Old picture of East Street Bridport shows little change

It's believed to be one of the oldest photographic images pf Bridport and, below, you can see how it contrasts with the same viewpoint in the present day.

This wonderful old image has been brought to our attention by history buff Neil Mattingly of Charmouth.

He recently purchased a mixed lot of pictures at the Bridport Auctions.

Amongst them was an unusual image of East Street looking towards the Old Town Hall

After some research Mr Mattingly learned it was taken by John Pouncey, who took a series of photographs in and around Dorset in 1856.

Mr Mattingly said: "They were then copper etched and printed and bound in a book called Dorsetshire Photographically Illustrated the following year, which is extremely rare.

"It must be one of the earliest photographic images of the town and may be of interest to readers, as the view has not changed too much since it was taken."

The same view of East Street, Bridport, taken in Saturday, November 16, 2024 (Image: Supplied) This very recent picture of East Street, Bridport, was taken on Saturday, November 16 when the town market was being held. 

The Greyhound Inn, in the early photo ‘Commercial Inn, Greyhound Corn Exchange Office', is now a Wetherspoons pub. 

READ: The Dorset village with a long gone 14th century castle

There has been an inn on the site since the 13th century and is said to have got its name in Tudor times, when the silver greyhound was the badge of the royal messenger.

An early photo of the inn before The Greyhound appeared on the exterior (Image: Bridport Museum) Here, you can see the inn before 'The Greyhound' was put on the exterior of the building. 

In 1851, not long before this early photo was taken, a plaque was put up, which read: "The place fixed for the delivery of corn returns within this town is The Greyhound Hotel, where an officer of customs and excise will attend as inspector of corn returns to receive the corn returns on the day on which such returns are required by law to be made."

Also hard to miss in both photos is Bridport Town Hall, which was built from 1786 on the site of the earlier St Andrew’s church.

The clock and the cupola, or dome above it, were added to the roof 20 years later and made the Town Hall noticeably higher than nearby buildings.