Bridport is a market town within Dorset, England. It's around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) inland from the English Channel close to the confluence of the small River Brit and the Asker. Bridport includes a number of compact suburban districts, a few of which had previously been separate villages. One and a half miles away from the town centre and inside the boundary of the town is West Bay, a small fishing harbour called Bridport Harbour until the creation of the railway. With reference to the 2012 Census, the town features a resident population of roughly 14,697, which demonstrates a significant increase from the 13,568 recorded in the 2011 Census. As recorded in council tax records, in 2014, the percentage of properties within Bridport's built-up area that were second homes was 4.8 per cent. The town's origins are Saxon and it features a lengthy history as a rope-making area, though many of its buildings date back to the 18th century. During the 21st century, the arts scene in Bridport has contributed to the town becoming increasingly popular with individuals from outside the town. It has an arts centre, theatre, library, cinema and museum, and various 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, in South Street, consists of a significant exhibition 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 your house upgrades, be sure that you work with reputable pros in Bridport to ensure you get the top quality service.