Then and now pictures of Charmouth, Dorset, from above

Most of the black and white photos were taken in the 1980s while a further photo shows the newly constructed Charmouth Bypass, which was completed in 1990. At one time the busy main A35 road went through Charmouth with its cars, lorries and caravans. The bypass came about because of traffic issues and was built to the north of the village to ease traffic flow on The Street.

The main changes in Charmouth during the 1980s and 1990s were the new bypass and a big increase in the amount of housing. The old cement factory was repurposed as a heritage coast centre next to the beach in 1985. Click into the photo gallery above to see the then and now pictures full-sized

Before the bypass in the summer it became so congested that the police would block the entrance to Lower Sea Lane after 10.30am as the car parks would be full by then. The steep hills would catch out lorries that would have to brake suddenly. There was a number of serious accidents, many of which were recorded by Mike Davis, the husband of Mary, who always had a camera loaded with film in the Pharmacy.

This record in the form of an album was given to Linder Chalker, who was the Minister of Transport at that time and was instrumental in the village eventually getting a bypass, which was opened in July 1990. During the bypass construction in 1989 a Home Guard's stash of grenades was found. A lorry crash in Charmouth in 1978 before the bypass was built (Image: Freshford)

This photo above shows one of the worst crashes. It was taken on a May Bank Holiday in 1978 when a large blue French lorry careered down the road with brake failure crashing in to The Wander Inn (Red Buff). Ten minutes later the brakes of another lorry at the top of the hills failed as well due to the hot weather and came crashing down damaging four cars en route.

It was a miracle that no one was injured.

Then and now pictures of Charmouth, Dorset, from above

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