The 2026 Melplash Show filled the West Bay Showground on Thursday 27 August 2026, bringing one of West Dorset’s biggest annual events back to the fields between Bridport and West Bay.
From the air, the scale of the show is impossible to miss. The main ring, marquees, trade stands and packed car parks filled the showground beside the River Brit, with Bridport, West Bay and the Jurassic Coast stretching out beyond.
A West Dorset tradition
Organised by the Melplash Agricultural Society, the show has roots going back to 1847 and has been held at its present West Bay ground since 1948. Farming remains at its heart, alongside horses, horticulture, homecrafts, local food, entertainment and more than 400 trade stands.
These aerial photographs were captured during the late morning and show how dramatically the familiar green fields are transformed for one day each August.
Melplash Show from the air
Seen from above, the show becomes part of the wider West Dorset landscape: crowds moving between the marquees, the River Brit winding around the ground and West Bay harbour sitting just beyond.
The final view looks inland across Bridport, placing the busy showground among the surrounding fields and countryside.
Explore more aerial photographs and prints of West Bay.