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Stanton St Gabriel

Stanton St Gabriel...

Ruins at Stanton St Gabriel
Stanton St Gabriel is a picturesque ruin on the western face of Golden Cap.

Now reduced to the “preserved” partial shell of the Chapel walls and a remaining house, this was once the site of a saxon settlement and was recorded in the Domesday Book after William did his Norman Conquering in 1066.

By the sounds of it, Stanton St Gabriel was never exactly a thriving community and struggled to find funds to keep the Chapel weatherproof from the 1500s onwards. Given the hamlet’s extremely exposed and elevated location this is probably not surprising as on windy and wet days this is a “weather-rich” location. Even though the remains of the Chapel and the thatched house are in a bit of a hollow, they are still clearly going to take a pounding when the weather’s bad.

When the weather’s good on the other hand. This is a fine place to be. It’s not the most atmospheric place in Dorset, but it does have an old world charm about it. The views are great and there’s a pleasant sense of solitude compared to the sometimes busy summit of Golden Cap itself, which is only a few hundred metres away.

The Chapel is also said to have something of a sad, if romantic history. It is reported that the reason it was built was because two newly weds, escaping from a storm stricken ship in a small boat, came ashore here. The husband prayed to St Gabriel for their salvation and promised to build a chapel if they were saved. Despite his wife dying in his arms on the beach, he was as good as his word. Though whether the Chapel is truly a monument St Gabriel or to love lost, who can tell for sure.

Reaching Stanton St Gabriel is relatively easy, in that if you are heading up to, or down from, Golden Cap, the route is clearly signed. But the track to what’s left of this hamlet is definitely the  path less travelled compared to the main highway of the South West Coast route itself. The main drag on this side of Golden Cap is definitely the pathway from the summit to Charmouth (or vice versa).  And for many walkers the added investment in time and effort in walking down the slope to Stanton St Gabriel may be one they can’t be bothered to make. On a fair day, that’s their loss. But historically, a very similar decision making process was Stanton St Gabriel’s loss.

In what would have passed for its heyday, this small settlement was itself on the main drag for coach traffic from Bridport to Charmouth (think “horse and” rather than “52 seater”). But the road was costly to maintain and a new road was built through Morcombelake. This was the end for the remaining populace of Stanton St Gabriel who moved away to scrape a living in less well ventilated parts of the locality.


So, in essence, this little hamlet on the Western slope of Golden Cap, is now a dead little hamlet. Apart from walkers, wildlife and grazing livestock the only life remaining is through the thatched house now converted and used by the National Trust as holiday lets for the last 40 years or so.

Now reduced to the “preserved” partial shell of the Chapel walls and a remaining house, this was once the site of a saxon settlement and was recorded in the Domesday Book...​"


Looking towards Stanton St Gabriel from Gold Cap
Picturesque ruins at Stanton St Gabriel
Sout West Coast Path at Stanton St Gabriel

Footpath to Golden Cap from Stanton St Gabriel
Arch at Stanton St Gabriel


Picture
Click for information from the National Trust's website

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  • Home
  • Attractions
    • The Tank Museum >
      • The Tank Story
    • Royal Signals Museum
    • Monkey World
    • Sea Life Adventure Park >
      • Jurassic Skyline Tower
    • Swanage Steam Railway
    • Abbotsbury >
      • Abbotsbury Swannery
      • Abbotsbury Children's Farm
      • Abbotsbury Gardens
    • Farmer Palmers
    • Dinosaur Museum
    • Wimborne Model Town
    • Splashdown
    • Over the Border >
      • Fleet Air Arm Museum
      • Pecorama
      • Seaton Tramway
  • Places to See
    • Historic Towns and Buildings >
      • Kingston Lacy
      • Clouds Hill
      • Wareham
      • Dorchester >
        • The Roman Town House
      • Shaftesbury
      • Sturminster Newton
      • Hardy's Monument
    • Scenic Walks >
      • Arne Nature Reserve
      • Tyneham
      • Hardy's Cottage
      • Lower Bockhampton
      • Cerne Abbas
      • Brownsea Island
      • Moreton
      • Stanton St Gabriel
      • Tout Quarry
    • Iron Age Forts >
      • Maiden Castle
      • Eggardon Hill
      • Badbury Rings
    • Castles >
      • Corfe Castle >
        • Corfe Castle Re-enactments
      • Sherborne Castle
      • Portland Castle
      • Lulworth Castle
      • The Nothe Fort
  • Beaches and Coast
    • Seaside Towns >
      • Weymouth
      • Lyme Regis
      • Swanage
      • Charmouth
      • Seatown
      • Seaton
    • Beaches >
      • The Chesil Beach >
        • The Fleet Lagoon
        • Ferry Bridge
        • West Bay
        • Burton Hive
        • Cogden Beach
        • West Bexington
      • Ringstead Bay
      • Lulworth Cove
      • Durdle Door
      • Studland
    • Features and Viewpoints >
      • Portland
      • Redcliff Point
      • White Nothe
      • Mupe Bay
      • Kimmeridge
      • Chapman's Pool
      • St Aldhelm's Head
      • Worth Matravers
      • Winspit
      • Fossil Forest
      • Dancing Ledge
      • Golden Cap
      • Durlston
      • Old Harry Rocks
  • Things To Do
    • Walks and Walking >
      • Lulworth Range Walks
    • Fishing and Angling >
      • Fishing Lakes and Rivers
      • Fishing and Sea Angling
    • Sailing Tall Ships
    • Fleet Observer (Boat Trip)
    • Jurassic Drive
    • Segway Tours
    • Fly a Plane!
  • Events
    • TankFest
    • Great Dorset Steam Fair
    • Dorset County Show
    • Chickerell Steam and Vintage Show
    • The Waverley
    • Weymouth Seafood Festival
  • Places to Stay
    • Sea Barn Farm Camping Park, Weymouth
    • West Fleet Holiday Farm, Weymouth
    • Bagwell Farm Touring Park, Weymouth
    • Static Caravans & Lodges
    • Dorset Camping Parks Directory
  • Pubs & Grub
    • Eating Out
    • Pubs
    • Speciality Foods >
      • Dorset Blue Vinny
      • Farm Shops
      • Dorset Knobs
  • Map of Dorset
  • Gear
    • Electric Hook-ups
    • Campfires and BBQs
    • Torches & Torchlight
  • Get in Touch
    • Privacy & Cookies