Bridport is a place built on rope. It produced cordage for Henry VIII’s navy, nooses for the hangman (The term “stabbed with a Bridport dagger” is a euphemism for being sent to the gallows) and twines for baling, rigging and deep-sea trawling, among other products.
Today, the West Dorset town’s “spinning walks” and wide streets (once used to dry, twist and spin hemp and flax) are among the legacies of this 800-year-old industry that still makes nets for Wimbledon’s tennis courts.
The town is thriving in other ways, too. Visitors and locals converge on the traditional high street (bakers, butchers, books, art, hardware, hats…) for the twice-weekly street market, monthly farmers’ market, cafes, pubs and regular buskers on Bucky Doo Square (which is actually more of a triangle).
Shorts
The old “hempland” trading estate – another remnant of ropemaking – has been largely re-branded as the “vintage quarter”, where you’ll find antiques, retro furniture and artists’ studios.
