West Bay was the terminus of a 9¼ mile branch line from Maiden Newton via Bridport. The Bridport to West Bay section was closed to passengers in 1930 but remained open for goods traffic until 1962. The line from Maiden Newton to Bridport was a relatively late casualty of the mid-20th century zeal for railway closures, not being closed until 1975.
The West Bay station building is an unlikely survivor and has had various uses over the years. It is currently being used as a restaurant. The railway vehicle, on a short section of track by the platform, is an ex-GWR(?) full brake van which has been converted internally to provide dining accommodation. The station roof and canopy were being repaired at the time of the photo.
SY4690 : West BayRef Adrian Platt's question about the steel posts shown on his image "West Bay": I understand that they were intended to support an angling jetty, but there was insufficient money to complete the project. Maurice D. Budden