Music enthusiasts pub Three Compasses bucks the trend

Walking in to the Three Compasses in Charminster near Dorchester is a breath of fresh air.

The tiny bar area seems almost too small to regularly hold live music, but that is exactly what it does.

Inside the Three Compasses cosy bar area (Image: Andy Jones)

The pub has become renowned for the live performances of local acts it puts on and is happy doing things its way.

Owners Rob and Tina Dixon have no time for following what other pubs do – what they do, they do well.

“It’s a traditional pub, sooner or later there will be none left – for the people who use it - they cherish it,” explains Rob, the pub’s owner of 22 years.

“It is a music enthusiasts' pub. We are not food led, we are drink led and music led which is very rare now.”

Manager Sam Caton (L) and owners Rob and Tina Dixon at The Three Compasses (Image: Andy Jones)

As Rob and his wife Tina talk about the live music scene they have nurtured, there is a real sense of passion coming through.

With so many pubs looking to stay in business, many are turning into de facto restaurants to boost trade, however, for this couple, and their manager Sara Caton, food is an afterthought.

“We do a tiny bit of food now and then on Friday we have a fish and chip night which is bookable but food is not what I am driven by,” adds Rob.

Musical instruments and memorabilia adorn the wall in the bar area at The Three Compasses in Charminster (Image: Andy Jones)

In fact, music is in Rob’s blood and has been a mainstay for the drinking establishment since his father Terry took over the pub in the late 1980s.

“My family have had it since 1988, my mother’s gone now, but my dad Terry is still here, he is quite a character - he was in the record industry when I was young from the 1950s until the 1980s,” Rob reveals.

“The music side of things has been around us our whole lives, my dad started it off in the pub and me and Tina have kept it on.

“We have even had people from Nashville America and we are in the Guardian as a place to play before you die.”

The band area with all in-house equipment provided including mixing desk and PA system (Image: Andy Jones)

Rob and Tina are also big advocates of giving young Dorset musicians a stage to start their fledging careers.

“I am really passionate about music," Rob adds.

“We have young musicians from Weymouth College who do their summer tours here, we are heavily involved with young musicians and give them a chance to start their live music career.”

The live bands are on every Sunday 9pm until 11pm and on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Occasionally there will also be live music on Saturday’s from 6pm until 8pm.

The adjacent team room where customers can get gin and tonic's served in bone China teapots (Image: Andy Jones)

Despite being drink and music led, the pub also offers takeaway food three nights a week.

On Thursday you can grab a pizza to go, on Friday it is fish and chip night, and on Saturdays a selection of burgers and fries are available.

A quaint little side room adjacent to the bar also offers up traditional afternoon tea - served in bone china - and you can even put a twist on it with gin swapped out for the traditional tea.

The skittle alley out the back of the pub (Image: Andy Jones)

And in traditional pub style there is also an old fashioned skittle hall out the back, which a thriving local league still plays out of. 

The pub has also recently finished refurbishing its courtyard garden with a raised terrace seating area providing wonderful views over Poundbury.

So whether it is music and beer you are after or a sunny Sunday afternoon with live music and cold cider sat in the garden, this hidden little gem is well worth a visit.