The Bottle Inn

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• The Bottle Inn at Marshwood in Dorset started life as an Ale House being close to the church where people came to pay their Tithes - softening the blow with a mug or two of grog. We don't know its name then but it was christened The The Bottle Inn sometime late in the 18th Century when it became the first Inn in the area to sell bottled beers.
• During its time it has housed the village shop and during the 2nd World War, the Village School.
• Nettles first came to the fore at the Bottle Inn around 1986 when two farmers were having an argument as to who had the longest nettles on their land. The Landlady then was Francis Vincent who commented “What makes you to think you have the longest nettles, we’ll have a competition open to every one in the area and we’ll see who has the longest nettles”!!

The Longest Stinging Nettle Competition was born.

• The competition had been running for three years when local hospital porter and Ex Guardsman, Alex Williams entered a stinging nettles 15’6” long, he said at the time “If anybody beats that I’ll eat it. an American couple on holiday staying in the area came up with a nettle 16’ long and Alex true to his word, promptly ate the nettle!! (though to this day, he disputes the measurement) After that traditionally if Alex didn’t win the competition, he ate the winners Nettle.
• The 10th World Nettle Eating Championships, held at The Bottle Inn, Marshwood. Saw Jo Carter Landlady of the Boot Inn, Weymouth eat the leaves from a staggering 34 feet of raw stinging nettles to keep the title she jointly held last year and smash the ladies world record (Previous record 24 feet) Jo, a 34 year old school teacher runs the Boot Inn with her partner Giles, she danced a jig of triumph when handed the ladies trophy she also received a case of stinger ale kindly Donated by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
  
• Jo beat off a truly valiant attempt from first time entrant Sally Payne who consumed the leaves from an amazing 30 feet of nettles, which in any other year would have taken the ladies title. Sally has vowed to return next year, watch out Jo!!!
  
• The Men’s title, after a hotly contested battle, was taken by 41 year old Plant operator, Samuel Ellis, from Northern Ireland but now living in West Coker Somerset. Samuel consumed the leaves from 52 feet of leaves during the hour long duration of the competition, reversing last years result, and beating the out-going champion Ed Brooks by 4 feet.