I have carefully studied the  detailed view and picked out those buildings which are easily recognized, most of which Turner would have seen when he visited Charmouth. It was taken shortly after 1836 as it clearly features the church that replaced the earlier dilapidated structure. The new road linking Charmouth with Lyme Regis can be seen on the horizon after its construction in 1834. Apart from these additions, the area shown here is almost the same as Turner would have looked down on. The village had been centred along the Street for many centuries. Both Lower and Higher Sea Lane were surrounded by fields, with few buildings. John Robins had recently built the  fine three storey Sea Horse House in Rocket Lane as the latter was called then. Old Lyme Hill had a number of buildings along it, including the Poor House and the cottages where the Gordges lived.  

One of the earliest maps was that produced by Colonel Mudge for the first Ordnance Survey which is shown here in 1811. The main road which had been considerably improved in 1758 when it was turned into a Turnpike can be seen passing though the village towards Axminster and on to Exeter. The lower road was already in a bad state and was abandoned in 1824 and rebuilt as the Old Lyme Road above it to link up with Lyme Regis. Barr's Lane is shown clearly and would have been for centuries a major road linking Wootton Fitzpaine with Charmouth.Lower Sea Lane was the only route to the beach and was known as Mill Lane. Higher Sea Lane then called Rocket Lane led to Sea Horse House, built in 1801 and the common fields below it.

I will now attempt as best I can to describe both the village and its people in 1811 from a number of detailed records. Charmouth is very fortunate to have a Census for that year. I came across it in the Parish Records, now kept in the Archives in Dorchester. I was unaware of what it was for a long time until I checked the list of names. By elimination I could see from their deaths, those that they were still alive in that year. Although the first detailed census was in 1841, there were earlier ones from 1811. The majority of these were lost and it was the good fortune that Bryan Coombe, the village Curate had decided to keep a copy in the Parish Chest, that I was able to find it. This  slide shows clearly the names of house occupiers, their occupation, as well as the  number of men and women living there in that year. It is an amazing document as it provides a wonderful insight. It is surprisingly accurate when compared with the Poor Rates, Land Taxes, Highway List and burials at that time.

The original list is remarkably legible and complete. I have typed out the information it provides here, so it is more accessible. It would seem that there were 156 men to 247 women, which is a surprising ratio. The total population was estimated at 403. The official Census which took place on Monday, 27th May records it as 458 and 196 households. The additional figure may have been accounted for by visitors or another criteria. Cross referencing this with Parish records, Land Tax, Poor Rates, Wills, Title Deeds, I  have been able to identify the occupants of a number of the houses at that time. It has also revealed that it began at the Old Mill and continued up the Street, which is very useful for us, as  it is possible to follow the same route from side to side and by elimination pick out many of the houses.

On this Chart, I  have grouped the population of Charmouth into their respective occupations, which makes for fascinating reading. The largest group were classed as Gentlemen. They would have been wealthy enough to live off income from land ownership, rental properties or investments, often inherited. The next largest group were classed as labourers. At that time it would have included semi skilled manual workers, mostly in agriculture. Although some would have had employment in one of the three Sail Cloth manufacturers in the village. There were 5 shoemakers employed in their trade. Four Butchers could be found along the Street, with two bakers and two Taylors. Lodgings could be found with Miss Mary Rickard or Simon Symes as well as at the three Inns -  John Clemoes ran the Coach and Horses, George Harvey at the Fountain Inn and Richard Hawkins at the George Inn, which is still operating today. The other amazing survival is the village shop, Nisa which can trace its routes back to being a Post Office and Stores all those years ago run by Joseph Bradbeer and his wife, Lydia.
The Census list includes three Sail Cloth Makers, William Burnard, Jacob Ridley Kitt and Sarah Webber, widow of George Webber, who had died the year before, aged 68. These would have been an important source of employment for women at that time.
Almost every trade was represented and included Dress maker, Carpenter, Shoemaker, Fisherman, Miller,  Builder, Thatcher, Dairyman, Blacksmith and Surgeon. Looking back, one would be quite envious of all that was on offer over two centuries ago.

The Poor Rates was a local tax assessment used to fund the parish's legal obligation to support its destitute residents under the Old Poor Law. It identified all householders and property owners in the parish who were wealthy enough to be taxed based on the value of their real estate or land. Charmouth is noted for having a continuous Poor Rates listing from 1805 until 1832, which is highly valuable for tracing the village's occupants alongside the Census. The original sheet for 1811 is shown here, providing some important information about the owners and their tenants. It would seem strange today to see that most of the villagers paid their rents to just two landlords, Bryan Coombe and Ann Liddon. The village had been bought by William Ellesdon in 1648, and his descendants had continued to enjoy its income until 1788 when it was auctioned and divided into two parts, Backlands, which were basically north and Sealands,  south of the Street. It was Lieutenant James Warden who  became Lord of the Manor and lived in the large  Manor House opposite the Church. The rest was purchased by the wealthy village Curate, Bryan Coombe. James Warden was killed in a Duel after an argument with a neighbouring landowner in 1792 and it was his daughter, Ann Liddon who inherited his estate.

The Land Tax List for Charmouth in 1811 has survived and  provides similar information to that in the Poor Rates List.  It was primarily used as a means for the central government to raise funds based on the annual rental value of land and property.  It was also an  official record to verify a man's right to vote in parliamentary elections.

Another book Turner may have referred to would have been Holden`s Directory, which I am fortunate in having a copy of for the year 1811. It is surprisingly accurate and gives us an insight into both the inhabitants and their occupations. It describes the principal manufacturer as Sailcloth with the three main producers – William Burnard, Joseph Ridley Kitt and George Webber, highlighted. It was already attracting the well-off members of society who are described as Gentlemen. The most exiting entry is that for Charmouth entrepreneur - Joseph Bradbeer who was at that time was operating both the newly opened Post Office and the  Mail Coach Inn. The George Inn, which we still have today was being run by Richard Hawkins and the Fountain Inn, which today is known as Charmouth House, had George Harvey as its Landlord.  The village Butcher was James Love.  Simeon Bullen lived in the  Manor House opposite the Church. The Directory entry highlights the fact that Russell and Sweet were operating Waggons and Stage Coaches daily from Charmouth, which J.M.W. Turner may well have used.

On the left hand side of this slide is the original entry for Charmouth and on the right the break down of the information it provides. It reveals the largest group being wealthy Gentlemen who occupied many of the fine houses, which have come down to us. The remainder is quite selective and highlights the more important residents. At the bottom of the entries is information relating to the frequent coaches and wagons passing through which would have stopped at the Inns.

J.M.W. Turner  would have studied his copy of John Feltham`s annual  “ Guide to all the Watering  and Sea Bathing Places” shown here, for detailed information concerning all the places he was planning to visit on his trip in 1811. I am fortunate in having a copy similar to the one Turner would have used, which I will leave at the front for those interested to see. 

Feltham  floridly writes about Charmouth as follows:
“This delightful village lies between Bridport and Axminster, on one of the roads leading to Exeter, and is thirty-one miles from that city. It occupies an elevated situation and consequently commands many vast and beautiful prospects both of the sea and land. It has likewise the advantage of being a considerable thoroughfare, and lying so near Lyme, it is much resorted to by bathers. The beach here is pebbly and in all its advantages and disadvantages partakes of the qualities of its neighbour and rival. It cannot be expected that fashionable amusements are to be found here: but the lower nature will be sure to find gratification in his rambles of the environs, and he who is in search of health, a still superior good, will be as likely to find it on the coast of Dorset as in that of Sussex.
The fisheries here and at Lyme present a constant scene of useful activity, no less advantageous to the individuals concerned than amusing to spectators.
The rides and walks are sufficiently varied and numerous. Bridport, Axminster, Axmouth, etc. will be included amongst the former.
Sailing too, whether it is regarded as a pleasant or a healthful exercise, cannot be excelled by any in the circle of the occupations of the idle, may here be enjoyed to the full, with facilities that render it still more inviting".

I have been very fortunate over the years to trace back the history of a number of the older houses in the village. The chart shown here is based on the 1811 Census, whose information I have typed out and along side it given the names of the properties by the names we know them today wherever possible. It is astonishing how complete it is and will no doubt be of interest to those inhabiting them today. You can quickly see that it weaves from side to side as it goes from the Mill to the top of the village. The houses originally  stood on burgage plots which dated back to the 13th century when the village was owned by the monks of Forde Abbey. The original wall to the north still stands and a ditch marked those to the south. Each was originally half acre. Although many were amalgamated over the centuries to make them more viable.
I will now attempt by breaking it down into three groups to reveal the owners and their houses in 1811, when the artist J.M.W.Turner paid a visit to Charmouth.

The first section  stretches from the Mill to  the junction of  the Street with Barrs Lane and Lower Sea Lane. Almost all the buildings were thatched, though many were lost at the end of the 19th century in devastating fires.

The second section of The Street reveals a landscape almost as J.M.W. Turner would have seen it in 1811. There are a few changes from that year in that 1,2,3, Hillside was built in 1822 replacing 2 cottages formerly standing there fronting the Street. The Rectory was built at the rear of the Church in 1828 in part of the Glebe. It is remarkable when we see this area of the map today how similar it is compared with two centuries ago.

The Third  section of The Street is from the junction of Higher Sea lane to old Lyme Hill.

I will now cover the  group of properties from the Mill to Barrs lane  in greater depth, using early illustrations  to represent how the area once looked. I have added their names to the  1841 Tithe Map of the village

If we were to go back two centuries we would be surprised to see that the village had its own industry in the shape of Sail Making. Three  of these businessmen are revealed on the 1811 Census list, They were William Burnard, George Webber's widow  and Jacob Ridley Kitt. They all rented or owned many of the fields in the village which would have been covered with Flax, the staple for their trade. The illustration shown here is of the interior of a Sail cloth Workshop as depicted by the Bridport artist, Frances Newbery and is to be seen with others in the Bridport Town Hall.

H.M.S. Victory and other ships in the British Navy created a huge demand for Sailcloth during the Napoleonic Wars from 1803 until 1815. Charmouth with other villages surrounding Bridport were the main producers of the canvas and experienced a boom in sales. "The Victory Returning from Trafalgar, in Three Positions" is a celebrated oil painting by J.M.W. Turner, which he created in 1806, reveals the large expanse of Sail that was needed.

This wonderful drawing has only recently come to light in the extensive collection of the Philpott Museum in Lyme Regis. It was drawn in 1825 and is surprisingly accurate.

It shows some of the processes of Sail Cloth manufacture in the foreground that was carried on there by William Burnard. The two men are operating a "Skirder" for separating the yarns when twisting rope, and the gentleman this side of the wall is operating a twine making "Jack”. Behind them is Rose Cottage, where Digory Gordge lived and a number of other thatched cottages that lined the Street. The Bridge was rebuilt by the County in 1824 and was one of several which contained the following shocking warning:-"Dorset. Any person wilfully injuring any part of this county bridge will be guilty of felony and upon conviction liable to be transported for life by the Court. T.Fooks." Behind it are the Mill buildings and Mill House. In the distance is Bow House, where the Clothier, William Burnard lived.

Rose Cottage in Bridge Road was occupied by the unusually named Digory Gordge in the early Census. He was one of a number of members of this family who prospered in the village.

An  early photograph  of  the old bridge and Mill buildings at the side of the stream. The area now forms part of Manor Farm Holiday Centre and is difficult to recapture as the area has changed so much over time .

The Old Mill seen in action with the Miller loading up his wagon with sacks of flour. In Turner`s day it was operated by Henry Smith who rented it from Dr. Robert Graves of Bridport. He would have lived in the nearby Mill House, both of which are still standing although drastically altered.

Mill House and Mill buildings, where  Harry Smith lived and worked in 1811.

The end of  the mill buildings and Mill House on the opposite side to  Mill View cottages which were built in 1857 to house Customs Officers.

An early view taken looking down the street towards the George with the Mill Managers  house on the right. Notice the large number of thatched roofs at that time. The old Volunteers Drill Hall, now called Firlands House is in the centre.

Peter and Leah Clapcott lived in The Grange, shown here in this early photograph, in the year Turner came to Charmouth. It was a fine Georgian House with an acre of land behind it and a further acre of Common in  Lower Sea Lane. He died in 1813 and was buried in St. Andrews Church in a Chest Tomb, still to be seen, near the entrance.

An early view looking up The Street towards the Church, almost as Turner would have observed in 1811. On the right is Bow House which actually had bow windows at that time.

A similar view with Grange House on the left had side of The Street. In the distance can be seen the newly built Coach and Horses that replaced the earlier Inn that had been destroyed in a fire in 1895. On the right is Bow House. It was here that William Burnard lived. He was a Sail Cloth Manufacturer with his workshops behind the house and by the river. Adjoining it was Stow House, occupied by his wife`s father, Peter Good, whose Will reads as follows:
"I Peter Good of Charmouth, Protestant Dissenting Minister, give my now erected dwelling house with back court and garden, deed of conveyance dates 1804 being of the north side of the street and bounded on the west by a dwelling in possession of Morgan and known by the name of the George Inn and on the east by a dwelling house and lands in tenure or possession of Mr. William Burnard, Canvas Manufacturer and which I purchased of said William Burnard unto my beloved wife Rebecca Good and her heirs".

A later view of The George with its sign projecting from above the entrance. Its origins dated back to when the Abbots of Forde owned the village and ran the Hostelry until the 16th century. In the year of Turner`s visit it was operated by Richard Hawkins, son in Law of Thomas Morgan, from whom he had inherited it in 1806.

Mr. and Mrs. French with their daughters and assistants outside the Ancient George Inn in Victorian times.

The view today which is not too dissimilar to that seen by Turner in 1811.

A group of children outside the  house, later to be the Wander Inn where Mary and Elizabeth Rickard lived in 1811. On the opposite side is the ancient Abbots House.

This engraving is by the Charmouth artist Carter Galpin, who bought Lithography to this country and produced a number of images of the village whilst he was here. The building now known as The Abbotts House, was rebuilt in the early 16th century by Thomas Chard of Forde Abbey who placed his initials above the main entrance door seen here. Turner would have no doubt visited it and heard of the astonishing story, when in 1651 Charles II stayed there for one night in his attempt to flee the country after the Battle of Worcester. He failed in this as a result of the wife of the master of the ship, Stephen Limbry, finding out what here husband was up to and locking him up in their house. By the time he got out it was too late, and the King had left for Bridport and eventual freedom from Shoreham. In 1811 it belonged to the non-conformists who held their services in the neighbouring chapel and let the house to  William Russell, a Shoemaker with 5 children and Mary Edwards, a Widow.

This early photograph looking down the Street towards The George and the Mill reveals how the majority of the buildings were thatched. This resulted in a number of devastating fires. The buildings on the left with the fine iron railings, was a Bakers owned by William Cole. It  went up in smoke in 1894 and were later rebuilt as Devonedge and Lansdowne House. A little further on is the house where in 1811, Mary and Elizabeth Rickard lived and took in Lodgers. They were the daughters of John Rickard who had been the Steward to Benedicta Durston, Lady of the Manor.

A view looking down The Street almost unchanged from the time when Turner visited here. On the left is a large building then known as "Streets“ which was occupied by Rev. Brian Coombe as his Rectory. He also owned  Pear Close opposite which stretched from The Abbotts House to Lower Sea Lane.

The beautiful line of thatched cottages were lost in a fire at the end of the 19th century and in due course replaced with brick buildings that we see today.

I have enlarged an early photograph taken from Stonebarrow Farm looking down on the village which predates the  devasting fire that swept though the village in 1894 completely destroying a line of thatched buildings from the corner of Barrs Lane to Lansdowne House.

I have added a key to a number of the buildings on the previous slide . The south side of the Street contained Pryer`s stone mason yard and Pear Close, which were later to be built on with shops and houses.

This early photograph is of Pryers Yard, which has long since disappeared apart from the building on the right that is now The Pharmacy on the corner of Lower Sea Lane. Turner would have seen it as a Carpenters Workshop in his day that was rented from the Miss Rickards and had previously been owned by their father, who was Steward to the Lady of the Manor.

Another view of the yard looking down the Street. The buildings in the distance at the other side of the Pear Close is the Abbots House with the Chapel behind it. The ships figurehead in the foreground was washed up on Charmouth Beach.

This map of the middle section of The Street reveals a landscape almost as J.M.W. Turner would have seen it in 1811. There are a few changes from that year in that 1,2,3, Hillside was built in 1822 replacing 2 cottages formerly standing there fronting the Street known as Farrs, which was later misspelt as Barrs, from when the nearby Lane was named.  The Rectory was constructed at the rear of the Church in 1828 in part of the Glebe.

This early photograph provides us with a fine view looking up the Street. Littlecote and Carrum House on the left were built in 1843. Next to it was Beech House, which in 1811 was owned by William Edwards, a Butcher. On the opposite side was Little Lodge and the village stores.

The building now known as Charmouth Lodge on the corner of Barr's Lane in 1811 would have been one of the workshops of Jacob Ridley Kitt. It was later converted into the house seen here by Stephen Atkinson. On the right is the thatched roof of "Streets" which was to be burnt to the ground in the fire of 1894.

The Culmstock Otter Hounds  historically hunted the rivers of Devon and Somerset, including the River Char, which flows through  Charmouth. They are seen here passing the ornate iron fence of “The Limes”, now known as Charmouth Lodge, with the Coach and Horses in the background.

Little Lodge on the left had long been the centre for Sail Cloth Manufacture and in earlier times was called "Yandover". In 1811 it was Jacob Ridley Kitt who ran his business from there and his workshops occupied the area around it including the building that was later to be converted into a residence and now known as Charmouth Lodge. At the time of Turners visit this would have been booming providing much needed Cloth for Nelsons fleet. Many of the fields were owned or rented by Kitt to grow Flax, the staple for his cloth. At the end of the War with France in 1815, the demand for sail dropped off and sadly Kitt went bankrupt.

The shop we know today as Nisa, opened as Charmouth's first Post Office in 1806, just a couple of years before Turner`s visit by  Joseph Bradbeer. He had for many years been the Landlord of the  Coach and Horses Inn opposite. An artist impression is shown here of the post being collected  at night by a Mail Coach from an upper window of the premises.

The view of Prospect Place in 1880 when Charmouth Stores was run by George Mortimer, who is seen in the doorway with his staff. The building we know today as Nisa opened as Charmouths first Post Office in 1806. Joseph Bradbeer. On his death in 1821, his wife Lydia continued to run it as a Grocers. It  was then taken over by John  Carter, who had previously been a Carpenter. His family continued there until it was bought by George Mortimer  shown here.

Here is an artist’s depiction of how the Coach and Horses may have looked when Turner stayed there in 1811. It was an ancient Inn originally called "The Three Crowns" and then changed to "The Mail Coach Inn" as a result of its importance as a stop off for the coaches taking the Royal Mail across the country. Another national figure who came to Charmouth was the author, Jane Austen, who was known to have stayed at the Coach and Horses in  1803.  We have her to thank for one of the earliest references to the village in Chapter 11 of "Persuasion" when she writes:
“Charmouth, with its high grounds and extensive sweeps of country, and still more its sweet, retired bay, backed by dark cliffs, where fragments of low rock among the sands make it the happiest spot for watching the flow of the tide, for sitting in unwearied contemplation”.
She could almost be describing the same vista that Britian`s greatest artist, J.M.W. Turner saw when he sketched his wonderful views there in 1811.

This is thought to be the earliest photograph we have of Charmouth. It depicts the last day of the Coronet coach which ran between Bridport and Exeter from February 1858 till the summer of 1860 when the opening of the L.S.W Railway to Exeter brought the service to an end. On the opposite side of the road can be seen Hillside, Albury House and Luttrell House.

This early picture clearly shows the size of the Inn which supplied accommodation for guests which would have included Turner on his stay there in 1811. The advert from 1810 is from when it was offered for sale with the neighbouring Butchers in Beech House by William Edwards. By this time Joseph Bradbeer was about to give up the lease as his Post Office and Stores were proving a great success and John Clomoes was to be the new landlord. The advert is very flattering about Charmouth which it describes as:
" The lands are most delightfully situate in the much frequented village of Charmouth, whose celebrity as a watering place has been too long known to need an enumeration of the conveniences and advantages it possesses".

Beech House and Winton House are seen here on the left. In 1811 it was a butchers run by William Edwards who also owned the Inn which he had rented to Joseph Bradbeer from 1790.

Another delightful view of the former thatched building that was lost in a fire in 1882 and rebuilt in brick. There was extensive stabling through the arch to the yard behind.

As well as the many coaches that were stopping at the Inn, there were also the heavy Russell`s Fly Waggons, which were pulled by a team of eight horses which would have been needed to cope with the hills in the neighbourhood. Russell's was the predominant operator of both Waggons and Coaches by 1811 at the time of Turner`s visit. The Bill at the top was found in the Church Records when the Reverend John Dixon Hales was village Rector. This letterhead shows a bill head for T.Russell whose wagons travelled along “The Street” between Salisbury and Exeter.

There were regular adverts in the local newspapers for the coaches plying between Exeter and London, which called at Charmouth. Some of these are shown here.

The former Coach and Horses Inn which closed in 1996 and divided into a number of Apartments.

This is the only drawing of the  earlier church that stood where St. Andrews is today, that has come down to us. It was found recently in the Philpott Museum collection at Lyme Regis. It reveals the thatched roof of the Coach and Horses on the left. On the extreme right is a building that was originally the Coach House to the Manor House opposite and was later a Butchers and finally demolished in 1861 when the church yard was extended. The Church itself would have been over 500 years old and had  been originally called St. Matthews.

The Reverend Thomas Snow was Curate from 1827 until 1834 whilst Reverend William Glover was Rector. In 1828 his cousin, Diana Sperling visited him and painted a number of views of the village in that year. They occasionally come on to the market and provide a unique record of that time. The illustration is of the Old Church and the Rectory where she was staying alongside it, surrounded by countryside.

The first of Diana`s  watercolours is the view from a rear bedroom window in the Rectory to the beach. The other is from a front bedroom window over the roof of the old church, which was in rather a dire state by then. At the apex of the chapel covered in ivy was a statue of an Abbot that was later found in the grounds and is now preserved in the present church – St. Andrews.

This view by Diana Sperling is of the Elms on the left which in 1811 was owned by Thomas Shute, whose memorial still hangs on the wall of the Church. The former Church is seen in the background. The building on the right is on the site of the present day library and in 1811 was owned by John Ridges who rented it with other properties in the village. They would later to go to his grand-daughter, Anne who lived there and it became known as Miss Hyde’s Cottage. She also owned the neighbouring house, Wistaria which she rented out.

This is an extremely rare carte de visite photograph from 1864 looking to the top of the Street. On the right is the Old Manor House, where Simeon Bulen lived in the year of Turner`s visit.

The old Manor House stands opposite the Church, dating back to at least the 16th century when it was owned by the Abbott at Forde. It was bought by James Warden in 1788, who later built a fine new mansion at Langmoor and sold the manor house soon after to Robert Davie, who died in 1803 and the fine house was placed on the market. The advert for the Auction soon after describes it as a “suitable residence for a Genteel family, or may be converted to form one of the first Inns on the Western Road. Charmouth from its Southern Aspect and Local situation, is one of the most delightful villages in England, about half a mile from sea bathing. The Mail and other coaches pass through it every day". It was then bought by Simeon Bullen, whose family were descendants of Anne Boleyn and owned the Manor of Marshwood and other properties in the area and was living there in 1811.

One of the finest houses in the village when Turner visited was "The Elms", now owned by the Parish Council. In 1811 Thomas  Shute and his wife, Frances lived there. She was the heiress of the lawyer Walter Oke of Axmouth who had bought a number of properties in the village. The Shutes rebuilt the former house, whose history went back to the 16th century when it was known as Mann’s Tenement.

Robert Culverwell would have owned Little Hurst in 1811. He was very wealthy and it was one of a number that he rented. It was probably leased by Joseph Hackman who was described as a Gentleman and was buried in the Church in 1817 aged 90.

This view taken in 1870 shows the three houses on the right that were later to be known as Albury, Luttrell and Peria. All would have been standing in 1811 when Turner would have passed them. William Juson was living in Albury House, then known as The Cottage. Major Channing had recently bought Luttrell House and the adjoining, Peria which he was renting to a Mrs. Warren. When Major Channing died in 1817, the house and its neighbour were auctioned at the Coach and Horses, an abstract describes it as follows:
"A handsome Brick Dwelling House, and all requisite offices attached, with truly beautiful Garden enclosed with lofty walls and richly clothed with fruit trees of every description, situated in the centre of the much admired village of Charmouth, about five minutes walk of the sea, where there is good accommodation for bathing".

Although the buildings are the same as before  you can see that both Luttrell House and its neighbour Peria had their Georgian fronts dramatically altered by the builders, Pryers with large bay windows at the end of the 19th century.

The shuttered covered front of the Court is seen here in this early hand colored view looking down the Street.

Langley House, formerly known as "Wistaria" is a seventeenth century house seen on the right. A pump with the date,1611 used to stand in the kitchen, but was later sadly removed. In 1811 it would have been owned by John Stiles and rented out by him. It was later to be the site of the village Post Office run by the Holly family for many years. The building to the left of Lutrell House was originally the workshop of Samuel Dunn who rented it from Robert Knight. Hazards hardware shop can be seen with its blind down on the left of the picture. The site of the shop is now a car park next to Peria.

The Royal Oak  was opened in 1867 as a public house. It had previously been a Butchers. In 1811 James Love is recorded as living there with his wife and five children.

This early photograph looking down The Street, predates 1864, as this was the year that Mrs. Stuart rebuilt the Court and she later demolished the Alms-houses below it, still to be seen in this image. In 1811 the building was owned by William Bragge (1766-1825) who was the Village Doctor. A floor grave in St. Andrews Church  commemorates him, his wife Mary, and their son, William.

The building now called The Stone House is seen here on the left. At the time of Turners visit it was rented  by Mrs. Ridout. Below it is Monks Rest and the Court.

The group of houses set back from the road now known as Fountain Cottage, Grasmere and Dolphin Cottage would have been owned by John Ridges.In 1811 General Pattison, described as a Gentleman was shown on the village Census as renting them from him. John Ridges who originated from Kenilworth in Warwickshire came to Charmouth in 1785 by purchasing or inheriting a house and orchard here. He then prospered and the Poor Rates show him buying a number of other properties over the years that he let.

Portland House, seen here on the left when it was a Grocers run by John Stevens. It  had formerly been the home and base of George Webber, a sailcloth manufacturer. He died in 1810 and his business continued under the stewardship of his wife, Sarah, who died 6 year later.

This photograph dating back to 1865 has John Stevens, the owner of Portland House standing in the doorway of his new Grocers shop.

Miss Tarr is shown her outside her Stationers shop, which formed part of Portland House, with her companion, Miss Enoch in the white blouse

This watercolour by Lucy Rossetti, who was the daughter of the famous artist, Madox Brown stayed at Charmouth House in the summer of 1878 with her children.  It was then run as a hotel by George Holly.
It had formerly been called The Fountain Inn for many centuries. Towards the end of the 18th century it went into decline and an attempt was made in 1805 to lease it. The advert states:
"Charmouth, Dorset
To be let at Lady Day next. The Fountain Inn, with the Stables, Coach House and Garden thereto belonging, for a term of 7 or 14 years. Also, to be sold a piece of building land, delightfully situated in the upper part of the above village, commanding both a land and Sea prospect.
For particulars apply (if by letter post-paid) to Mr. john Bragge, in Charmouth aforesaid, which will be duly attended to - N.B. The Mail and two other coaches pass through Charmouth to and from London, it being the Great Western Road - Bathing Machines are kept on the Beach during the summer season, for the accommodation of the company who resort to this truly pleasant and healthy spot - Dated January 9th, 1805".

The Fountain Inn  remained empty until it was bought by Thomas Gordon in 1811, shown here with his wife,  who decided to close it and live there in  their retirement. He died in 1855 aged 95 and left the property to his widow Jane Charlotte Gordon who was herself to die soon after and was buried with her husband in  St. Andrews Church, where their graves and Memorial can be seen today.

Another very early photograph looking down the Street with the former buildings of the Court and the alms-houses. Charmouth House on the right still had its iron railings which were to later be replaced with a stone wall.

This view as it appears today has changed very little since Turner`s visit.

An early Map of the top end of The Street. The lower old Lyme Hill road was already in a bad state and was abandoned in 1824 and rebuilt as the Old Lyme Road above it to link up with Lyme Regis.

This Carte de Visite, dated 1870 by Bridport photographer William Barrett of the top end of The Street. It shows with Claremont, then called Knapp House  with a curious curved window jutting out into its garden. It had once been where a Toll keeper would sit waiting for the many coaches that were passing through Charmouth between Exeter and London. The stumps of the original wooden gate that would have straddled the Street were found in 1937 whilst laying sewage pipe.

The view as we see it today with Claremont with one of the many bow window frontages added to Georgian houses in the village by the Pryers at the end of the 19th century which included Well Head and Melbourne House further along.

The Farm House for Foxley Farm is seen here in 1870 on the left. At the time of Turners visit it was owned by Richard Stokes, who was described as a Gentleman in the Census. On the right can be seen the house now called Well Head, which had formerly been the Stone House, where Mrs Ridout lived. The two thatched barns on either side have since gone and its fine Georgian front refaced. Alongside is Melbourne House where Miss Jane Rickard, who had inherited a number of other properties lived.

This astonishing early photograph clearly shows how rural Charmouth was in the past with the barn and walls of the Foxley Farm at the rear of the house now known as Badgers and Foxley Cottage

The same view today at the rear of Waverley Cottage that replaced the barn at the side of Foxley.

A group of villagers stand at the bottom of  Old Lyme Hill at its junction with the Street. On their right is the Village Pound.

The Street showing the thatched Cottage which was to be demolished to make way for a Car park for the New Commercial Inn on the opposite side of the road in the 1920`s and is now the area in front of the Bus stop.

In 1888 a fire broke out in Mr Durrant`s Grocery Shop, seen here on the left, and spread quickly to the adjoining New Inn occupied by Harry Wild. The newspaper report at the time mentions that the Lyme Regis fire engine made a start for the fire but was unable to proceed for want of a horse. This is  a very early photograph c.1860 of the former New Inn and the shop that were destroyed in the fire.  The line of old cottages of the Axminster Road are seen in the distance.

The New Commercial Inn on the right which was rebuilt in 1883. The thatched building in the distance was later demolished, and a car park built on the site.

This wonderful photograph shows the village Blacksmith Alfred Childs and his family and workers outside  Waterloo House. In 1803 Benjamin Diment, purchased it from Samuel Oliver for £150 and his son, Benjamin the Younger, erected the first blacksmith's shop there. In 1887 it was bought By H.P. Childs. The entrance to Childs forge was through an archway by the small ironmonger's shop. They were there for many years until moving to Langley House and then to the shop where Morgans is today which is the reason they still have a range of hardware goods. In 1811, the Census shows it as a Blacksmiths run by Benjamin Diment.

This photograph has a horse drawn carriage making its way up the hill. On the right are  Melville House, Waterloo House and Granville House, which in 1811 was  owned by John Potter, a shoemaker. It was to continue to be occupied by this trade right up until Ernest Hutchins died in 1970.

This view of Charmouth clearly shows how the village was centred along the length of the Street. The area of common between there and the beach had just a few cottages on it. Although at the top of Higher Sea Lane was the towering Sea Horse House which had just been built in the year Jane Austen visited here. Ann Liddon as Lady of the Manor was the owner who in 1811 was advertising
“Charmouth, Dorset 
To be Let, for a Term of Ten Years from Lady Day next. 
All that Overland, called Sea - Side Farm,situate in the Parish of Charmouth, in the County of Dorset. 
Containing by estimation, 40 Acres of exceedingly rich Pasture and Arable Land, and between 30 and 40 Acres of Rough Land, called the Cliff, bounding the said Farm on the Sea-Side - There is a Lime Kiln on the Estate, and a sufficient quantity of excellent Lime-Stone may be taken from the Beach  for manuring  the premises, and, independent of this, the Sea Weed, annually thrown on the Beach, and to which the tenant, has the exclusive right is more than sufficient to manure the whole Estate. - The Tenant to pay all the Taxes, except the Landlords Property Tax and to keep the Premises in repair. 
For viewing the Premises, Apply to Mrs. Liddon, in Charmouth aforesaid, the Owner, September 9, 1811.

With its closeness to Lyme Regis it was also able to benefit from the boom in visitors taking the waters for their health and had its own bathing machines, which were very popular as a way of bathing in the sea without being seen. Wagons, called Bathing Machines, would be drawn out into the water by sturdy women, who might then assist the bathers down into the water where you could paddle about or swim in relative privacy, shielded from view of the shore. An advert in the Western Gazette from 1799 shown here records this advantage:
Sea Bathing, Charmouth, Dorset.
"To be let, a large, handsome, modern built brick house, genteelly furnished, having a view of the sea, with a very good garden well cropped and a stable, and may be taken immediately for four or six months, or by the year.
The situation of Charmouth is remarkably cheerful and healthy, it lies on the Great Western Road, is well supplied, and has excellent machines for sea bathing. For particulars apply post-paid to John Diment, Charmouth"

The bathing machines still continued to be popular in Victorian times as shown here.

The Lookout in Charmouth was built in 1804. It was constructed during the Napoleonic Wars by the Customs & Excise Service as a coastal lookout station to watch for a potential French invasion fleet. It served as an observation post for the Customs and Excise.  It is a small, octagonal stone building with a pitched roof. It is one of only six such Grade II listed structures remaining in the country. It was from this viewpoint that J.M.W. Turner in August 1811 sketched the view towards Lyme Regis as well as the other direction towards Golden Cap. These were later used as the basis for his paintings.

Coincidentally Margate was a coastal town that also had  a  Look out. It is seen here just above  bay windowed house on the right where Mrs. Booth lived. in the 1830s, following his father’s death in 1829,  Turner fell for his Margate landlady, another widow, Sophia Booth, and they later shared the home in Chelsea where ‘Admiral Booth’ died in 1851.

Charmouth was definitely enjoying a prosperous year when J.M.W. Turner paid his  visit there in the summer of 1811 mainly as a result of the war with France and its position along the coast as a popular holiday destination. It could offer fast travel with its position on the main route from London to the West Country which by then had rapidly improved with the Turn Pike system. There was plenty of employment for villagers with the many farms in the village which included Wood, Foxley, Langmoor, Stonebarrow, Backlands, Sea Lands and Lilly Farm. Some of these were growing Flax which was being used by the three Sailcloth Makers to be found along the Street. It was a fully functioning village offering a wide range of shops and services. Two centuries on it is remarkable that if Turner once again walked along the Street, how many buildings dating back to his  time that he would still be able to identify.
I finish with me by the Look Out today marking the spot where J.M.W. Turner was to create his two masterpieces during his stay in Charmouth in August 1811.