A town's darker side of history will be explored through a pungent new exhibition.

Bridport Museum is set to get rather smelly this October half term as part of an exhibition which will look into when the town was described by some newspapers as a 'National Ulcer'.

Families are being invited to brave the smelly trail around the museum which will explore the darker side of the town's history in the 19th century, with families being invited to 'sniff' their way around the museum and use their imaginations to sketch to illustrate real reporters' disgust of stinking fish and filth.

Museum director, Emily Hicks said: "It's hard to believe that Bridport was such a dirty and diseased place, it was described in London newspapers as a 'National Ulcer'.

"A report from 1861 described the cramped conditions, with as many as 15 houses sharing just two outside toilets.

"Worse still, the toilets emptied into cesspits which often overflowed, into the drinking water wells.

"At one point in the 19th century, Bridport was rapidly gaining a reputation of being one of the smelliest towns in Britain.

"Toilet waste often overflowed into the streets, the smell mingling with that of putrid pig dung."

The trail has been made all the more possible by money raised by National Lottery players, with the project funded by a £841,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

'Stinky Bridport' trail will run at the museum from Saturday, October 20 until Saturday, October 27 and is free to attend, with donations accepted to support the museum's work as a charity.

Half term also marks the last week of the museum's full-time opening hours, with the museum currently open from 10am until 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am until 4pm on Saturdays.

From Sunday, October 28, the museum will be going to its winter opening hours, opening from 11am until 2pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 10am until 1pm on Saturdays.

For more information about Bridport Museum, you can visit bridportmuseum.co.uk or you can call 01308 458703.