Pub of the week: Junction Hotel in Dorchester town centre

This week’s Pub of the Week is the Junction Hotel in Dorchester.

Originally a coaching inn, the pub was in a prime position on the junction between Weymouth Avenue, Great Western Road and Trinity Street, close to the entrance to the town. It is a Grade II listed building, and Historic England estimates that it was built sometime during the 1700s. 

The Junction was a coaching inn during the seventeenth century (Image: Alfie Lumb) The pub boasts six bed and breakfast rooms where the stable block of the coaching inn used to be and was owned by Eldridge Pope, in a prime location with the brewery just a stones throw away.

Eventually the pub was sold to the Marston’s Brewery, which it still operates under today.

When walking into the Junction, you can’t help but notice how grand and welcoming it is, with enough space to almost have two different styles of pub, as landlord Albert Stratford explains: “We’re quite sports orientated, I’ve always loved my sports, for example right now we have the cricket on, and we have access to Sky, TNT as well as games on Prime with some big TVs on one side.

"Then, over on the Trinity Street side of the pub, it’s more food orientated, with groups coming to meet and have a chat.”

Albert Stratford has been pub landlord for around 17 years (Image: Alfie Lumb) Speaking about his relationship with the pub, Mr Stratford said: “I’ve been here 17 years now, so I’ve definitely become part of the furniture.

“I just really enjoy meeting people. It doesn’t matter if they are new customers, old regulars or anyone popping in for a chat.

“It all really comes naturally but even after all these years I still really enjoy it- I consider us a friendly bunch with new faces always welcome.”

Not one, but two dartboards at the Junction (Image: Alfie Lumb)

Despite being in a prime location, Mr Stratford says he likes to keep his guests in mind when operating as a pub.

He said: “It is in the town centre, but we don’t open late on weekends. We’re not a nightclub and we don’t want to upset our guests - we know groups will move onto other venues in the town."

The pub hosts a range of clubs which meet during the week, from darts teams, cribs, the Naval Association, the Royal Artillery, a book club, a game night, a social group called the Monday Club as well as the Friendship Group, and Mr Stratford likes to keep a connection with all of them. He said: “We get a wide variety of customers from young and old to families as well.

The Trinity Street side of the pub (Image: Alfie Lumb) “If any of them are in difficulty we will always look after them.”

There are currently three real ales on tap, as well as a varied selection of beers and ciders.

The pub is dog friendly, with a stash of small doggy treats behind the bar. Dogs are allowed into the sports area, as well as the recently added pub beer garden, boasting six benches - making it a great place to soak up the evening sun after work.

The Junction's new beer garden (Image: Alfie Lumb) In terms of food, the Junction offers all the traditional pub classics, a wide range of burgers as well as a gluten-free menu and children’s menu.

A staple of the town centre community, Mr Stratford scarcely gets a break, with the pub open on Christmas Day, sometimes serving up to 60 lunches as well as offering a pre-meal tipple for regular pubgoers.

Mr Stratford said some of the Junction staff spend a number of years working there.

The pub also pays tribute to Kevin Cope, a former bar manager who worked at the Junction from when he was 16-years-old, until he tragically passed away aged 44 in 2022.

A photo of the Monday Club, drawn by Howard O'Brien (Image: Alfie Lumb) A Tottenham Hotspur flag is adorned above the Manchester United loving landlord’s bar to honour Kevin, with messages from regulars signing it before it went on display.

There is also a piece of art by one of the Monday Club featuring Kevin- and a picture of his still hangs behind the bar, because as Mr Stratford says ‘that’s where he always was.’