It’s hip to be Square: The place to

By Miranda Robertson miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Everyone local over a certain age will remember the old Eldridge Pope brewery in Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester, with its smoking chimney and hive of activity. I once worked there myself, sticking labels on bottles as a little summer job – thousands of people were employed there at one time or another. Back in the day, the commercial heart of Dorchester was a stone’s throw away, where Woolworth’s, Radio Rentals and Tesco occupied space in South Street.

Now the town has two very different trading areas, with the creation of Brewery Square as a hub for shopping and eating, with scores of businesses large and small and well-kept apartments. Conveniently situated opposite one of the town’s largest car parks, traders there say they benefit from brisk footfall. There are some surprising independents in here, making it well worth a visit if you haven’t already.

Tony Foot, 65, of Maxgate Properties on Weymouth Avenue, has a scale model of the development in his estate agency offices.

He has been involved in the project from the outset, having been an estate agent in Dorchester for a staggering 47 years. Tony, whose son George, 22, has now joined him in the business, said: “It’s a good place to be, in the middle of both commercial and residential properties.”

Accommodation of a different sort is offered by Dorset Hideaways, next to Maxgate. They offer fully managed holiday homes across the area – an amazing 180 holiday homes, to be precise, with 120 of them dog-friendly to boot.

General manager Laura Hansford said: “We are a baby compared to the bigger holiday home companies, and that means we have visited each of the sites ourselves and can find people the perfect place to stay.”

On the edge of the development, Paul Collins, 60, has been running the popular Hendover Café on

Weymouth Avenue for over six years. He said: “I managed a restaurant for someone else before deciding I worked as hard for other people as I would work for myself so it was time to give that a go. It’s a stunning place to live and work.”

Also among the vast array of eateries in the square is the relatively new HubBox, which has been offering up gourmet burgers in the square since last year. They are currently offering free kids’ meals Thurs-Sun (with paying adult).

Nicole Murray from HubBox said: “Brewery Square is a thriving destination which lends itself perfectly as a location for our restaurant, and we love being part of such a great community. As a proud South West business, we believe in choosing areas that celebrate local culture and drive awareness of independent businesses –Brewery Square does just that! “

The eclectic mix of businesses include a number of independents.

Helen Moody, who runs the Vinyl Van with Marcia Smith, said: “We feel really lucky to have our independent record shop, Vinyl Van, here. There’s a great sense of community here with lots going on and we meet the loveliest people.” Another indie business,