History

Bridge over River Bride just outside Burton Bradstock .

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

History of the Community Library

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

Archives of items that have been active pages on the website

A compilation of village life including the 1995 VE Day Celebrations.- Peter Colbert

St Mary's Church A history index for St Mary’s Church, Burton Bradstock and Chilcombe Church

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
Bredy Farm and The Old Farming Collection - David Edwards and Susan Moores

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 collection of 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 (Now updated as Trail and Tale)

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

Burton Bradstock History of Burton Bradstock Players - Daphne Ekins/John Tillman

History of the Bride Valley Branch of the Royal British Legion 1936-2011 - Ray West

Personal archives from Greta Heal Ken Pett

Some more recent history can be seen in "Village Pictures"

Weather - Rainfall and Temperature 1977-2010

Diamond Jubilee 2012

Burton Bradstock's Centenarians with their letters from the Queen

Derek Parson’s 90th Birthday Party

We are grateful for Richard Hindson for allowing us to copy the photos from his book entitled “Views of Burton Bradstock – One hundred picture postcards"

Old village adverts from the 1970s - Ken Pett

A Tribute to Jim Reeves 1918-2015 - Ken Pett

Memories Of Burton Bradstock In The 1950's - Susan Moores

Line, twine and net-making in Bridport with Richard Dimbleby 1951 - Film from the BFI - includes some shots of Burton and the Bride Valley

The Old Hive Beach Hut - The demolition in 1986

Charles and Diana's wedding celebrations in the village 1981

Videos - A collection of videos over the years featuring the village, events and its people