Population 638 (parish) Civil parish Worth Matravers Country England Local time Thursday 6:01 AM District Purbeck District | OS grid reference SY975775 Region South West Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Dorset | |
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Weather 4°C, Wind N at 10 km/h, 83% Humidity | ||
Speedwell cottage worth matravers dorset
Worth Matravers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is situated on the cliffs west of Swanage. It comprises limestone cottages and farm houses and is built around a pond, which is a regular feature on postcards of the Isle of Purbeck.
Contents
- Speedwell cottage worth matravers dorset
- Map of Worth Matravers Swanage UK
- Woodhenge worth matravers dorset
- Geography
- Economy
- Places of interest
- Miscellaneous
- References
Map of Worth Matravers, Swanage, UK
The civil parish stretches from the coast northwards to, and just beyond, the A351 road from Corfe Castle to Swanage. The village of Worth Matravers is situated on side roads towards the south of the parish, which also includes the village of Harman's Cross on the main road to the north.
The cliffs of Worth Matravers were the site of a Chain Home radar station during World War II, which was instrumental in the development of radar when the Telecommunications Research Establishment outstation shared the site from 1940 until 1942 when it was relocated to Malvern, Worcestershire.
Woodhenge worth matravers dorset
Geography
To the south of Worth Matravers village are the limestone cliffs of the English Channel coast. These are situated on the South West Coast Path.
This coastline is popular with tourists in the summer months, with the rocky beaches of Winspit, Seacombe and Chapman's Pool situated within walking distance of the village.
To the north of the village and parish are the chalk Purbeck Hills. Many tourists pass through this area on the Swanage Railway, a steam locomotive operated heritage railway. Harman's Cross railway station on that railway is within the parish, but a significant distance from the village of Worth Matravers.
The parish includes the settlement of Harman's Cross to the north, and has an area of 10.98 square kilometres. In the 2011 census it had 285 households and a population of 638. The parish forms part of the Purbeck local government district. It is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons and the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.
Economy
Traditionally the village's economy was based on farming, quarrying and fishing. Today, two quarries - Swanworth and St. Aldhelm's - are still in operation, with Swanworth due to close within the next five years. Both arable and pasture farming are still central to the village's economy.
Places of interest
A monument on St Aldhelm's head, about a mile from the village, commemorates the development of radar by the Telecommunications Research Establishment at RAF Worth Matravers which was also one of the Chain Home radar stations during World War II, which proved decisive in the allied victory of that war. A Royal Observer Corps[1] monitoring post is situated in the lay-bye on the road to Worth Matravers.
About a mile from the village is Winspit, an old quarry on the cliffs. This was used as a filming location for an episode of Blake's 7 and also in two Doctor Who stories.
On the bluff of the headland is the Norman Saint Aldhelm's Chapel dedicated to St Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne.
The village is also well known for the Square and Compass, a Grade II listed public house, which has operated since 1793. It is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. It holds an annual week-long stone carving festival and accommodates a small museum exhibiting fossils and other local artefacts.