Dried cod to be studied for Bridport and West Bay art project

AN ARTIST is to going to be paid to work on researching links between the heritage and wildlife of Bridport / West Bay and Newfoundland.

Why? Because Bridport Museum and the environmental group Discover West Bay have won a Dorset Pride of Place Award allowing them to commission somebody to produce “some form of interpretation”.

Why Newfoundland? Because it was once terribly important to fishermen from Dorset, Devon and Somerset who would summer there year after year, studying the migration patterns of cod, and catching them for salting, washing and drying.

Eventually, Dorset fishermen set up colonies at Trinity and Bonavista Bays and a triangular trade pattern built up, best described by top local historian Richard Sims in Rope, Net & Twine: The Bridport Textile Industry (Dovecote Press, 2009).

“Every spring the West Country fishing fleet headed west across the Atlantic, their holds laden with goods and supplies for settlers.

“The dried cod was then either shipped to the Caribbean for the slaves on the plantations, or – more commonly – to Catholic Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy) from where the fleet returned home with either Caribbean rum and sugar or Mediterranean wine, olive oil and dried fruit.

“The Salt House at Bridport Harbour stands as a reminder of this trade, for it was here that salt was stored before the annual voyage to Newfoundland.”

The manufacture of fishing lines and nets for this trade shaped Bridport and its surrounding villages for decades.

Hence the Pride of Place Award. As Bridport Museum Curator Alice Martin says: “Not only are both communities located on or near UNESCO designated natural world heritage sites but many Bridport people emigrated to Newfoundland in the 17th and 18th centuries and today there are still enclaves of communities in Newfoundland where the residents have Dorset accents.

“The appointed artist will be researching these links and forging new ones. The ultimate outcome will be some form of interpretation that will highlight and inform about the heritage and wildlife links between Newfoundland and Bridport/West Bay, with migration a core theme.

“This may well be housed in the Museum’s courtyard, which is a space that could be developed for exhibition.”

Dr Tom Brereton, chairman of Discover West Bay, which (among other things) promotes interest in bird migration and the marine environment, said that he was “delighted” with the award. He added that he was looking forward to working with Bridport Museum and the Dorset Design and Heritage Forum “to create something special for West Bay.”

Perhaps the old Methodist Chapel at West Bay could somehow be involved?

(1 – note to artist – if I were you, I’d try to think of some way to incorporate some Mediterranean wine – just occasionally…

2 – if readers have any ideas for what the resulting “form of interpretation” might be,  please share them. “Leave a comment” at top of page is easiest way… A giant inflatable cod in the harbour appeals to my silly mind, and it would get people talking, but I suppose it would be too similar in conception to the island that’s going to be towed around the South West for the Olympics…

3 – I definitely think the Riverside Restaurant in West Bay should put salt cod back on the menu, so that when I’ve saved up for one of my sadly very rare visits, I could try it again. It used to be delicious)