[1] Built in the 18th century as a pair of cottages before becoming a public house, the Square and Compass got its name in 1830 from a landlord who had been a stonemason.

[4] The pub is named after Square and Compasses, the tools used by carpenters and stonemasons reflecting the significance of quarrying and stonemasonry to the local economy.

[5] It is known as Sqump to its regulars, the Square and Compass was popular amongst the Telecommunications Research Establishment scientists in Purbeck, who knew the inn as Sine and Cosine.

[9] The public house currently serves locally produced beer and cider and has events each week including live music and open mic nights.

[11] The landlord of the Square and Compass, Charlie Newman, built a tree trunk sculpture known as Woodhenge, in the field near the public house.

The trunks were originally planned to be used for firewood,[12] before Newman built the structure, which was complete in time for the summer solstice in 2015.

[13] Newman was initially instructed to dismantle the sculpture by Purbeck District Council after a complaint from the public, as the field is within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and did not meet planning regulations.