A traditional pub close to the Jurassic Coast

Pat and Phil welcome you to the Kings Arms, a traditional village pub right at the heart of the community. The pub is situated in the beautiful West Dorset village of Portesham, close to the south coast between Weymouth and Dorchester.

The Kings Arms is an historic pub in an historic village. Portesham was first mentioned in a charter dating back to 1024 when King Canute granted Porteshamme land to one of his ministers. Admiral Hardy, as in "Kiss Me, Hardy", of HMS Victory fame, lived in Portesham House, still standing opposite the pub. The Kings Arms itself has been a pub since at least 1900.

Spring is here and so is the Kings Arms new menu! We are now open all day and serving food throughout. We have an exciting new menu for Spring and Summer covering lunchtime, afternoon pantry service and evening meals, and we are now also serving weekend breakfasts! Please see our Food page for details.

Spring and Summer fun has also begun. With quizzes, live music, family garden parties and themed food nights, there will be something for everyone to enjoy! Please see our Events page for details.

Inside the Kings Arms, a traditional bar and dining area, with open fires create a cosy, welcoming atmosphere to relax and savour a drink and a meal. Outside we have an huge garden, complete with very old tree and a natural stream runs right through the property. There are ducks in the stream and very often baby ducks can be seen following them around and walking upto the door. A lovely setting for our regular barbecues throughout the summer, or just to enjoy long summer afternoons and evenings, with a drink and a meal.

Since taking over the Kings Arms, we have built a reputation for food in the area. Our focus is on good home cooked food and good value, using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. Examples from our menu include Homemade Pie of the Day and Dorset Ploughman's served with various Dorset cheeses. Both of which are going down very well! The arrival of chef Garry Parkinson, brought some delicious new dishes and now you can even enjoy our food at home with our takeaway service for 2012.

We serve food every day lunchtime and evening and all day, from noon till 9pm, throughout the summer months. Please see our food serving times for current details.

We are proud to announce we have been Cask Marque accredited on our real ales!

We hold regular theme nights centred around speciality food, which are very popular and great fun. Our Irish and Italian nights were great fun and we still have American and Caribbean nights to come. Please see our Events page for details.

The local area has lots to offer. Portesham is a beautiful typical Dorset village with a wonderful old church and stone thatched cottages. The Jubilee Trail is close by and a circular walk out from the pub, along the stunning South Dorset Ridgeway, takes in Hardy's Monument and the Hell Stone. Abbotsbury Swannery and Subtropical Garden are only 2 miles away and the World Heritage Jurassic Coast and Chesil Beach are within 4 miles.

If you need a rest after all that exploring, then why not stay at the Kings Arms? We have 3 rooms, all of which offer very flexible accommodation and can be booked as a single, double, twin or family rooms. And of course, we offer English breakfast the following morning to see you on your way! Please check our Rooms page for details.

All our 2011events were a great success, so thank you all for joining us and helping that to happen. For 2012, we have planned a jam packed year full of fun, live music and quizzes! With varied events each month we hope we have scheduled something for everybody.

Whether you are local to the area or just visiting, we look forward to welcoming you at the Kings Arms.

Pat, Phil and all the staff.