Shipton Gorge is three miles east of Bridport, fourteen miles west of Dorchester and two miles from the Jurassic coast at Burton Bradstock.

The village of Shipton Gorge has its first reference in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is very much still a working village with seven working farms still in the parish.

There are just under 200 dwellings with around 300 inhabitants, many of whom have moved to the area to retire but the village still has a fairly high proportion of working families and children. The houses are a mixture of old houses built of local stone, modern houses and bungalows.

There is no “gorge” in Shipton Gorge but it is an interesting and pretty village with high banked lanes, lovely houses and a community spirit. There are a number of thatched properties as well as listed buildings, one site of special scientific interest, two small woods and a network of public footpaths and bridleways to be explored.

One of the dominant features of the village is the church of St Martin’s which sits on a hill overlooking the main street with glorious views across the countryside. It has a 14th century tower, a 13th century font and the exterior is floodlit for much of the year making it an important feature of the village both day and night.

You can find out more about our village, in residents, its history and its amenities on this website and we hope that you will come and visit us – we are a typical West Dorset village and very proud to be so !