pizza al taglio, pastries and doughnuts. For beautiful salads and cakes, don’t miss F.east, the café inside the Bridport Arts Centre (bridport-arts.com/cafe).
Bridport Old Bookshop
This two-room Aladdin’s cave on South Street, beside the Arts Centre, is run by Rosie Young, part of Bridport’s literary and business landscape for 25 years. She specialises in children’s books, art and illustration. Local interest includes Thomas Hardy, West Country folklore, specialist volumes on specific villages and vintage maps. There are many first editions and (currently) all 12 volumes of Marcel Proust (Chatto & Windus 1949) for £50 (11 South Street; 01308 425689).
Mapperton House
A few miles outside Bridport is this magnificent Jacobean manor owned by the Earl and Countess of Sandwich. The Italianate formal gardens, laid out in the 1920s, feature stunning topiary, an impressive orangery and a recently restored 18th-century swimming pool. In recent years, the owners have launched a major rewilding project, handing back to nature more than 10,000 acres of marginal farmland and woodland. Mapperton’s Wildlands can be explored through guided or self-guided Wildlands Safaris. Guided house tours also run from 30 March to 30 September. Join Professor Tom Brereton for an Introduction to Rewilding, a guided two-hour tour across Mapperton’s Wildlands during spring and summer (mapperton.com).
Honeypot Cottage is a cute and luxurious cottage in the tiny village of Shipton Gorge, just five minutes drive from Bridport (seven nights from £883, sleeps six). Book a range of accommodation, including Honeypot Cottage, around Bridport, on the coast and in the nearby villages at Sykes Holiday Cottages (sykescottages.co.uk)