Dorset pub Square and Compass is our pub of the week

This cosy pub is located in the Dorset countryside and features locally sourced beers, homemade pies, and pasties.

Owned by Charlie Newman, whose family has run the Square and Compass in Worth Matravers for almost 120 years, his great-grandfather bought the pub in 1907.

The pub has a (free) museum that displays fossils, archaeological discoveries, and collections recovered from shipwrecks found in and around Purbeck.

The pubs' fossil museum (Image: Alex Wallis)

Charlie said: “The natural history and geology in Purbeck is so diverse and interesting.

“The museum was my idea to share my personal interest with the public.

“It is a very casual set-up; people can just walk through with a pint.”

Charlie has been running the pub for over 30 years and has seen the venue grow into a ‘hot spot’ for live music, welcoming original artists almost every weekend.

In the summer, the Square and Compass hosts a number of festivals, including the Fossil Festival and the Square Fair.

Charlie said: “We put on a lot of music. We have quality musicians and bands from all over the world.”

The beers are locally sourced from the Purbeck-based Hattie Browns Brewery, and for the last 17 years, Charlie has been brewing his own cider on the premises.

The Square and Compass is a popular finish for many coastal walks and a common stopping point for hikers on the South West Coast Path.

In 2023, it was named on the Good Pub Guide’s ‘Favourite Unspoilt Pubs in Town and Country’ list.

The pub is managed by Alex Wallis, who has worked at the Square and Compass for eight years.

Alex said: “We are in an incredible location; you can walk 100 meters away and be in the sight of a Roman settlement, then walk into the next field and see some dinosaur footprints and then go down to the beach and find ammonites and fossils.”

The Square and Compass is located in Worth Matravers, Swanage, BH193LF, there is a nearby parish car park with a donation box.