Three Days in Dorset — Day 3
About an hour south of Shaftesbury, again along the Jurassic Coast, is the town of Weymouth, a seaside town which sits at the mouth of the river Wey. It is also just north of Portland, where the Sailing events were held during the 2012 Summer Olympics. The town has tourism as a major source of income, boasting beautiful beaches and well-sheltered waters for sailing, as well as access to the English Channel for more adventurous sailors. In addition, there are over a hundred events held in the borough during the year.
The Jubilee Clock on Weymouth Esplanade. Photo courtesy of M. Watkins ©2019
There is a beautiful esplanade along the beach, with shops, pubs and restaurants along the way, enriched by the brightly- colored landmark Jubilee Clock, dedicated to Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee in 1888. Also of note: the town was used as a departure point for the Normandy Invasion of D-Day during the Second World War, with over 500,000 troops passing through on the way to Normandy. If you are looking for a relaxing day to walk, eat, and soak up some sunshine, Weymouth is a good place for it!
American troops moving through Weymouth prior to D-Day, 1944. The beach is to the right, the esplanade is left. Public Domain.
On your way to or from Shaftesbury, the route will undoubtedly take you through at least one hamlet with at least part of the name being “Puddle.” Puddletown, Tolpuddle, Affpuddle, Briantspuddle and Turners Puddle are just a few. You might ask why so many locations with “Puddle?” Well, there is a river in the area named the River Piddle, about which a local legend has been generated. Apparently, the Victorians disliked the name “Piddle” because of association with bodily functions, and so it was decided to rename the all towns that had “Piddle” as part of its name to be replaced with “Puddle.” One hamlet in the area had a further unfortunate title that the Victorians abhorred—”Shitterton.”
You can’t steal this one! It weighs 3300 pounds (US). ©2019 EnglandForAllReasons.com
For a short time it was changed to “Sitterton,” but the name didn’t stick and the hamlet is now back to the original name of “Shitterton, or “Shitterton-on-Piddle.” We have a friend, a retired police official who lives in Dorset, who shared with us the hilarious fact that the hamlet’s name sign was for years the most stolen sign in England.
The hamlet decided to create an “un-steal-able” sign which has the name engraved on a stone, of which 90% is buried in the ground. The hamlet has reason to want to keep the original name–the name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086AD as Scatera or Scetra, which is a Norman French version of the Old English name for the village–scite, which meant dung. The hamlet is divided by a stream that apparently was named “brook used as a privy,” or Shiter. Even if the stories are not true, they certainly are amusing!
The Crown Inn, Marnhall, Dorset. ©2019 EnglandForAllReasons.com
Upon returning from your big day out try The Crown Inn in Marnhall for dinner. About 15 minutes’ drive, the pub has been there since the 16thCentury and was even featured in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbevilles. The food was excellent, as of 2019. Reservations are recommended.
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