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THE WEB CHARMOUTH SITE
Bridport West Street
Cattle for sale in West Street on January 29th 1913 alongside Moreys cattle sale yard on the corner of Victoria Grove and West Street. The Poster is advertisong the "Play Bella Donna" at Drill Hall January 31st of that year. The yard was there until the Post Office was opened on 3rd September 1913.
Today
A Procession of Sunday Schools led by the Unitarian School along West Street. Produced by Davis and Sons in Lancaster.
A Procession of Sunday Schools along West Street. Produced by Davis and Sons in Lancaster.
Miss Gundry`s School was opned in March 1838 and stood between West Street Mill and The Court.
An early photograph with the children standing in the playground with a group of towns people looking over the Bridge at them.
West Street Infants School Bridport November 12th 1906. Miss Gundry`s Infant School Fire. The school was adjascent to the Court Works in West Street. The infant school with a residence for Miss Dale. The pupils had left at 12. At 12.45 Miss dale was told of the smoke coming from the roof.
 
 
Bayly Map of Bridport 1776 showing Building as part of West Mill
Ordnance Survey Map of Bridport in 1904 showing Infants School
Map of Area today
Aerial View Today showing Gundry`s Car Park on site of School
A Map of 1903 showing Gundry`s Infant School and the Map today with a vacant space where it used to stand
Fire in West Street - A School destroyed. Bridport News 17th November 1906
Shortly after noon on Monday flames were seen to issue from the roof of the Infants School in West Street, formerly known as “Gundrys School”. The Fire Brigade were summoned, and under Chief Officer E.S. Reynolds, and with their steam fire engine, were quickly on the scene of the conflagration. Fortunately it was the scholars dinner hour, so that there was no danger of panic amongst the youthful scholars, and the school furniture was removed without difficulty. The roof of the building is composed of thatch, which attains, in some parts at least, to a thickness of nearly three feet. The stream which works West Mills flows past the school premises and abuts the street, so that a copious supply of water was handy. It was soon seen, however that there was little, if any, chance of saving the building, and the Fire Brigade used their efforts, and successfully so, mainly in preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining premises. Crowds of spectators lined the street on either side to watch the burning of the school, which, despite the efforts of the Brigade, continued all night and well into the next day. The building was insured. It was the only thatched edifice in the Main Street, and had, it is computed, been standing between two and three centuries , so that by its destruction the town loses one of its links with the last. Temporary accommodation for the school has been obtained at the Gospel Hall, at the entrance to St. Michaels Lane, where the school was returned on Tuesday, so that the scholars lost but little time from their studies.
‘Another building of interest is the infant school,’ writes Treves in 1904, ‘because it so well fulfils any conception of what a seat of learning for country infants should be like. It is an ancient thatched cottage with a thatched verandah, where the infants can take the air when resting from their studies. The playground is an old-fashioned garden by the side of a stream. This charming little academy is the village school of a child’s idyll. It and the Castle Inn are the two most delightful features in the town.’
. In the museum a book shows photos of the fire, tells of the event and mentions two pupils who it appears may have died as a result. The site of the school became allotments and now is part of a car park next to the police station.

Sherborne Mercury 02 April 1838
West Street Infants School Bridport November 12th 1906. The Fire engine was pushed down West Street from the engine house behind the Town Hall. It continued pumping until the following day.
 
 
 
West Street Infants School Bridport November 12th 1906. The school after the fire. The view is from West Street.
Gundry`s Court Mill interior of the Net Making Rooms, West Street, next to Infant School.
Carnival July 1913. Postcard by I.R. Potts outside the Town Hall.
THe Tea Room is now occupied by New Look
The Butchers Shop at the back belonged to W & R Fletcher at 19 West Street and the photographer Clarence Austin doorway can be seen to the right.

The Postcard commemorates Queen Victoria`s 60 th Anniversary of her becoming Queen. Reginald Barrett, whose address is on the back must have reused one of their glass plates from 1897 to produce this postcard. The Decoartions were for her Diamond Jubillee 20th June 1897. Market House 1 West Street Thomas Pavey, Beer Retailer and Luncheon Rooms. 3 West Street Thomas White, Furniture Dealer. 5 West Street T.B. Baker, Draper, Silk Mercer, Insurance Agent. 7 West Street Mrs Helah Samson, Grocer, Wine and Spirit Dealer. 3 and 5 are "Stag House".
T. B. Baker advert in 1906
The same view today, with Boots occupying the same site.
 
A view of West Street looking towards the Town Hall by Potts.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Copy of the Bridport News from June 1856, soon after it was launched in June 1855. It was printed by W.G. Frost, then in East Street, but later they moved to West Street in premises that still had the name of Frosts above the door until recently. It is now a branch of Tofs.
 
 
The Lily Hotel, at 62 West Street c.1920, now the Sunny Days Nursery.

Chard and Ilminster News 08 July 1905