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The "Legend of the Shapwick Monster" is a subject which Villagers would not prefer to talk about - but, if asked, will talk for hours about the horrible visitation of days long ago.
Certainly, the children of the Village in the fifties and sixties, like all before, were made well aware of the tale. The story goes that in days of old, a fishmonger wheeling his cart through the lanes between Wimborne and Blandford, passed through Shapwick, and a large live crab fell to the ground. The fishmonger went on his way unaware of the escapee. Now, the Villagers chanced upon the crab, but, as none had ever seen such as creature afore, they were not sure what it was. So they called upon the Village Elder, who announced that it was a "monster". What became of the crab, no-one knows, but when the story got out, the Villagers of Shapwick were looked upon by nearby folk as a bit simple and daft. And so the stigma remains - at least that's what some like to think. The monster is remembered by the name of the nearby "Crab Farm", which has a celebrated wind-vane showing the crab and villagers. Whatever you think it is quite a silly story but it may just be true... More information including a rather interesting poem about the incident can be found at the Dark Dorset website... |
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