Vigilante encampment at Wareham's Saxon Roundabout

Financed by "Wareham in Bloom", the grassed roundabout at Wareham town's northern end was transformed in 2011 into a dramatic tableau. It comprised several large blocks of Purbeck stone and a more-than-life-sized replica of a Saxon sword which had been discovered in the Wareham river in 1927.

The sword was securely lodged in the topmost stone block. The local blacksmith who had forged the sword was invited to "christen" it with a bottle of champagne specially provided by the mayor of Hemsbach, Wareham's twin town in Germany.

Unfortunately it did not take very long for the sword to "disappear", no doubt coveted by a passer-by who just happened to have an angle-grinder conveniently to hand.


Since then the sword has been replaced by a wooden version. Today it is also guarded by a ferocious cat and a motley assembly of what appear to be rabbits.


Any similarity to King Arthur's sword Excalibur is unintentional: the Wareham sword was certainly NOT removed from its stone by royalty.