The Bridport First District Trust [Show/Clear] was formed under the 1764-5 (5 G 3 c.75) Act from Penn Hill, Lyme Regis to Askerswell Hill, Bridport. This included the Bridport Harbour (West Bay) road but no date is known. These roads were originally part of the western section of the 'Great Western Turnpike', the second turnpike in Dorset, created in the 1753-4 (27 G 2 c.32) Act. Extended in the 1755-6 (29 G 2 c.54) Act through Dorchester and Blandford, to Harnham Hill near Salisbury.
The remainder of the Great Western Turnpike was split up into several Trusts. Two Devonshire trusts covered the western roads including the Axminster Trust, incorporating the Dorset section from Raymond's Hill to Penn Hill. The northern route from Bridport to Beaminser became the Bridport Second District Trust. The eastern remainder through Dorchester and Blandford, to Harnham Hill near Salisbury became the Harnham, Blandford and Dorchester Trust.
The Bridport First District Trust continued, without change, under the 1798-9 (39 G 3 c.33) and 1818-9 (59 G 3 c. 87) Acts. The 1824-5 (5 G 4 c. 97) Act included powers to make new cuts or diversions to ease the western routes.
The first was for "a new cut or piece of road from the west end of the village of Chideock into the present turnpike road at a place in the parish of Chideock near a certain highway to Ryall". The plan indicates that the first was intended to make the ascent of Chideock Hill more gradual by taking the road a little to the north-east, but it would seem that this was reduced to making the present half mile or so from the top of Chideock Hill to Morcombelake, which replaces the continuation of Langdon Lane a little more to the west.
The second was "a new cut from Morcombelake leading into the present turnpike road at a place in the parish of Whitchurch Canonicorum between the 5th and 6th milestones near Barn Lane". This was a more important provision which switched the turnpike from from the old and difficult route along the flank of Stonebarrow Hill to the line which it now follows. At Morcombelake there was a well-known inn called the Ship on the old road, and this was moved to its present position a little rurther north, the old house becoming Ship Farm.
The third was "a new cut from the turnpike road near the garden in occupation of Andrew Tucker in Whitchurch Canonicorum, through the parish of Catherston into the turnpike road at or near Charmouth Bridge".
The plan also shows that the third cut was intended to run direct from Bellair to Charmouth Bridge. It is scarcely surprising that it was never made since it would not only have duplicated the existing road from Bellair to Newlands but would have crossed the valley of the Char much more obliquely, and it may thave been in connection with this, or in substitution for it, that Charmouth Bridge was rebuilt in 1824.
