April 17, 2025
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News and Features

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Immerse yourself in WW2 history at the Castletown D-Day Centre in Portland this Easter

The award-winning Castletown D-Day Centre is ready to transport visitors back in time with its hands-on, immersive living history experience this Easter. Step into a faithful recreation of a bustling wartime Portland dockyard, where thousands of American troops from the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions embarked for the beaches of Normandy. The museum will

News

A stellar set of designs for Weldmar Hospicecare’s Stampede by the Sea art trail, opening

A herd of artists have been hard at work creating a simply stellar set of designs for Weldmar Hospicecare’s Stampede by the Sea art trail, opening later this month. Terry Whitworth Bridport’s Terry Whitworth enjoyed this task so much he painted two. Terry, who has been a professional illustrator for more than 40 years, invested

News

Villagers poised to make offer on beloved Langton Herring pub after netting half a million

Villagers are poised to make an offer on their pub after a fundraising campaign netted more than half a million pounds. Residents of Langton Herring are trying to raise £600,000 to buy the historic Elm Tree Inn, and are within £100,000 of their target after donations and a share offer. They pulled together, attracting global

News

Abattoir expansion in Bridport meets with approval much to the dismay of locals

Objections to expanding a Bridport slaughterhouse and its operating times fell on deaf ears as councillors approved the proposal. After being closed for a year, the abattoir in Mangerton Lane was bought out by Pickstock Telford Ltd, who have now successfully applied for longer working hours at the reopened site. Local residents objected to the

News

Hardy Farmers Breakfast Club attract bumper crowd at public meeting in Bridport

A public meeting to discuss family farm tax and other pressures in Bridport attracted a bumper crowd. The meeting, organised by Hardy Farmers Breakfast Club, was chaired by local journalist Dr Paul Lashmar. The panel included Trevor Cligg, who runs Pipplepen Farm, South Perrott with his wife Penny. Having farmed elsewhere they moved to Pipplepen

News

Good reception for small businesses at former BBC transmitting station

The BBC’s former transmitting station at Rampisham Down is a fascinating piece of social and technological history. Now it is fast becoming a busy hub for business, thanks to owner Jeremy Taylor – who also has links with Auntie Beeb. His home, Cricket St Thomas, was transformed into the Crinkley Bottom theme park by Noel

News

Abattoir’s expansion plans on the outskirts of Bradpole meet with protest

Plans to double the operating hours and staff to process meat, potentially for McDonald’s and Burger King, on the outskirts of Bradpole have been met with a welter of complaints. The abattoir in Mangerton Lane, formerly owned by Norman & Sons, closed over a year ago after more than 30 years in operation. The abattoir

News

A Chilfrome farmer is on a winner with his exceptional alpaca stock

Farmer Tim Hey swapped his marine career in Tasmania for a life on the land near Cattistock. Tim and his family produce rare, pedigree black alpacas from Amberley Farm in Higher Chilfrome. Their her is now 400-strong. The wonder of alpacas and their commercial opportunities are not new to Tim, who majored in aquaculture, but

News

The mystery of the missing seat at Tudor Arcade unravels

A beautiful, bespoke piece of furniture has disappeared from Dorchester’s town centre – and people want to know why. The 11 metres of lovely, windy-windy oak bench outside Waitrose in Tudor Arcade was installed in 2012 – the work of Simon Thomas Pirie, who is based at Rogers Hill Farm, near Briantspuddle. Its unique snaking

Welcome to The West Dorset Magazine

We are Bird Media – two experienced journalists who have decided to break free and launch
their own news publication The West Dorset Magazine.

Cartoon Miranda small

Miranda Robertson

Editor Miranda Robertson has worked for a number of local papers, including the Dorset Echo, Salisbury Journal and The New Blackmore Vale. She lives in Maiden Newton with her husband Peter, son Robert, jug PugsieMfanwy, pug Hugo and the ginger ninja Kitten Mitten.

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Karen Bate cartoon small

Karen Bate

Karen Bate has worked for the Salisbury Journal, Wiltshire Living Magazine, Bournemouth Echo and The New Blackmore Vale. She lives with husband Stuart, daughter Florence, dogs Jarvis and Buddy and cat Milton. There’s also a bonkers horse called Mars in her menagerie.
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