The event was very well supported, not only by members of the Bridport & District Tourism Association, but also by many local residents keen to hear about the Coastwatch, and by officers of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Rescue Co-Ordination Centre at Portland.

The local project, managed by Clive Edwards from Litton Cheney and William Knapman from West Bexington,  is currently under discussion with local landowners and the National Trust with a view to establishing a Coastwatch Look-Out located at a strategic location on the coast between West Bexington and West Bay, and an announcement regarding the exact location is expected shortly.

Although the Coastwatch is a national charity, mainly funded by individual voluntary donations, and depending entirely on  volunteer manpower for its operations,  wherever possible it seeks to encourage local donations for funding for its look-outs, and always recruits local people as volunteers to train as watchkeepers.

Of course, in a tourist area, such as West Dorset,  a local Coastwatch station will not only provide a service to locals using the coast and coastal waters, but also provide a much needed contribution to the health and safety of holidaymakers to the area, many of whom are only vaguely aware of the potential danger involved in swimming in the sea, climbing the cliffs, using inflatable boats and lilos etc.

To find out more about the National Coastwatch Institutions and its work go to www.nci.org.uk or to find out more about the local Coastwatch project for Lyme Bay e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Clive Edwards

01308 482605