Bridport - Too rural to live without a car?

[steedawn]

I'm currently looking to view some properties around Bridport, which looks like the perfect area for me... apart from that I don't drive and wondering if it will be easy enough to walk/use public transport in and around the main town and down towards the West Bay?

Anyone who knows the area that can advise on this?

Thanks!
-A

You learn to drive then

You learn to drive then

How thoughtful. There could many reasons why OP doesn't drive.

We used to holiday there fairly regularly. Bridport is a lovely bustling little town with all the amenities you'd get with it, including buses. The nearest train station is Weymouth though, so I think it depends on how far out you'll be wanting to travel though.
It's a lovely area!
Ignore poster above - nobody can judge on the reasons why you don't want or are unable to drive

You’ll survive without access to a car but probably won’t thrive. Public transport in Dorset is pretty poor and if you want to go anywhere except Dorchester (the beach, others bits of the coast line, shops which are randomly in the middle of nowhere) it’ll be a struggle.

I honestly think without access to your own transport you’ll be better off in Dorchester. All the buses stop there, it’s a bigger town and there’s 2 train stations which go to Weymouth to one way and Bristol/London the other.

Thank you for the honest answers everyone. I am unable to drive but of course I know it would make things much easier if I could... Maybe after lockdown eases, I'll spend a week there and see how it feels, without a car.

@Cyclingforcake - Thanks, I love Dorchester too! Definitely looking out for places there as well.

It’s a lovely town but public transport is patchy and I wouldn’t want to live there without a car. Dorchester is a different story, much more central and accessible.

Bridport is quirkier than Dorchester, which is a more traditional English market town, but lack of a train station is an issue if you don't drive.

@chukwe

You learn to drive then

Abelism at its finest.

Patchy public transport, but can you cycle? Town and West Bay are very accessible if you can. It’s a lovely town, with a lot going on in normal times.

I love that part of the world.

No advice as I drive so not sure how it would fair as a non driver.

Definitely spend some time there and see how you get on.

Good luck

I wouldn’t do it if you have children at home. I think it’s quite a vulnerable position to be in if I’m honest.

I don't know where the OP lives but it's incredibly common in some parts of the country, especially London, to have never learned to drive because the public transport options are so good.

I grew up in Bridport and it’s really limiting if you can’t drive. Nearest train station is Dorchester. You can walk from the centre of town to West Bay in around 45 mins. It is a beautiful and quirky place to live but as a young person there we all learnt to drive very quickly because of the lack of public transport.