Ward InformationWard Clerk: Jo Hughes
Email: [email protected]
Ward Councillors: Bridget Bowell, Anne Rickard and Andy Holdridge – contact details and Committee Membership details can be found below.
Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Mailing List: email the Ward Clerk to request to join the Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward mailing list to be kept up to date on relevant news and information within the ward.
Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Facebook Page: the very latest news and information within the ward can be found by following us on Facebook –Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Partnership.
The former Bothenhampton & Walditch Parish Council was dissolved on 31st March 2024 following a Community Governance Review. Bothenhampton & Walditch Parish Council – A History of Sorts by Graham Styles can be read here.
Bridport Town Council Wards
Bridport Town Council is the parish authority for the town of Bridport. The Town Council provides a large number of services in its area and also represents the town on all matters affecting Bridport Parish. The Parish is divided into five Wards, Bothenhampton and Walditch, Bradpole, Bridport Central, West Bridport and Allington, and West Bay. Each ward is represented by its own Councillors and a Ward Clerk. The population of the parish area is approximately 13,500.
Bothenhampton lies to the south-east of the town of Bridport and one mile from the sea at West Bay. The layout of the village dates from medieval times. Hollow Way with its unusual high pavement and Green Lane which leaves the meadows of the river Asker and leads more or less directly to the old church are certainly medieval. Mixed farming has been the main activity since the earliest times and the crops included sheep, cattle, cereals and apples. Flax and hemp were grown for the twine, rope and netmaking industry of Bridport. There was quarrying, brick and tile making and occupations associated with the sea have also been important.
Walditch neighbours Bothenhampton, about half a mile to the east of Bridport. The name Walditch is derived from an older term Waldyke, which alludes to the village’s location: Walditch is located in the valley of a curved hill that encompasses the village; the hill has a dry stone wall still partially in place, which continues over towards Bothenhampton. Walditch has a real tennis court, on the site of which King Henry VII played during his visits to the area. Walditch is composed of Old Walditch (the original Walditch) and lower Walditch, a housing estate built around 1998.
View a detailed interactive map of the Bridport Town Council Wards at: https://shared.xmap.cloud/?map=1613c0d9-ceb8-47c3-b7f8-20b172662fa8
Meetings
Details of upcoming meetings for the Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward will appear below, along with notes from previous meetings.
Notice of Meetings
Ward meetings with your Ward Councillors take place every 3/4 months and alternate between Bothenhampton Village Hall and Walditch Village Hall.
- The next Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Public Engagement Session will take place on Monday 6th July at Walditch Village Hall. The last meeting took place on 30th April at Bothenhampton Village Hall – the notes of the the meeting can be found under ‘Notes from Previous Meetings’ .
Notes from Previous Meetings
Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Meetings:
2024:
- Notes from the Public Engagement Session held on 24th July 2024 at Bothenhampton Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement Session held on 17th September 2024 at Walditch Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement Session held on 28th November 2024 at Bothenhampton Village Hall.
2025:
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement Session held on 4th February 2025 at Walditch Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement Session held on 29th April 2025 at Bothenhampton Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement session held on 18th September 2025 at Walditch Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement session held on 18th November 2025 at Bothenhapton Village Hall.
2026:
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement session held on 12th February 2026 at Walditch Village Hall.
- Notes including Updates from the Public Engagement session held on 30th April 2026 at Bothenhampton Village Hall.
In between meetings, please take a read of the monthly Bridge community magazine which provides the latest ward news and information from your Ward Clerk. The latest issue can be read here.
The Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Facebook page also provides timely and relevant news and information.
Ward Noticeboards
There are also six noticeboards within the ward displaying not only ward specific information but also details of events and activities taking place further afield in the local area. The ward noticeboards are located at:
The Crown Roundabout, Pasture Way, Bothenhampton Village Hall, Jelly Fields, Valley View and Walditch Main Street.
Councillor information
Councillor Bridget Bolwell
01308 456722
Councillor Andrew Holdridge
e-mail: [email protected]
Committee Membership: Finance and General Purposes Committee, Neighbourhood Plan Joint Councils Committee, Best Value and Scrutiny Sub Committee
Councillor Anne Rickard
01308 456722
email: [email protected]
Committee Membership: Finance and General Purposes Committee, Planning Committee, Environment & Social Wellbeing Committee, Staffing Appeals Sub Committee, Best Value and Scrutiny Sub Committee
Useful Information
Bridport Town Council Responsibilities
Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward Defibrillators
In 2018 Bothenhampton and Walditch Parish Council funded the installation of ‘public access defibrillators’ at two sites, Bothenhampton Village Hall and Walditch Village Hall. Both defibrillators are the HeartSine Samaritan PAD SAM 360P defibrillator housed in an AED Armor mild steel, unlocked cabinet. The SAM 360P is a fully-automatic, external defibrillator designed to quickly deliver a defibrillation shock to victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The defibrillators are registered with The Circuit and are checked and maintained by Bridport Town Council.
- Bothenhampton Village Hall, Main Street, Bothenhampton DT6 4BL
- Walditch Village Hall, Walditch Road, Walditch DT6 4LB
Bridport Local Area Partnership Fortnightly Bulletin:
The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include Bridport Town Council, 9 Parish Councils and more than 80 community organisations and individuals working to improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Bridport and surrounding areas.
9th June 2026
26th May 2026
12th May 2026
28th April 2026
14th April 2026
Useful Links
Ward News
Public Consultation – Green Lane and Slades Green, Bothenhampton Management Plan 2026-2031 – the Town Council is working with residents in Bothenhampton to develop a management plan for land at Green Lane and Slades Green. Extending from the junction of Crock Lane through to Green Lane and Slades Green, the site comprises several grassed verges, some on sloping ground and some bordered by trees. It also includes a public Right of Way accessible from Crock Lane. The project will review how the land is currently used and consider opportunities to enhance it for both wildlife and community benefit. It is important that any future management reflects the needs of residents, protects the local environment, and respects the way the space is already enjoyed. A consultation phase is therefore a key part of the process, helping to identify what is working well and what improvements should be considered as part of the next five-year management plan. The Town Council is currently inviting residents and the wider community to take part in the consultation which is open until 30th August 2026.
– Draft Management Plan
– Consultation Poster
– Consultation Postcard
Public Engagement Meeting – come along and chat to your Ward Councillors at the next Public Engagement meeting on Monday 6th July at Walditch Village Hall – all welcome.
20mph for Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward – A Bothenhampton & Walditch 20mph Resident Survey was delivered to every household in Bothenhampton and Walditch as an insert in the October 2024 edition of the Bridge magazine to seek resident views/support on 20mph within the ward. The survey results indicate that 96% of respondents are in favour of reducing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph on certain roads in the ward. The Town Council met with the Dorset Council Road Safety Team in May 2025 to discuss coordination of multiple 20mph applications for the Bridport Town Council wards including Bothenhampton & Walditch. Following the meeting it was agreed that the wards would submit individual 20mph applications. Bothenhampton & Walditch ward have had the the required speed surveys carried out and the 20mph application was submitted to Dorset Council at the end of August 2025. Dorset Council confirmed that all applications submitted in 2025 will be included in Phase 4 and these have gone before the internal 20mph Panel with tranche 1 applications which includes Bridport and the wards proceeding to public consultation which will run from 25th June to 17th July. To find out more and respond to the consultation, click here.
Planning
The Town Council is not a planning authority and as such does not make final decisions on planning applications; this is the responsibility of Dorset Council. However, the Town Council is a statutory consultee and as such receives all planning applications relating to the town wards for comment. All planning applications previous and current can be found on the Dorset Council Planning Portal.
Planning applications for Bothenhampton & Walditch Ward are dealt with by the Bridport Town Council Planning Committee. The meetings are open to the public. There is a public forum at the start of each meeting and members of the public who wish to speak on a planning application should arrive at 5.50pm and register their intention to speak with the Clerk. You can also raise any comments regarding a planning application in your ward with your Ward Councillors or via your Ward Clerk – email: [email protected]