Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

( at West Bay ) , 1811 OS ; the site of an earlier harbour in the town itself remains uncertain ( though recent research suggests it was perhaps on R . Brit behind The Chantry supra which may have served as a toll - house ) , cf. Robert Hauene 1268 , Phillip de la Hauene 1280Ass , Brideport Hafene 1444Hutch3 (216) and 'the skluce of the Hauen of Burporte is be gonne agayne to be made '1561Brid , Brid (11) , v. hæfen . There are letters patent regarding the construction of a harbour in 1385 Pat , 1393 Brid(19) ; an indulgence of 1444 granted by the bishop of Salisbury ' for building and repairing a new port of Brydeport , called Brydeport Haven ' , as well as attempts to make a port here during the 14th cent. , are noted in Hutch 3 2 15 ; and there are other references to an earlier harbour in Penn 26 – 7 , cf. also the lost Irepool infra .