Enid in Studland and Swanage

[timv]

I have been going through the official centenary history of the Purbeck/ Studland Bay Golf Club , which Enid once owned, at Wareham Library - '100 Years of Golf on the Isle of Purbeck' by K Merle Chacksfield, published privately by the Club in 1992. it has some interesting pieces of information:
'Darrell-Waters Ltd', ie Enid and her husband's company, first drew up an agreement to take over the lease of the Club with the latter on 27 October 1949; it was officially completed on 13 December 1951.
Enid was elected as the Ladies' Captain of the club by the Ladies' Section on 27 November 1955.
The Club was sold by Darrell-Waters Ltd in April 1965, largely due to Kenneth's declining mobility meaning that he was unable to play golf any longer.
Enid was also the President of the Swanage Regatta and Carnival organization in the 1950s.

[pete9012S]

Most interesting timv thank you.
As I first scanned the title without my reading glasses I read Enid in Studland and Sewage .

Oh how I hate growing old!!

[Tony Summerfield]

That is an interesting point you make Tim, that the golf course like all other property was owned by the company not by Enid Blyton. I don't know if those records have Darrell Waters hyphenated but if so the records are wrong as it shouldn't be. I have been approached a number of times by people who say that they own Enid Blyton's car, but the company owned a fleet of cars and I am sure that Enid may not have even sat in some of them, she certainly never drove any of them.

Apart from the golf course the company owned the farm in Stourton Caundle as well as Green Hedges and possibly a chalet in Switzerland which was used by Eric Rogers. Certainly the staff at all properties were paid for by the company.

[timv]

Thanks, Tony. I transcribed the detail of the company name as the centenary book's author wrote it,and on all the occasions when he referred to the company as opposed to Kenneth himself he used the hyphen which I noticed was not the usual spelling. It seems he was using the copies of the original documents that were in the Golf Club's possession at the time, which would have been papers drawn up by the Club's solicitors. It is possible that whoever typed up the document in the office made the mistake, assuming that Enid's husband wrote his name as Darrell-Waters with a hyphen.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enid was also the President of the Swanage Regatta and Carnival organization in the 1950s.

Interesting. I don't think I'd heard that before.

[number 6]

I can remember meeting an old chap on Brownsea island a few years back, who told me that Enid used to draw/paint wildlife & landscape scenes on Godlingston Heath (isle of purbeck golf course) during her holiday's in Swanage. Think I posted that before(?). And an old lady told me of Enid visiting Studland & buying home made jams, honey etc, from some of the villagers. Can anyone tell me if these snippets are true or just exaggerated to fit in with the 'Enid's Dorset' theme?

[Ice_Gemz]

I've wanted to visit Dorset for many years and this year, finally, I'm getting my wish.
Next month we're camping in Wareham and I've planned several things to do and places to visit on my 'pilgrimage':

Corfe Castle, a stroll through the village and a trip on the steam train to Swanage. In Swanage we'll visit the beach, pier and museum before catching the steam train back to Corfe.

The next day we'll drive to Studland, pausing at Knoll House hotel for a photo or two, then catch the car ferry across to Sandbanks before heading to Poole. We'll then get the boat over to Brownsea Islamd (undecided on whether we'll alight and go for a wander around Brownsea yet).

Next day will be a visit to Lulworth Cove, and having a swim out to Durdle Door, perhaps visiting Lulworth Castle too (not EB-related but worth a visit nonetheless)

We're also planning on taking a drive around the area to see The Blue Pool, Anvil Point Lighthouse, Purbeck golf club and Agglestone Rock, so lots of following in Enid's footsteps.

Does anyone have any other places of interest local to this area that I've missed out but would complement our trip? I'm watching a copy of "Enid Blyton and her enchantment with Dorset" by Andrew Norman, on eBay currently,which I'm hoping will give me further inspiration.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Sounds like you're going to have a great time. If you can manage to see Dancing Ledge, it's worth the walk down to the huge rocks to see the swimming pool in the rocks, which is similar to the one mentioned in Malory Towers books. Also Lulworth Castle looks very much like Malory Towers with it's four towers.

Pop into The Knoll House Hotel for a cream tea, they do a great one.

Enjoy your hols.

[Eddie Muir]

Have a great time, Gemma.

I’ve had a cream tea with Julie in The Knoll House Hotel and agree they do a great one. There is also an excellent display of Enid Blyton books in the hotel.

[Katharine]

I would definitely recommend visiting Brownsea Island. I went there a couple of years ago, and thought it was a really lovely place. Personally I felt it was just the sort of place the Famous Five might have camped, but that aside, I just thought it had a really lovely atmosphere, and it's worth visiting just to see the red squirrels.

[timv]

I hope you have a lovely time in Swanage and district, Gemma. Other Blyton sites to look out for on your trip:

1. South Haven, the Southern terminus of the Sandbanks ferry. Given that Mystery To Solve is a rare FF book that seems to mirror real places quite closely, it's probable that Enid thought of the boatyard/ dinghy park here as the place where the Five hire their boat to get across to the island. (There was a larger boatyard here in the 1950s than now).Presumably Wilfred paddles his boat across to the island from the inlet of the Harbour adjacent to this, as it 's the closest bit of harbour to the cottage by Studland golf course where he's staying.
2. If you do go on the island, the highest sandy cliffs - where Enid presumably set the cave entrance to the hidden storeroom, and which she could see from her golf course - are on the S and W sides. In real life, the owners of the Castle in the late 19th century put up lots of antique Italian statues around the Castle gardens and in clearings on top of the island - this is the likely origin of Enid's mysterious statues scattered around the island.
3. At Swanage, the seafront amusement arcade by the Mowlem Theatre (down the street from the station) is presumably the original of the arcade in the Rubadub story. The 'Old Ship' inn (since bombed in the War and rebuilt) along the road to the pier is where E stayed in 1940 - part of the inspiration for the Rubadub inn?
4. The Grosvenor Hotel (demolished, site in gardens uphill from the pier) is where E stayed later and met the inspiration for 'Bill Smugs/ Cunningham'.
5. As you're going to Anvil Point lighthouse - the Tilly Whim caves halfway up the cliff are probably the inspiration for the cave and passage by Red Tower's house in Fall Into Adventure. Ditto the quarry caves in Kirrin Island Again (or else that's the quarries near Dancing Ledge).
6. The cliff path from Durlston Castle to Peveril Point or the one beyond Anvil Point are probably the 'dangerous and crumbling cliff path' on the cliff near Malory Towers where Mary-Lou is blown over and rescued by Daphne. The AP path is more open, but the DC/ PP path (and 'castle/school to village' location) is the approx length of the one in the book.

[number 6]

Work now completed on my areas internet service, so I thought I'd chip in with a few pics that compliment timv/julie posts.

The original entrance to Tilly Whim Caves at Durlston. Apparently, EB did visit the caves before it was
shut to the public for safety reasons.


The man made pool at Dancing Ledge near Langton Matravers, reputed to be the inspiration
for the one in Malory Towers.


Tilly Whim Caves seen from the Sea. Very similar to the description of the cave below
Red Towers residence in 'Fall into Adventure'. Enid would've seen the TW caves whilst
walking the Coastal path with her two Daughters.


The Footpath that leads on to the Isle of Purbeck Golf Course that is described
in 'Five have a Mystery to Solve'.


Another view of Tilly Whim Caves, as seen from the Anvil Point Lighthouse.


And lastly...Agglestone Cottage next to the Isle of Purbeck Golf Course or Mrs Layman's Cottage in Mystery to Solve!
I've posted this pic again..just in case some of you haven't seen it before!

[Daisy]

Great photos, number 6

[pete9012S]

Smashing photos. Thank you.

[Eddie Muir]

More great photos, Number 6.