Before shopping, what did we do on Saturday afternoons? In Bridport, I sat on a bench watching a Rastafarian man flying his kite with great skill in a park drenched with late summer light, and had a flashback to my Seventies childhood, long before spending, texting and surfing. It was peaceful, watching that man whip his kite around the sky, and a lovely way to end an afternoon in Bridport, a small Dorset town of 12,000 people, which, on a Saturday, was full of market stalls.
With its independent shops and sense of community (everyone appeared to know everyone else), Bridport seemed very civilised. It’s also very attractive, with wide streets and handsome buildings — more than 1,000 are listed. I particularly admired the Literary and Scientific Institute, built in 1834; the Unitarian Church, a porticoed Georgian beauty from 1794 with a sweet name — the Chapel in the Garden; and the small museum, originally a 16th-century townhouse.
The museum will tell how Bridport was once a famous rope-making town — the stuff made here was used by the nation’s hangmen. Net-making, another old industry, is still alive and supplies top sporting events, such as Wimbledon. You can also see a fascinating photography archive of the town.
In recent years Bridport has been hyped as a kind of Notting Hill-on-Sea: there’s a busy arts and food scene — Martin Clunes, Billy Bragg and P. J. Harvey have homes here — and there’s a lovely old cinema with the word “electric” in the title. But apart from all that, the comparison didn’t wash. There were no bankers, no yummy mummies, no hip hair salons, no designer boutiques and no coffee chains on every corner.
By contrast, the town has a laid-back, intellectual and rather hippyish feel, with its second-hand bookshops and artists’ studios, such as the St Michael’s Studio complex and Sladers Yard Gallery in West Bay, on the Jurassic coast. Bridport Arts Centre has a charming, rather tatty Georgian interior and has built a fine reputation for itself. Its annual literary festival kicked off yesterday, featuring William Shawcross, Louis de Bernières and Hilary Spurling.
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The aforementioned Electric Palace Cinema is a gorgeous 1920s building with an Art Deco bar, which also hosts comedy and music. The cartoonist and illustrator Ralph Steadman is a patron.
Bridport is a happening little place, but it sounds busier than it is. Don’t expect the shops to be open much after 5pm on a Saturday, or at any time on Sunday; and check in advance that there’s something on at the Arts Centre or Electric Palace.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. The man flying his kite summed up the real charm of Bridport for me: enjoyment here isn’t adrenalin-charged, it’s not got much to do with buying things or showing off, and it doesn’t require a large wad of £50 notes. So, not much like Notting Hill at all then.
Bed down at The Bull Hotel (01308 422878, thebullhotel.co.uk) offers 14 romantic rooms in an old coach house, with a great restaurant. There’s a gravelled garden for afternoon beers. Booking essential on Saturdays. Double rooms at the weekend start at £85.
Chow down at The Riverside restaurant in West Bay (01308 422011, thefishrestaurant-westbay.co.uk) has excellent seafood in a jaunty, nautical-style interior. Try the risotto, made with Dorset truffle, crab and langoustine. About £35 a head with wine.
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Getting there South West trains (0845 6000650, southwesttrains.com) run from Waterloo to Dorchester South. A bus service runs to Bridport.
Further information Go to visitengland.com bridport.org
The Bridport Literary Festival runs until November 22 (01308 424204, bridport-arts.com)