Weston Road
Worth Matravers
Dorset
BH19 3LF
01929 439229
The Square and Compass in the Isle of Purbeck has been in the same family for over 100 years and is one of the few truly classic, unspoilt ale houses in England (photo 1). There are two rooms, the ‘Big Room’ to the right, and on the left the simple unspoilt taproom with its wooden benches and cartoons of locals on the wall (photo 2).
The pub has flagstone floors and a hatch in the corridor serving beer direct from the cask. It one of the Famous Five’ pubs to have been in every edition of the Good Beer Guide since it was first published in 1974. At least two of the beers on offer are from the pub’s own brewery, Hattie Brown’s. I first visited the Square & Compass in 1990 and I’ve been several times since then, and it remains one of my favourite UK pubs.
It even has a small museum with local fossils, old tools and weapons created by the landlord (photo 3).
