Worth Matravers
| Worth Matravers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 50 ° 36 ′ N , 2 ° 2 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 644 | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | Swanage | ||
| ZIP code section | BH19 | ||
| prefix | 01929 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | South West England | ||
| Ceremonial county | Dorset | ||
| Unitary authority | Dorset | ||
| Website: none | |||
Worth Matravers is a small village and civil parish ( civil parish ) on the Isle of Purbeck in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England . The village is part of the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site .
location
Worth Matravers is just west of Swanage , approximately 6 kilometers away, and south of Corfe Castle and Corfe Castle , approximately 3 miles away. The village is situated on a hill not far from the cliffs at St Alban's Head (St Aldhelm's Head) and Winspit on the English Channel coast . The parish extends north from the coast to the A351 main road from Corfe Castle to Swanage. The village of Harman's Cross is within the parish but a considerable distance from the village of Worth Matravers.
history
Worth Matraver's history can be traced back to pre-Roman times. Traditionally the village is economically built on quarrying, agriculture and fishing. For many centuries, Worth Matravers was one of the most important centers for the extraction of Purbeck marble . Two quarries, Swanworth and St. Aldhelms, are still in operation.
The medieval hanging terraces can still be seen very clearly today. These terraces were probably cut into the steep cliff slopes in the 14th century so that the land could be cultivated with grain to feed the population.
About two kilometers south of the village center on St Alban's Head stands a Norman chapel . St Aldhelm's Chapel is dedicated to St Aldhelm , Bishop of Sherborne . He died in AD 709. The chapel probably dates from the beginning of the twelfth century.
church
The parish church of St. Nicholas of Myra is one of the oldest churches in Dorset. The church stands in the middle of the village. With a Saxon entrance, the church is famous for its Norman nave , steeple and windows. The church was extensively restored in 1869.
In the cemetery is the grave of Benjamin Jesty , a Dorset Yeoman . Jesty is considered a pioneer in the field of vaccination. In 1774, he observed that his milkmaids who had cowpox did not develop smallpox later . He infected his wife and two sons with cowpox , a comparatively harmless virus infection, in order to protect his family against smallpox.
See also
List of places along the Jurassic Coast
