Harry and his wife, No Man's Land (the large outcrop of rock at the end of the cliffs) and the gap of St Lucas' Leap. Old Harry is formed by erosion processes, which will eventually remove the stack, whilst new stacks develop. Some people desire to preserve the rocks and protect them from the erosive processes that formed Old Harry. The National Trust, who own the stacks in perpetuity, have experience in looking after the coast, and have found that "working with natural processes is the most sustainable approach". Legend There are various stories about the naming of the rocks. One legend says that the Devil (traditionally known euphemistically as "Old Harry") slept on the rocks. Another local legend says that the rocks were named after Harry Paye, the infamous Poole pirate, whose ship hid behind the rocks awaiting passing merchantmen. Yet another tale has it that a ninth-century Viking raid was thwarted by a storm and that one of the drowned, Earl Harold, was turned into a pillar of chalk. See also The Needles References Bibliography External links Geology of Harry Rocks and Ballard Point Ian West, University of Southampton Old Harry Rocks, Dorset: GCSE Geography BBC Bitesize Isle of Purbeck Landforms of Dorset Stacks of England Geology of Dorset Tourist attractions in Dorset Jurassic Coast