In an area of rural Dorset called the Isle of Purbeck, which isn’t actually an island, it seems appropriate that Tom’s Field isn’t in fact Tom’s. It was at one stage, but Tom has now pitched his tent in that great campsite in the sky, leaving his field to be loved and camped on by younger generations.
If it isn’t Tom’s, it is at least a field, so that part of the description is accurate. It’s rather a nice field, comprising just over four acres of gently rolling soft grass with old stone walling around much of its perimeter. It’s divided into a flat lower field, and a slightly more undulating higher field, which is compensated for by the outlook. If you’re looking the right way, you can see a long view seaward across Swanage Bay, and on a clear day you might see the Isle of Wight.
With so many attractions around here, it’s difficult to know where to start. The pub is probably as good a place as any, and what a pub the Square & Compass in Worth Matravers is. This gem has become an attraction in its own right, with visitors making a special trip to Worth Matravers to taste the ales and pasties, sit by the fire and bang their heads on the low beams.
This stretch of coast – aka the Jurassic Coast – is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the geologically significant rocks that date back more than 100 million years. With that accolade, it has joined the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon as one of the wonders of the natural world. Now, Tom would be proud.