Monument record MWX166 - Bridport

Bridport was originally an Anglo-Saxon burh and in 1066 it was a borough and had a mint. In 1086 there were 100 houses. Represented as a borough in 1244.

Bridport is mentioned as an Anglo-Saxon burh named Brydian with 760 hides assigned to it. May be Bridport or Bredy. In 1066 it is a borough and mint with 120 houses. In 1086 100 houses in the borough. By 1244 it is represented as a borough by its own jury at the eyre. <1>

A castle is documented at Bridport ai 1149 when it surrendered to Henry, Duke of Normandy. <3>

Bridport referred to in Burghal hidage as Brydian, likely to have occupied the triangular piece of land bordered by the Rivers Brit (formerly Woth) and Asker, which meet just south of Bridport. South Street possibly preserves the line of the spinal road running north-south through this settlement and that the medieval church of St Mary occupies the site of a Saxon predecessor. Western and northern defences of the Saxon town have been identified as following Priory Lane and as a continuous property boundary line parallel with Gundry Lane, formerly a ditch referred to as Wyditch (SY46399277 - 46779282) <4>

The broad pavements at Bridport were once drying tables for the thousands of miles of rope demanded of the town by the Royal Navy since the time of King John. <5>

<1> Beresford, J, and Finberg, H P R, 1973, English medieval boroughs: a hand-list, 101 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1175.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1976 (Map). SDO17396.

(Name centred SY 469 925) Bridport [NAT]

<3> Cathcart-King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands, 129 (Monograph). SDO16340.

<4> Cox P, Chandler J and Cotton J, 1997, The Proposed Redevelopment of the Southwest Quadrant, Bridport: Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Assessment (Unpublished document). SWX8617.

<5> Wheatley, K, 2000, National Maritime Museum guide to Maritime Britain (Monograph). SWX8807.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 660759 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 19 2022 3:02PM