West Bay East Beach(West Bay Dorset Beach)

Located in the Jurassic Coast region of Dorset in southwest England, West Bay – East Beach – also called East Beach and East Cliff Beach – is a popular shingle-and-sand beach with light brown sand, many rocks, nearby rocky jetties, and nearby oceanfront cliffs in south-west England.  This beach is located near the mouth of the River Brit.  This beach is part of a larger beach area named West Bay Beach. 

East Cliff Beach West Bay usually has lifeguards on a seasonal basis – you can visit the website of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for more information about the lifeguard deployment timings.  In addition to lifeguards, the beach has many other amenities including restrooms, picnic areas, a pier named East Pier, a walkway, hiking trails, benches, a nearby harbor, a kids’ play area, and nearby viewing areas. 

Dogs are allowed at this beach between the beginning of October and the end of April.

West Bay – East Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, boating, paddleboarding, snorkeling, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching. 

The water here offers manageable waves on very rare occasions, usually during summers.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to very frequently have unpredictable rip currents, a significant undertow, and dangerous waves.  In addition, some parts of the beach also have a steep depth – drowning cases have been reported here.  We also recommend being careful while standing near the water here because sweeper waves can pull people offshore.

We also recommend being careful while walking under a cliff near the beach named East Cliff because this cliff is unstable and is known to collapse frequently.  In addition, we also recommend being careful while hiking on the cliff-top areas above the beach because of the unstable cliffs here. 

If you like taking pictures with excellent views, West Bay – East Beach and the cliff top areas above it offer amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Dorset shoreline and the English Channel. 

East Beach West Bay has a disabled-friendly restroom for visitors with disabilities.  In addition, there are also reserved parking spaces for visitors with disabilities near the beach.

Getting to West Bay – East Beach is easy – from a major local road named the A35, you need to turn towards West Bay Road.  This beach and its main paid parking lot are located near the southern end of West Bay Road, near its intersection with Station Road.  

The main paid parking lot for the beach is called East Beach Car Park West Bay and it is a long stay car park, meaning you can park for a longer duration here.  In addition, there are multiple other paid parking lots nearby including Bridport Arms Car Park, West Bay Road Car Park, and the Station Yard Car Park. 

There are multiple paid parking lots near the beach – you can visit Dorset Council’s website for more information about the parking charges and the payment methods for this parking lot.  In addition to these lots, there are a few free street parking spaces nearby.  We recommend visiting this beach early because it can get crowded quickly, particularly during summer.

This beach and the area around it were featured in the ITV series Broadchurch.  In addition, this beach has also been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by the Government of the United Kingdom because of its geological significance – the cliffs here date back to the Jurassic era and have many rocks, minerals, and fossils from that time.

There are many attractions near West Bay – East Beach.  West Bay Discovery Centre offers interesting exhibitions on local history and biodiversity and it also has a gift shop – it also hosts interesting lectures and guided tours.  Bridport Arts Center is an arts center that is set in a 19th century building and it offers many interesting art exhibits – it also hosts many interesting events including theatrical performances, the Bridport Open Book Festival, comedic performances, workshops, and film screenings.  Thorncombe Beacon is a hilltop area that offers a fun hiking experience – you can explore the area around this hilltop through hiking trails.  This hilltop also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Lyme Bay and there are three prehistoric barrows near it.  Vurlands Animal Farm is spread over 20 acres and it is home to many animals including meerkats, rabbits, chipmunks, rheas, pigs, and a wallaby.  It also has a cafe, a kids’ play area, picnic areas, and a maze.  If you are looking for another attraction near this beach, Jurassic Fun Centre is an amusement center that offers many fun things to do and explore including multiple swimming pools (including a pool with waterslides), a bowling area, and a gym – in addition, it also has a restaurant. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near West Bay - East Beach.  The Watch House offers a variety of delicious dishes for breakfast and lunch including burgers, sausages, seafood, and pizzas.  The Club House is a restaurant that offers a variety of excellent dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including seafood, steaks, granola, barbecued aubergine, and burrata.  The Station Kitchen has a beautiful vintage decor and it offers a variety of amazing seasonal dishes including chicken schnitzel, gnocchi, steaks, and roast monkfish.  Bridport Arms is a hotel that has a restaurant – this restaurant offers delicious seafood and it offers a variety of other dishes including baguettes, roast beef, pasta, salads, and chorizo.  If you are looking for another nearby restaurant, S&E Fish and Chips is known for serving delicious fish-and-chips. 

If you are looking for a hotel near West Bay – East Beach, there are many great nearby options.   The Tiger Inn offers many amenities including multiple bars, multiple gardens, and complimentary breakfast.  The Bridport Arms is another great hotel that offers many amenities including a restaurant, a garden, a lounge, and complimentary breakfast.   The Parkdean Resorts West Bay Holiday Park, Dorset is another great accommodation option that offers accommodation in lodges and tents – it offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a convenience store, a pool, an amusement area, a roller rink, a kids’ club, and a playground.  Another great hotel is the Haddon House Hotel that offers many amenities including a restaurant, gardens, a guest lounge, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, The Greyhound, Bridport offers a pub and it is located conveniently close to the major landmarks around the town of Bridport.