Remembering six long lost forgotten pubs of Dorset

Many of us miss having a drink in our favourite local that is no more.

Dorset boasts some of the oldest pubs in the world, many are hundreds of years old, with some of them still operating today.

But some have had to close their doors for various reasons, and here we are remembering these lost pubs with a trip down memory lane. 

Some of these former pubs were demolished after closure, whereas others were refurbished or reconstructed for an entirely different purpose.

Read on to remember six of Dorset's lost pubs.

Masons Arms, Church Street, Upwey 

Masons Arms in Upwey (Image: NQ) This is The Masons Arms pub in Upwey which then became the now-closed Riverhouse Inn.

This picture dates back to 1990 and shows landlord and landlady Wally and Ann Tanner with photos showing that Upwey had been served by the pub since the turn of the century.

In March 1990 Devenish Brewery announced plans to close The Masons Arms and sell the site for redevelopment.  This was fought by locals and the Tanners remained.  They developed the catering side of pub and it became a popular place to eat. 

The Tanners left in the spring of 1997 and new tenants ran the pub until early 2000 when Devenish sold the freehold and the Riverhouse opened in July 2000. 

The Riverhouse Inn, Upwey (Image: NQ) The Riverhouse Inn closed in 2013. It was a bistro concentrating mainly on food with one guest beer. 

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The Brownlow, 32 Ranelagh Road, Weymouth

This disused Weymouth pub closed down in 2010.
It stands on the corner of Ranelagh Road and Brownlow Street near the railway station.
The Brownlow is remembered as a 'wonderful pub' and the social centre of the Park district.

The White Hart, Dorchester

This landmark pub was mentioned in the works of Thomas Hardy.

Ten new homes have been built on its site by the River Frome and this iconic White Hart statue, which adorned the pub, now stands on the completed scheme.

The White Hart in its heyday

In 1895 the White Hart was used as a base for horse-drawn carriages and is described in Hardy’s A Few Crusted Characters as a ‘respectable, if somewhat lumbering, class of conveyance, much resorted to by decent travellers not overstocked with money’.

It was rebuilt in 1926 after a fire and planning permission to demolish the building and develop it was obtained in 2011.

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King's Arms, Puddletown

Stables at the King's Arms in 1911

The King's Arms was situated on the village high street. This pub has now been demolished with new housing built on the site. 

King's Arms in Puddletown

The well-known King’s Arms Hotel faced the junction at the west end of Puddletown and had extensive stabling for hunting parties. The village also had the Royal Oak inn and the Prince of Wales pub.

Queens Armes, Charmouth

In 1501, Catherine of Aragon stayed at The Queen’s Arms in Charmouth.

It is also where King Charles stayed on September 22, 1651. The king was trying to escape Oliver Cromwell's soldiers, and was given refuge by the landlady at the time, Margaret Ward.

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The plan to get Charles II to France by boat from Charmouth beach failed as the skipper’s wife locked her husband in his room, as she thought the mission was too dangerous. The King and his entourage were forced to flee Charmouth before Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers arrived.
The building is now known as The Abbots house and is the oldest building in Charmouth.

The Swan, Mill Street, Dorchester

This Victorian pub was built by Eldridge Pope and Co Ltd.

It has now been converted for use by Dorchester Young People's Service.

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