A history of Harrys
© Andrea Comi/Moment/Getty Images
Scoundrels and scallywags form the lineup of suspects behind the naming of the Old Harry Rocks. 'Old Harry' was an olden-days euphemism for the devil, but it's also possible the chalk sea stacks get their name from Earl Harold, a Viking raider who supposedly perished here and was turned into a stone pillar. In maybe the most convincing origin tale, Old Harry was Henry Paye, a pirate from nearby Poole who looted hundreds of French ships in the early 1400s and hauled the booty back to these parts.
An Old Town aglow
Of power and paddles
A convoluted coast
Paddle-in paradise
Fish fear this village
Land of 1,200 islands
Bright night
A dominant dune