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Local areas

Langton Matravers

Swanage’s closest village has a thriving community and fantastic nearby walks

Langton Matravers lies just two miles outside Swanage and has several excellent walking trails, as well as a village pub-and-shop and a small children’s petting farm.

There is a lively and active community in Langton, with various clubs for both children and adults both within the village and in nearby villages, including Harman’s Cross, Worth Matravers, Corfe Castle, and of course in Swanage town.

Langton Matravers is Swanage’s closest village and is connected via a regular hourly bus service, which runs between Swanage and Poole.

The village school – St George’s CE Primary – has close links with the church, both of which are a short walk along the main street from the village hall.

Langton’s most famous connection is writer Ian Fleming – the author of the James Bond books – who was educated at the now closed Durnford School.

Facilities and amenities

The King’s Arms Pub & deli shop

The King's Arms on the high street in Langton Matravers

The village’s pub is The King’s Arms, set on the High Street in the heart of the village.

It has a beer garden and serves food and local beers and ciders and holds regular events throughout the year, such as cheese & wine evenings, live music and cask ale clubs.

The King’s Arms is also home to in-house village store, Trevor’s Deli, which stocks local produce including fresh milk, eggs, fruit and veg, as well as household essentials, pastries, newspapers and stamps.

Keep up to date with the King’s Arms’ events and special food nights by following their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kingsarmslangton/ 

📞 01929 422979

Langton Matravers Village Hall

Langton Matravers village hall sign

The village hall is a community hub, with a range of events, clubs and activities throughout the year.

The hall is home to a main hall, snooker room and meeting room, all of which are available for both residents and non-residents to hire.

For hire charges and to book, contact the village hall team:

Regular events at the village hall

The hall is used for monthly parish council meetings, church events and as a venue for Dorset Artsreach – a charity bringing theatre, music and shows to rural communities – performances throughout the year.

Regular, weekly events at the hall are as follows:

  • Tuesday – Folk dancing
  • Wednesdays – Langton Matravers Arthouse Cinema, showing fringe arts films
  • Wednesdays – Wool and craft group (all Wednesdays, except the first of the month)
  • Thursdays – Enjoy candle-lit refreshments with a backdrop of live music, courtesy of the Purbeck Folk Club
  • Fridays – Bowls Club

St George’s Church

The Church of England Church in Langton Matravers shares its Sunday services between here at St George’s and across other churches in the Benefice., including Worth Matravers, Corfe Castle, Steeple and Kingston.

Find out more about service times and events on the Parish website: www.thedubber.co.uk

Phone number for St George’s: 01929 427822

Medical information

The nearest GP surgery is in Swanage or Corfe Castle village.

Swanage also has a minor injuries unit (Swanage Hospital) and the nearest A&Es are in Poole, Bournemouth or Dorchester.

Allotments

Both full (£70/year) and half-size (£35/year) allotments are available in the heart of the village, but there tends to be a waiting list.

Anybody interested should call 01929 425100 or email langtonmatravers@dorset-aptc.gov.uk.

Toilets

Public toilets can be found close to Putlake Adventure Farm, on Steps Hill.

Things to do in and around Langton Matravers

Despite being a relatively small village there are many interesting things to see and do both within Langton itself and nearby.

  • Langton Matravers Museum – The village museum is housed in an old coach house and showcases the area’s history of quarrying and the importance of Purbeck stone for the town’s economy over the generations. Listen to an audio guide as you peruse artefacts including archive images and stonemason’s tools
  • Dancing Ledge – Park at Spyway car park, off Durnford Drove, for a stunning stroll over to Dancing Ledge
  • Spyway walk – The walk to Dancing Ledge itself is a lovely route through grassy hills and past hay meadows with wide-reaching sea views and an intriguing history barn
  • Keates Quarry Dinosaur Footprints – Brachiosaur footprints have been excavated and preserved at this unusual spot near to the neighbouring hamlet of Acton
  • Priest’s Way – This medieval pathway encompassing Langton Matravers runs between Swanage and Worth Matravers and is so-called as it is the path once taken by a priest who walked back and forth ministering for his spread-out parishioners
  • Burngate Stone Carving Centre – Just outside the village, you can try your hand at stone carving. Burngate offers workshops and courses for the complete beginner to the more advanced – the perfect traditional craft to try during your stay. Find out more and book a course: ℹ️ www.burngatestonecentre.co.uk 📞 01929 439405
  • Putlake Adventure Farm – Putlake has an indoor soft play area and offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal to farmyard animals. There’s also a tea room and on-site camping available. You’ll find the farm just off High Street in the village. Find out more on their website: www.putlakeadventurefarm.co.uk 📞 01929 422917

Outdoor education and field studies at Leeson House

Langton Matravers is home to one of Purbeck’s most popular educational field studies centres.

The site is a Grade II-listed mansion, complete with modern labs, a computer suite and classrooms to aid learning.

The centre runs single-day activities as well as residential courses.

Leeson House (Picture credit: Clive Perrin)

Activities

Providing a base for primary and secondary-age students, activities at Leeson House support KS1 and KS2, as well as GCSE Geography and Geology, Common Entrance exams, and A Level Geography, Geology and Biology.

Pond-dipping

Early Years

Activities make learning fun for little ones as they discover the natural world around them:

  • Pond and environmental exploration
  • ‘Minibeasts’ habitats
  • Teddy bears’ picnic and ‘desert island building’
  • Outdoor sensory games
  • Nature-inspired art and sculpture

Primary

Primary-aged pupils can see their lessons come to life through exploring the rich geological, historical and environmental aspects of the Purbeck landscape:

layers of Kimmeridge Clay at Kimmeridge Bay
Layers of Kimmeridge Clay at Kimmeridge Bay

Secondary

Activities for secondary-age students encompass a range of issues in Purbeck, from past to present and support GCSE and A Level studies.

Person pointing to Bat Hole near Durdle Door on map
Exploring at Durdle Door beach
  • Rivers and flood prevention
  • Coastal management
  • Tourism and transport links
  • Data interpretation for weather and climate topics
  • Coastal erosion and landforms
  • Economic change, looking at Swanage’s history through agriculture and quarrying, to tourism today
  • Field-based qualitative and quantitative study
  • Rural deprivation
  • Geological mapping
  • Woodland studies and mammal trapping
  • Vegetation succession and analysis
  • Marine and freshwater ecology
  • Working oil-well visit
  • Quarrying tour
  • Field navigation skills
  • Fossil identification