BRIDE VALLEY NEWS
The deadline for copy for any month’s issue is mid-day of the second Thursday of the preceding month. All material for
publication must be sent to the Village Correspondent. For Litton Cheney this is: John Firrell, Tel: 01308 482313
email: jfirrell20@gmail.com
VILLAGE INFORMATION
VILLAGE INFORMATION
NEWS
Village Newsletter July 2026
Bridport Local Area Bulletin 18
th
August 2026
Want to contribute to the well-being of Litton? Why not join the Premier Crew, a group of well-intentioned citizens of our
village who clean and tidy up areas when they need a little bit of care and attention. Your ability to help will undoubtedly
depend on your availability and you are not expected to turn up everytime there is a call to arms. Gender equality is alive
and well, as is the bonhomie or bonfemme on offer whenever we meet. With enough volunteers we could even become the
Grand Crew! If you would like to join us, please contact John Firrell on 01308 482313.
Premier Crew – Come & Join Us
The Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington History Group hold monthly meetings to discuss the local history of our area,
and during the spring and summer months also organise history walks. Recently there was a presentation by our own
historian-in-residence Paul Kingston on Litton.
If you would like to know more about the group, and learn more about your local surroundings please contact Paul Bullen
07527141560 paul.bullen@icloud.com
Local History Group
Village Café – Saturday 5
th
September
The village café in aid of vital church funds will be held at LATCH on Saturday 5th September from 10.00am -1.00pm. There
will be the usual delicious bacon butties, cakes, etc to stave off mid-morning hunger pangs, plus a variety of stalls to tempt you
including: bottle tombola, cakes, fresh produce and jams etc, local artists, children's card game, and of course the prize draw,
with cash prizes. Tickets for the draw will be available shortly. Donations for the bottle tombola would be very welcome and can
be collected from you at a convenient time in the week before the café. Please contact Litton.Bottles@gmail.com to arrange
collection. Produce donations should be brought to the Hall on the morning please, or contact us to arrange collection. Any
questions please call 01308 482548 or email kbrookslcpc@btinternet.com
Thank you and we do hope to see you there. Fete springs internal!
Dorset Historic Churches Trust Ride and Stride – Saturday 12th September
What is the first thing that you often see as you approach a town or village? A church spire or tower standing above the other
buildings, as it has for centuries? Our churches are part of the fabric of our communities and have a huge amount of history
associated with them. The Dorset Historic Churches Trust looks after church buildings, both those still open and those which
are no longer used. The annual Ride and Stride will take place on Saturday 12th September and half of all monies raised will
come back to our own village church. Could you help by taking part this year? Perhaps a family stroll between Litton and
Puncknowle, or up to tiny Chilcombe with its timbers possibly from the Spanish Armada? Or cycle round as many churches as
you can manage, with refreshments laid on to keep you going!
For more information about the event see https://www.dhct.org.uk/m/ride_and_stride.ph. If you are interested in taking part,
please email Kathryn Brooks on kbrookslcpc@btinternet.com or call 01308 482548. If you would prefer to sponsor
somebody else, details will be available in next month's BVN
Thank you.
Litton Cheney Parish Council - Next Meeting: Tuesday 8
th
September, 7.00pm at LATCH
The minutes of the July PC meeting will be available on the village website, as we now look to September for our next meeting.
Once again we remind you we are looking for residents to step up to the plate, and join the Parish Council where there are now
three vacancies, the latest vacancy being due to Rob Matthews stepping away for personal reasons. Although Rob served for a
relatively short time, he very quickly made his presence felt on joining by taking on the IT brief when full fibre was being made
available in the village. He moved to Highways & Transport when Andrew Price withdrew, and will be sadly missed. We wish
him well, and hope that at some point in the near future he will return to the fold.
Parish Plan Update – An inaugural meeting took place towards the end of July, with a group of interested residents prepared
to meet and discuss how they see the village evolving in the decade or so years to come. More opinions and thoughts are
required, as are more members. Why not give some thought to the future of your community. For more information contact
Mary-Jane Powell or John Firrell at jfirrell20@gmail.com
Considerate Parking – Like most villages in Dorset, and anywhere else for that matter, parking can so often be a problem, or
should we say, considerate parking, because numerous times people don’t quite get the considerate bit. When deciding where
to park, please consider what you are forcing other drivers to do in order to get around or pass you. Forcing them out onto the
other side or middle of the road, on a bend, therefore facing the risk of meeting another car head on, indicates you have made
a bad decision. The area in and around The Paddocks is a perfect example of where this happens. PLEASE – BE
CONSIDERATE!
Shortmat Bowls
We will start the season at LATCH on Tuesday September 1st at 4.30pm, so plenty of time to flex those muscles! Everyone is
welcome to take the opportunity and show their skill. Bring a friend along and surprise yourself!
Feel free to ring Ron Davidson for more information ….01308 482661.
The White Horse
The sun has come back in abundance as we write this! What better place to come to in the hot weather than your local pub,
with plenty of food on offer, ice cold drinks and the stream to cool off in! It’s had a lot of use lately! Very grateful to all of you who
continue to support our Sunday music at 4.00pm. It’s still Happy Hour at 6.30pm on Friday evenings, fish ‘n chips from 5.30pm
to 8.30pm (please book if you can) and Pizza truck on Monday nights, otherwise we are concentrating on the day job until
September - open the doors and serve food and drink! We look forward to seeing you over the summer.
Andy & Liz
The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include
Bridport Town Council, 9 Parish Councils and more than 80 community organisations and individuals working to
improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Bridport and surrounding areas.
For information or if you have a piece you would like included in the BLAP Bulletin, please contact Jo Hughes by email
at jo.hughes@bridport-tc.gov.uk
BLAP Annual Members' Assembly
The BLAP annual Members' Assembly will take place in The Committee Room, Mountfield at Bridport Town Council on
Thursday 24th September at 5.15pm. Our guest speaker will be Sam Crowe, Dorset Council's Executive Director for Housing,
Communities & Prevention. Sam has responsibility for the Council's plans to engage better with communities and involve them
more in decison-making, as well as its work on housing, adult services and public health. If you are unable to attend, do please
offer this invitation to someone else within your organisation or group. We are keen to have as many BLAP members
represented as possible.
BLAP Nominations - Chair and Vice Chair
Nominations are now invited for the role of BLAP Chair and Vice Chair for the coming year and any BLAP member who wishes
to stand should use the nomination form. Candidates will need one other person from amongst the BLAP membership to
support their nomination, but by all means ask if you need help finding someone to do that. All nominations should be sent to Jo
Hughes (jo.hughes@bridport-tc.gov.uk) no later than Friday 18th September. The BLAP annual Members' Assembly on
Thursday 24th September will include the election of the BLAP Chair and Vice Chair.
Bridport Carnival Week 18th - 23rd August
Events taking place this week:
Tuesday 18th August - Carnival Quiz at the Ropemakers from 7.30pm
Wednesday 19th August - Carnival Bingo at the Beehive Football Club, doors open at 6.30pm, eyes down at 7.30pm
Friday 21st August - Darts Competition at the Beehive Football Club, 7.30pm Fair at West Street Car Par
Saturday 22nd August - Golf Competition at the Bridport & West Dorset Golf Club The Bridport Broadsides Shanty Crew
in Bucky Doo Square, 5.30pm-6.30pm.
Carnival procession line up Foundry Lea from 5.30pm - moves off from 7.00pm
Winners presentation at 9.00pm in Bucky Doo Square followed by dancing in the street to Static Flight Fair at West Street
Car Park
Sunday 23rd August - Crabbing Competition at West Bay, 12.45pm.
West Bay Summer Markets
The West Bay summer market continues throughout the summer holidays at the Salt House and Fisherman's Green from
2pm - 8pm every Wednesday until 2nd September. A great selection of stalls for you to browse and buy from.
The Melplash Show
This year's Melplash Show will be held on Thursday 27th August from 8.30am-6.00pm at the West Bay Showground,
Bridport, DT6 4EG.
Tickets are on sale at Bridport Tourist Information Centre, £23.50 or £26 on the gate. Children aged 16 and under enter free (no
ticket required), free onsite parking and dogs are welcome but must be on a retractable lead. Full show information is available
here.
Symondsbury Annual Car Boot Sale
The annual Symondsbury Car Boot Sale will take place on Sunday 30th August, 7am - 1pm at Symondsbury Cricket Club
DT6 6EZ. Sellers can set up from 7am, no need to book, car £7, car and trailer £10 and small van £10. For more information
call Richard on 01308 459163.
Bridport Arts & Crafts Market
The next Bridport Arts & Crafts Market will be taking place on Saturday 12
th
September, 10am - 2pm at the WI Hall, North
Street, Bridport DT6 3JQ. Future arts & crafts markets will be held on 10th October, 14th November and 19th December.
If you are a trader interested in having a stall, the cost is £15 and you can download an application form from this link. For more
information contact: helen.goldman@bridport-tc.gov.uk.
Bridport Museum Exhibitions & Children's Trail
Lost Properties - this interesting display shows works from Bridport Museum’s Fine Art Collection depicting local buildings and
structures that have been lost to us over time. As well as the paintings, you will be able to read about the history of the buildings
and what stands there today. The display also includes a selection of photographs.
Bridport at Arms - is the latest temporary exhibition from The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, in partnership with Bridport
Museum. The exhibition tells the story of the local volunteer movement, from the late 1700’s, and onto the modern battlefield.
Discover how the people of Bridport stepped forward in time of crisis, taking up arms to defend the town, county and country
over the last 230 years.
Both exhibitions are included in the museum entry fee - £5 for 12 months of unlimited visits and children and Under 21s are
free.
If you are looking for a fun and affordable summer holiday activity for children, young recruits are invited to take in a FREE trail
at Bridport Museum, created to accompany our Bridport at Arms exhibition. Join the Bridport Artillery Volunteers and complete
three secret missions as you hunt for clues hidden around the museum. It’s a fun, interactive adventure that brings local history
to life for children and families. Pick up your free trail booklet from reception and see if you have what it takes to complete your
mission this summer!
Wessex Water Hosepipe Ban
For the first time in 50 years, Wessex Water have introduced a temporary hosepipe ban for households in the Wessex Water
region following months of unprecedented dry weather. Please do not use a hosepipe for activities including:
•
Watering plants
•
Cleaning vehicles, windows, walls or patios
•
Filling swimming pools, paddling pools or fountains
•
Some customers and activities may be exempt from the ban. For a full list of restrictions and exemptions visit:
wessexwater.co.uk/hosepipe-ban
Bridport Town Council Community Grants Scheme
This week is the last week to apply for Bridport Town Council’s Community Grant Scheme. Grants are awarded each year to
local charitable, voluntary or other similar bodies that benefit Bridport's residents but are not for private organisations or
individuals. Further information, the application form and guidance is available here. If you would like a paper copy please call
the Town Council on 01308 456722. The closing date for applications is this Thursday 20th August at 5.00pm. Late
applications will not be accepted.
Bridport Town Council Green Lane and Slades Green Public Consultation
Bridport Town Council is working with residents in Bothenhampton to develop a management plan for land at Green Lane and
Slades Green. Extending from the junction of Crock Lane through to Green Lane and Slades Green, the site comprises several
grassed verges, some on sloping ground and some bordered by trees. It also includes a public Right of Way accessible from
Crock Lane. The project will review how the land is currently used and consider opportunities to enhance it for both wildlife and
community benefit. The Town Council is currently inviting residents and the wider community to take part in the consultation
available here which is open until 30th August 2026.
Dorset Council - Don't Lose Your Vote
Residents in the Dorset Council area are being urged to check their voter registration details or risk losing their chance to vote
in any forthcoming elections.
Known as the annual canvass, the regular event enables Dorset Council to keep its electoral register up to date, to identify who
risks missing the opportunity to vote and to encourage people to register before it’s too late. Letters started being sent from
Dorset Council on Friday 14th August 2026.
Anyone registered to receive electoral correspondence electronically should have received an email from:
elections@elections.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk on Tuesday 18th August 2026. If you’re not currently registered, your name will
not appear in the messages we send. The easiest way to register is online
Dorset Council - Housing Register Renewal Reminder
Dorset Council is reminding people on the Housing Register to renew their application before the new Housing Allocations
Policy comes into effect on 1st September 2026. The Housing Register is used to assess and prioritise applications for social
housing in Dorset.
Under the new policy, existing Housing Register applicants are being asked to renew their application so the council can assess
their circumstances against the updated criteria. Applicants who join the Housing Register from 1st September 2026 do not
need to renew, as their application will be assessed under the new policy. Find out more here.
Dorset Council - Community & Culture Project Fund
Round 11 of the Community & Culture Project Fund is now open. There is a fund of £50,000 for Community Projects and
£40,000 for Cultural Projects.
The fund provides small grants to organisations who want to start new activities and events that benefit the local community.
The fund is for ‘not for profit’ community groups including:
•
museums
•
arts
•
heritage
•
physical activity
•
sport
•
play
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 30th September. To find out more and apply, click here.
Dorset Council - Dorset Rights of Way Improvement Plan Consultation
This is the formal 3-month consultation for the draft Dorset’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 2026 to 2036. The
ROWIP sets out how Dorset Council will develop a modern, accessible and better-connected network of public rights of way
that supports everyday walking, cycling and access to natural green and blue spaces. Read the full Draft Dorset’s Rights of
Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 2026 to 2036 and share you views here. The consultation closes 12th October 2026.
Bridport Mayor's Log
The Mayor's latest log includes selecting a new Town Crier, Conegar Lodge Charity Fete, Bridport Library 'Read to the Beat', St
Swithun’s Patronal, Feast day Fte, West Bay, Annual Raft Race and Wareham Civic Service.
