The Frampton Arms

The room was lovely and very clean for such a low nightly price, and breakfast was included with a good selection. We stayed a couple of nights to visit the tank museum and Monkey World, both an easy short drive away, as are Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. We enjoyed dinner at the pub on our first night, but when we tried to eat there again the next evening, we were told food had stopped at 8, despite the website saying 5-9pm. A little disappointing, though we drove to Dorchester and found plenty of places to eat.

The fish and chips came recommended, and they were as good as promised. The Sunday roast was another tasty dinner choice, though I had no room for dessert. Staff were friendly and attentive, and the food was well presented with generous portions. We stayed for a weekend and found it a good base for visiting the area.

We booked the day before and arrived to a busy place for Sunday lunch. The food was excellent, with local ingredients, cooked well and served in large portions. Service was good too. It’s easy to find, just across the road from the railway station.

The night was noisy well past 3am, with a group gathered outside our door after a woman had been talking loudly and swearing nearby. We called reception and asked for help, but after a staff member came over, we heard them laughing about it. At breakfast the only staff member around was a cleaner, who kindly asked if we’d slept well. There was no manager available to hear our complaint, and I would have asked for a full refund for the night. The pub was also on an extremely busy road, and we won’t be back. We’d hoped for a relaxing weekend away, but the pub was very busy with a wedding and we hadn’t been told ahead of time. The restaurant was closed for it, so we had a long wait and could only eat in the bar. Our room was clean, but tiny and cold, more like a glorified porta cabin. It was a disappointing stay.