Bridport is a market town within Dorset, England. It is situated around 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) inland from the English Channel close to the confluence of the River Brit and its tributary the Asker. Bridport incorporates various compact suburban districts, a number of which had been separate villages. One and a half miles away from the town centre and inside the town's boundary is West Bay, a small fishing harbour known as Bridport Harbour until the establishment of the town's railway. With reference to 2012 population estimates, the town boasts a permanent population of about 14,697, which demonstrates a sizeable increase from the 13,500 recorded during the 2011 Census. As outlined by council tax records, in 2014, the percentage of homes within Bridport's built-up area that were second homes was 4.8%. The town's origins are Saxon and it features a long history as a rope-making hub, although numerous of its buildings date from the eighteenth century. During the 21st century, Bridport's arts scene has contributed to the town becoming increasingly well-known with those from outside the town. It has an arts centre, theatre, library, cinema and museum, and a number of annual events. The Lyric Theatre, which reopened in 2010, hosts quirky theatre, puppetry, comedy, clowning and music. It is also the base of children's theatre company Stuff and Nonsense. Bridport Museum, positioned in South Street, consists of an in depth archive of the town's lengthy history of rope-making. The town also features as Port Bredy in the fictional Wessex of Thomas Hardy's novels. For all of your property improvements, be sure that you use trusted professionals in Bridport to ensure that you get the top quality service.