A Purbeck Pub Crawl
Before we get started, a note of explanation!
For our longer routes, of over nine miles, we hope that our OS maps will provide you with everything you need to navigate your walk, rather than extensive downloadable instruction sheets. Feedback welcome!
Make it stand out
Let’s go…
‘Twas a few days after Christmas, and we all wanted to get out of the house!
In an unusual, perhaps even unprecedented, moment of pique in the O’Connor extended family, we decided to go on a very long festive Purbeck Pub Crawl, encompassing 4 excellent local hostelries and12 meandering miles of the Isle of Purbeck. In sharing the Purbeck Pub Crawl walk you need to note that it is possible to complete whilst stopping at every pub and drinking several pints of beer, however….disclaimer alert, I am not responsible for what happens to you under the influence of alcohol, you undertake the walk at your own risk!
Needless to say, this walk can also be thoroughly enjoyed without drinking any beer - and there are other places to stop for cups of tea, coffee and cake in the villages of Corfe Castle, Worth Matravers and Langton Matravers, so you’ll have plenty of refreshment to help you on your way. The walk can be started from any of the villages and, as with all the walks on Isle Walk Purbeck, you can walk it clockwise or anti-clockwise! There is ample parking at each village, either in carparks or on the roadside. Even better, each pub has a toilet!!
We start this walk in Corfe Castle, heading off along West Street and out onto the common at the cattle grid and gate at the end of the road. Bearing right the road leads you across the common to Blashenwell Farm, a pretty settlement, where you’ll see an old waterwheel, on the side of the building. Follow the signs and track away from the farm and bear left up the hill to the woods on the outskirts of Kingston. It’s a bit of a climb but you’ll enjoy stopping to look back at the view of the castle, bounded by the grassy ridges on either side. Once you reach Kingston you can enjoy your first pint at The Scott Arms. The downside of being inside at this pub is that there is very little seating for people who only want a drink, rather than to eat. However, the garden has particularly spectacular views of the castle and loads of seating, if you’re lucky enough to be there on a lovely warm day.
Once refreshed, head right out of the pub and back along the way you came, until you reach the junction at the church, where you turn left. Follow this tarmac track, over a stile, right down to the head of the valley leading down to Chapman’s Pool. The tarmac path makes this section of the walk a gentle stroll and a great opportunity to save some energy and admire the view. There are often cattle and sheep grazing in these fields so dogs must be kept on a lead.
This is a stunning section of the walk, where the cliffs are a dramatic backdrop to the bay and the tiny distant fishing huts below. Keep wending your way through a little settlement of cottages, then make your way uphill, turning left along a muddy path, at the sign to Hill Bottom. This path can be very muddy and slippy, so take care, especially after your pint of ale! The next right turning will lead you up alongside Swanworth stone quarry and out into an open field. from here follow the path to the village of Worth Matravers, and pub no. 2 - The Square and Compass.
if you’re a regular visitor to this website you’ll know that The Square is our favourite pub - and my husband, Nick, is even a member of the bar staff! The uniqueness of The Square is reflected in its perennial listing in the Good Beer Guide and the number of both locals and visitors who hold it so fondly in their lives. The views from the pub, either from inside looking out, or from the front yard and garden, are particularly spectacular. Looking towards Winspit and St Aldhelm’s Head, munching a tasty pasty and supping a pint of Hattie Brown’s Ale or ‘Dog on the Roof’, you’ll probably feel like getting on top of the roof yourself! However, You can’t linger for long, especially in the shorter daylight hours of winter, before needing to press on towards pub no. 3, The Kings Arms in Langton Matravers.
Turn left out of The Square and follow the road out of the village until you reach a stile on the right. Take the path diagonally through the corner of the first field, then continue walking through the fields until you reach the Priests Way.
The Priests Way, aptly named after the well trodden route clergy took between churches in Swanage and the villages of Langton and Worth Matravers in years gone by, is a wide stoney track that leads you to Spyway Farm. En route you’ll pass some dinosaur footprints, great saucers of stone left impressed in the rocks to be discovered by local quarrymen. As you continue downhill towards Langton you should have a superb view over to Swanage Bay, Ballard Down and The Isle of Wight beyond. At a junction of gates, near Spyway, take a left and walk diagonally through the field to the village, emerging opposite Langton House. From here, walk through the village to pub no. 3 - The King’s Arms, Langton.
Since the local shop and post office has closed in Langton Matravers, The pub has opened a small delicatessen - Trevor’s (I believe named after the pub’s cat!). This is a fabulous addition to the village with groceries, newspapers and take-away hot beverages, pastries and cakes. The pub itself offers a fantastic range of food and drinks plus a very warm welcome in front of the fire. It’s going to be hard to leave for your final crawl back to Corfe!
Once you’ve forced yourself out onto the High Street and over the road, walk along the path on the edge of the cemetery, until you reach a gate. You might feel feel like you’re on the home straight, but there’s still about 4 miles to go before you deserve your final pint, so continue to pace yourselves. On reaching the open field, turn left and walk diagonally through a field towards a house on the corner.
Keep following the footpath through the fields until you reach a wooden gate on the right by a telegraph pole, on the edge of Langton West Woods. Follow the woodland track down through a hollow and up some steeps steps, then turn right and follow the path, bearing left, until you reach the A351.
Cross the main road and follow the lane towards the railway bridge and New Barn Farm. Here you’ll have the choice to carry on up the lane or to turn right, then left up the fields to Knitson Farm. Either way, it’s uphill most of the way, and a steep final climb up onto Nine Barrow Down. Follow the distinctive chalk path up onto the top, pausing once you’re there to enjoy the panoramic views across to Swanage Bay in the east, Poole Harbour in the north and the Purbeck coastline and beyond to the Isle of Portland in the south. You’ll be heading in a westerly direction towards Corfe Castle. From the top of Nine Barrow you can saunter to the end of your pub crawl and enjoy your final pint in one of the great pubs of Corfe. We enjoy The Fox for its authentic charm, and beautiful castle-view garden, whilst The Bankes Arms offers a warm welcome and again, great views of the castle. There are many other aspects of Corfe to enjoy, such as the castle itself (National Trust), the model village and the shops and excellent bakery.
Enjoy the Purbeck Pub Crawl - let us know how you get on by commenting below!
The photograph above was taken at Wood Henge, near The Square and Compass, the day we first undertook the Purbeck Pub Crawl, on 28th December 2021. Left to right: Steve, Kitty, Cerys, Helen and Barny, Nick, Molly, Taylor…. then Steve, Kitty and Cerys take two! Thanks to Jam for taking the photo - we’ll get you to jump in next time!
12.4 miles
6 hours 10 mins
1563ft
Fields and Paths
Yes - woof!
OS Grid Ref: SY 960 820
Latitude: 50°38'18"N
Longitude: 2°3'27"W
Elevation: 607ft
