Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers is a small village and civil parish (municipality ) on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset on the south coast of England. The municipality is part of the Purbeck County. The village is part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site.
Location
Worth Matravers is located just west of Swanage, about 6 miles away, and south of Corfe Castle, about 5 km away. The village lies on a hill not far from the cliffs at St Alban 's Head (St Aldhelm 's Head ) and Winspit at the Ärmelkanalkuste. The municipality stretches from the coast to the north of the main road A351 from Corfe Castle to Swanage. The village of Harman 's Cross is located within the community, but a considerable distance from the village of Worth Matravers away.
History
The history of Worth Matravers can be traced back as far up in the pre- Roman period. Traditionally, the village is built on economically quarry, agriculture and fisheries. Over many centuries Worth Matravers was one of the most important centers for the production of Purbeck marble. Two quarries, Swanworth and St. Aldhelm, are still in operation.
Be seen very clearly even today, are the medieval hanging terraces. These terraces were probably cut in the 14th century in the steep cliff slopes into it, so that the country could be simplified cultivated with grain to feed the population.
About two miles south of the village center on St Alban 's Head is a Norman chapel. St Aldhelm 's chapel is dedicated to St Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne. He died in the year 709 after Christ. The chapel could have been built in the early twelfth century.
Church
The parish church, St. Nicholas of Myra, is one of the oldest churches in Dorset. The church stands in the middle of the village. With a Saxon input, the church is famous for its Norman nave, the church tower and the windows. The church was extensively restored in 1869.
In the churchyard is the grave of Benjamin Jesty, a Dorset Yeoman. Jesty observed that his milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, later not suffering from smallpox. He infected his wife and two sons with cowpox, a relatively harmless virus infection, in order to protect his family against smallpox.