Kingston (near Corfe Castle)

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DORSET OPC

Eldon Seat

The Eldon Seat  was erected in October 1835 on the slope below Swyre Head and is inscribed:

• on one side with ‘ELDON SEAT’,(see black & white photo below);

• on the other side with: ‘The first stone of this seat was laid by the

   Lady E Repton, the elder daughter of the first Earl of Eldon.

   XV October MDCCCXXXV’    [15 October 1835].  (see colour photo below); and,

• at one end with ‘1835’.

A short distance away is another stone beneath which Lord Eldon’s favourite dog, Pincher,  is buried.

The Eldon Seat

with St. Aldhelm’s Head in the distance

Photo courtesy of Chris Downer

©  Chris Downer 2007

The following extract is taken from ‘The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon’ by Horace Twiss:  

In the course of this autumn, Lord Eldon and his daughter Lady Elizabeth erected a stone seat at Encombe, on a spot of rising ground near the sea, to the south of his house, on which he caused the following inscriptions to be placed, east, north, and west respectively :  

"ELDON SEAT."

" 1835."

"THE FIRST STONE OF THIS SEAT WAS LAID BY THE LADY E. REPTON, THE ELDER DAUGHTER OF THE FIRST EARL OF ELDON, XV. OCTOBER, MDCCCXXXV.**

If you have any information about the Eldon Seat which you would like to share, be it stories or old photographs etc., please email us at info@kingstonopc.org.uk

The view from the Eldon Seat looking towards White Nothe

Photo courtesy of  walks4softies.com

Map showing the position of the Eldon Seat just below Swyre Head

BENEATH THIS STONE LIES

THE FAVOURITE DOG OF THE LATE

LORD CHANCELLOR ELDON

PINCHER, GERMAN SPANIEL

ELDON SEAT

1835