- Bridport Town Hall from West Street c. 1904 Although little has changed with the Town Hall structurally note the wooden boards around the ground floor arches. These were added in 1792 to protect the market stalls underneath from the weather. © Bridport Museum Trust
Butchers shops and market stalls have also always been on or around the site of the Town Hall since it was built and it was not until 1946 that the lower market was demolished to make way for a taxi rank. Surprisingly the open area to the South of the Town Hall only became known as Bucky Doo Square in about 1995.
In the 1970s the Magistrates Court moved to new premises near Mountfield in Bridport. Today the Town Hall building still hosts council meetings and is available for public and private hire.
Newbery
The interior of the Hall was redecorated in September 1925 under the supervision of Francis H. Newbery, who was at one time the Director of the Glasgow School of Art and responsible for the international promotion of Charles Rennie Macintosh. Newbery, who grew up in Bridport, painted and presented to the town a series of panels and paintings about the town and its history. For more information on Newbery visit www.franewbery.co.uk.
View a gallery of Newbery’s painting and murals…
