Where did 'Burton Bradstock' come from?
In Saxon days, the village was called Brideton or Bridetone meaning the village of the river Bride which evolved to Bridetona as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Bradstock came from Bradenstoke named after Bradenstoke Priory in Wiltshire to which the village once belonged. The present name appears to be a corruption of the two names.
Books and Publications about the village A list of background reading, websites and other sources of information about the village - Ken Pett
The Beach & the Sea - A group of geographically related items:-
Personal Archives:- Material provided by villagers covering events in their lives and the village:-
Photographic Archives:- Online exhibitions of village photographs and personal photographic collections.:-
Burton Bradstock at War - A compilation of all available wartime material drawn from a number of sources - Ken Pett
A compilation of village life including the 1995 VE Day Celebrations.- Peter Colbert
St Mary's Church A Brief Guide to the history of St. Mary's Church, Burton Bradstock, & Chilcombe Church
and The Victorian Church in Burton Bradstock - E Jane Stubbs
Old Village Maps & Tithe information - Ken Pett
Prehistoric Burton Bradstock A table of Archaeological sites in the village and some reference material - Bill Putnam
The stone used in our buildings The building stones used in Burton Bradstock come almost entirely from within the parish. All the stones used are Jurassic (about 180 million years old) and were formed as sediments of clay, sand or lime mud under a shallow sea on a continental shelf. - Jo Thomas
Roman remains and pots found at Burton Bradstock - Material kindly provided by Dorset County Museum and Bridport Museum - Ken Pett/Annie Grantham
Extracts from C.J. Bailey's Book "The Bride Valley" describes the archaeology and history of the parishes in the valley of the River Bride in South West Dorset; - Ray West
Details from the 1861 Census for the Whole of the Parish of Burton Bradstock - 239 schedules, 223 inhabited houses, 7 uninhabited, 428 males, 582 females, total population of 1010. - A link to the Dorset OPC project
Farming There were at least ten working farms in the Parish, all of which produced milk and provided each farmer with his sole income. There are now only three working farms providing full time employment for their resident owners - Andrew Bailey
Sheep Farming locally - The Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset Sheep
Pictures of Cogden Farm by Frank and Mary Bailey - Ray West
Burton Bradstock School - some extracts from old records and school photos - you may know someone
School days during the war by Elizabeth Gale - Ken Pett A fascinating description of village school life during the last war.
Village sale in 1951 and 1958 - details of catalogues covering the sale of the major part of the village from the Pitt-Rivers Estate - Ray West
Green Fingers Club - a preliminary page based on some photos and a film taken during a presentation to the Weymouth Lifeboat
A Brief History of the WI Hall - Wendy Green
Roberts Trail The entrepreneur Richard Roberts, in the latter half of the 18th century, probably did most to put Burton Bradstock on the map as he lived here whilst working to build up his country-wide, and eventually world-wide trade in flax and hemp based products. Many buildings and places in the village have associations with his life and work and these can be seen and enjoyed in a leisurely walk around the quiet back streets of this gentle place. - Geoffrey Fowler
The Roberts Family of Burton Bradstock - A family History - Ray West
Floods in Burton Bradstock - Ray West
Brief history of Norburton Hall - Karen Venn
Burton Bradstock in an earthquake in 1863!
A Selection of John Surry's village cricket poems in praise of the great Burton Bradstock Bride Vale all- rounder Rob Dayborne - Humphrey Walwyn
More village history to be found at Dorset-OPC
The West Dorset Research Centre (WDRC) specialises in Migration from Dorset, Local and Family History and is based in Burton Bradstock
