Worth Matravers

A thoroughly pleasant little village just inland of the path which dates back to pre-Roman times. A cluster of pretty limestone cottages (one of which was the home of the infamous smuggler Gulliver), huddle around a central green and pond. Add in the Norman Church of St Nicholas, one of the oldest in Dorset, and you have pretty much the idyllic old English village.

Most critical to the worn out walker is the superb Square and Compass Inn, stocking real ales and Ciders, the Winner in 2008 of the best Real Cider Pub of the Year as awarded by the Campaign for Real Ales. This also has to be the only pub in the country with its own attached Fossil Museum! This is no gimmick either, local artefacts include impressive larger marine reptiles - Ichthyosaur and Pliosaur - collected by the landlord and his father over many years of dog walking on the local beaches. It's a superb place for a rest at the end of the tough walk from Lulworth.

Accommodation is extremely difficult to obtain in the village with no rooms at the pub and only one B&B and then there is also only the option of pie or pasty in the pub which does not do evening meals. Given this we tend to use Worth Matravers as a transfer point to take walkers out to nearby Langton Matravers or Swanage which is a short road journey. We then drop you back here to Worth Matravers so you can continue along the coast path.horoughly pleasant little village just inland of the path which dates back to pre-Roman times. A cluster of pretty limestone cottages (one of which was the home of the infamous smuggler Gulliver), huddle around a central green and pond. Add in the Norman Church of St Nicholas which is one of the oldest in Dorset and you have pretty much the idyllic old English village.