The Army explosive ordnance team had to be called in after a suspicious looking object was found on the beach at Chapman’s Pool near Worth Matravers in Dorset.
St Albans Head coastguard were the first on the scene on Friday 6th February 2026, who then contacted the Army, who confirmed it was a hand grenade made of Bakelite from World War Two.
The World War Two hand grenade was discovered nestled in seaweed
Seventh hand grenade in two years
This is the seventh similar hand grenade found in the area within the last two years. It’s believed they could have been all buried together at the end of the war, but are now being exposed since a major cliff landslide in 2024.
It’s thought the hand grenades could be rolling down onto the beach after being swept along by water flowing from the cliffs.
St Albans Head coastguard reported:
“Tasked to Chapman’s Pool to possible ordnance found on the beach. Once on the scene it was confirmed to be a hand grenade from the Second World War. Once the explosive ordnance team arrived they disposed of it by blowing it up.”
The coastguard called in the Army explosive ordnance team
The explosion blew sand up in the air
“Highly dangerous”
It’s entirely possible there are more discarded hand grenades at Chapman’s Pool.
A spokesperson for St Albans Head coastguard added:
“If anyone finds a suspicious item on the beach, they should leave it where it is, remember its location, ring 999 and ask for the coastguard.
“These old World War Two hand grenades are highly dangerous and very unstable, so shouldn’t be touched.”
The decision was made to detonate the explosive device
The location of the hand grenade was at the bottom of a waterfall
Local man with seriously injured ankle
As the coastguard team was making its way back to its vehicles, the pagers went off alerting it to another incident.
This time, a local man had fallen on slippery rocks at Dancing Ledge, further east along the coastline towards Swanage.
St Albans Head coastguard, alongside teams from Swanage and Kimmeridge, discovered that the walker, who had been out taking photos, had seriously injured his ankle on the South West Coast Path.
Mud got everywhere!
Wet and muddy conditions
Dancing Ledge is down by the sea and getting the injured man up the hill on a stretcher in the wet and muddy conditions proved a challenge.
St Albans Head coastguard reported:
“Once on the scene, the teams worked together giving casualty care and on an extraction plan.
“Once the casualty was checked over and strapped onto our stretcher he was carried out and taken back to Spyway carpark. Once there, his family transported him to hospital in their own vehicle.
“Teams then stood down, returned to the station, and cleaned all the mud from the equipment that was used.”
