WORTH MATRAVERS, Purbeck, Dorset
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- An Introduction to Worth Matravers
- Things to See & Do
- Shops & Amenities
- More About Worth
- Directions From: Adventure Centre
About Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers, originally a Saxon settlement sheltered in a hollow of the Purbeck hills, is considered by many to have been a village of some importance during medieval times. In fact, until the end of the 15th century Worth was a much larger consideration and more prosperous than the now extensive town of Swanage (then called Swanwich). This is supported by the presence of The Ancient Church of St Nicholas of Myra, one of the oldest churches in Dorset. Worth and it's church are mentioned in the Domesday Book, 1086, but it is known that both the village and it's Anglo Saxon church existed long before that date.
The village itself developed around a natural spring and it's surrounding village green, and this spring would have once provided water for the inhabitants and workers of Worth. The spring has since been turned into a pond and the green has shrunk significantly as more properties were built immediately around it. It can be seen quite clearly that the properties closer to the green are more modern than those further back and have been built more consistently in terms of positioning.
In years gone by the main income for the villagers would have been from working in the local quarries at Winspit, as suggested by the name of the local pub "The Square and Compass", and for a while the village prospered well from this industry. However, in 1840 a government act insisted on the use of bricks and mortar to build houses, decimating the quarry business almost overnight and causing an economical decline in the area surrounding Winspit, most significantly Worth. An indication of this is the abandoned school, the bell tower of which can be seen as one leaves Worth by the footpath to Winspit.
Today, Worth Matravers is a beautiful little village, full of history and still centred around the village green and pond (now home to the local farm ducks). It is certainly worth a visit (no pun intended!).
Things To See & Do
The Ancient Church of St Nicholas of Myra
The church is steeped in history with existing examples of architecture and decoration from many periods of history dating back as far as 1150. Furthermore, the north side of the churchyard contains the graves of Benjamin Jesty who died in 1816. The inscription on the headstone acredits him with being the first person to introduce Cow Pox (smallpox) by innoculation, by experimenting on his wife and two sons in the year 1774.
Shops & Amenities
A post office is situated in the village centre, on the left hand side as you walk down the hill from the church. It also doubles as a village store and sells a limited range of groceries.
The Worth Cafe and Craft Centre is very popular with walkers, cyclists and other visitors to the area, and the cafe catering for both vegetarians and meat eaters, has disabled access. It is open 10.00am to 5.00pm, and serves a full breakfast until 11.30am. It is also open on Thursday and Friday evenings from 7pm with last orders being taken at 8.45pm. Saturday evenings are sometimes available by booking only. The craft shop features a range of quality crafts and gifts.
"The Square and Compass", is the local pub and it is situated on a little hill,overlooking the village where the Corfe Castle Road meets the Swanage Road. Further examples, of village
More About Worth Matravers
Select one of the articles from the list below to learn more about Worth Matravers in Purbeck, Dorset and the immediate surrounding area.
