Chapman’s Pool is a delightful cove lying at the foot of the Hill Bottom Valley,
between Houns-Tout to the west and St Alban’s Head to the south-east.
Chapmans Pool and St. Alban’s Head
viewed from Houns-Tout summit
Photograph courtesy of Pete T.
According to Bob Dorey (1892-1995), ‘Mothers would, at summer weekends or during
the school holidays, take children to the beach at Chapman’s Pool, though fathers
were usually too busy gardening.’ Bob also recalled ‘the Carriage Road that ran from
Encombe House to Pier Gates where the Half Cliff Drive ran right round to Chapman’s
Pool and allowed carriages to go there and so on towards Hill Bottom, Renscombe and
St. Aldhelm’s Head. As boys we used to walk round there on a summer Sunday afternoon,
but from 1903 on, the undercliff started to subside and the carriage road was gradually
destroyed. During Sir Ernest Scott’s lifetime he had tolls collected at London Doors
and on the Chapman’s Pool road, a shilling per carriage or car, and the proceeds
were given to Queen Alexandra’s Hospital.’
Chapman’s Pool viewed from above
Courtesy of Google Earth
Chapman’s Pool looking towards Houns-Tout
with Swyre Head beyond
Photograph courtesy of John Allen and imagesofengland.org.uk
Two identical views looking east, but different overprints
Postcards courtesy of David Sansom
Old postcard views
Another view looking towards the slipway
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
Paddling in Chapman’s Pool
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
This view shows more of Houns-Tout than Chapman’s Pool
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
Houns-Tout and Chapman’s Pool
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
Chapman’s Pool, looking inland towards Hill Bottom and beyond
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
Looking down the Hill Bottom valley to Chapman’s Pool
Postcard courtesy of David Sansom
If you have any information about Chapman’s Pool or the Lifeboat you would like to
share, be it stories or old photographs etc., please email us atinfo@kingstonopc.org.uk
Chapman’s Pool Lifeboat
The ‘George Scott’ Lifeboat
on its arrival at Chapman’s Pool in November 1866
Extract from ‘The Book of the Lifeboat’ edited and arranged by J.C. Dibdin and John
Ayling. Published 1894.
ISLE OF PURBECK STATION
The Earl of Eldon, Pres,
Lieut.- Col. M ANSEL, Vice-Pres. and Chairman.
Gerald D. Bond, Esq., Hon, Sec,
The Hon. Secretary supplies a copy of an account of the history of this station that
was published in a local paper, and also a copy of the Return of Service on an occasion
when the lifeboat was called into use.
Dorset County Chronicle ?2th January 1883.
In November 1866 the George Scott lifeboat was placed at Chapman's Pool.
On the 25th September 1868 a most heartrending shipwreck took place off Broadbench,
about five miles north-west of Chapman's Pool. The schooner Liberty was observed,
during the heavy gale, to be showing signals of distress.Notice was at once sent
to Chapman's Pool for the lifeboat, and to Kimmeridge for the rocket apparatus, but,
alas ! it was found that human efforts were unavailing to force the George Scott
off the shore in the teeth of the terrific gale that was blowing, though her crew
attempted again and again. In the meantime the ill-fated Liberty was rapidly approaching
the shore. She was evidently unmanageable and water-logged. To the horror of the
many watchers on the cliff, when about a quarter of a mile from the shore her stern
rose on a heavy breaker and she disappeared head foremost beneath the waves. But
the dreadful scene was not yet over. The water was shallow, and her topmasts showed
above the raging sea, and some of the crew were seen in her rigging vainly beckoning
for assistance ; ineffectual attempts were made by the coastguard with the rocket
apparatus, but the distance was too great, and the rockets, though well-aimed, fell
short. The coastguard also launched their galley, which, piloted by the able hand
of a fisherman named Louis Stickland (the coxswain of the present boat), endeavoured
to approach the wreck, but the boat was too slight and the gale too furious for them
to succeed, and after an agonising two hours the frantic by- standers saw the last
man drop exhausted into the boiling surf. The Lifeboat Institution at once replied
to the appeal which was made to them by the Local Committee by forwarding a five-oared
lifeboat, the Mary Heape^ to be stationed at Kimmeridge, where just behind the projecting
point of Broadbench she is most advantageously placed for getting to any wreck on
the Kimmeridge ledges. And this was soon proved, for on December 8th 1872, a large
German ship, the Strahundy came on shore during a terrific gale. After two attempts
the. Mary Heape succeeded in rescuing the whole crew, seventeen in number.
In 1880, after long and anxious consideration, it was decided to abandon the life-
boat station at Chapman's Pool owing to the great expense involved in keeping up
the boathouse, caused by the land- slips which were constantly sweeping down upon
it, and from the very serious doubt as to the boat being available during a severe
south-west gale on account of the difficulty of forcing her out against a heavy sea,
as she would have to go out nearly a mile dead to windward before being in a position
to bear down on a wreck on the Kimmeridge ledges. A fine ten-oared boat, also named
the Mary Heape, was therefore stationed at Kimmeridge, in lieu of the small five-oared
boat In May 1888 this boat was replaced by another, the Augustus Arkwright.
Extract from ‘Inshore Along the Dorset Coast’ by Peter Bruce
The coastguards originally built this slip, and in 1867 a lifeboat station was built
beside the stream. Though there was a clear need for a lifeboat on this bit of coast,
it was too remote for the crew to man in a hurry, and was soon discontinued.
Note: The coastguard station was positioned further up the valley - see Hill Bottom
