The Square & Compass, Worth Matravers

The Square & Compass is not just a pub — it's a Dorset legend. Tucked away in the tiny village of Worth Matravers on the Isle of Purbeck, this extraordinary establishment has been run by the Newman family since 1907 and has barely changed in over a century.

There is no bar. You walk up to a hatch in the corridor, order your drink, and carry it out to the garden. The ales come from local Dorset breweries, and the cider — pressed from local apples — is the stuff of legend. In the front room, there's a remarkable collection of local fossils, many found in the surrounding Purbeck stone quarries, displayed in glass cases.

The pub garden is one of the finest in England, offering sweeping views across the Purbeck Hills down to the sea. On a clear day, you can see the Isle of Wight. Local musicians often play in the garden on weekends, and the annual stone-carving festival draws visitors from across the country.

Food is simple — pasties and pies from a local bakery, served from a separate hatch. That's it. And that's exactly as it should be.

The Square & Compass has won CAMRA's Pub of the Year multiple times and features in virtually every 'best pubs in Britain' list ever written. It is, quite simply, an unmissable Dorset experience.