Building record MDO6500 - Ruins of St Andrew's Church, Portland

The ruins date to the middle of the 12th century, although excavations at the site have uncovered the remains of an earlier church of unknown date. The 12th century church was rebuilt in the 13th century and was extended in the 14th and 15th centuries, reaching its greatest size by 1500. Structural problems, caused by a geological fissure running under the south east corner of the church made extensive repairs necessary in the 17th century. The church was abandoned in 1756 and since then has been a ruin. Built of rubble with ashlar dressings. The church remains were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

The church of St Andrew, abandoned as unsafe in the mid 18th century and now a ruin, stands in the upper part of a re-entrant in the cliff, on a level site which has been strengthened by a high retaining wall. The remains of the walls are of squared stone and rubble. The church was built in the 12th century and the lower part of the chancel walls of this date survive, together with the north respond of the chancel arch and the south footings of the nave. In the 14th century the church was damaged by fire and reconstructed with a narrower nave, of which the lower part of the north wall only survives. There are also footings for a projection south of the west end of the nave. A 14th century arch is rebuilt in the boundary wall at the north west corner of the churchyard, and several 17th century headstones remain. The site was excavated by J Merrick Head (a) and has since been disturbed by a bomb. <1>

Mentioned. <3>

St Andrews Church. Remains. <4>

Excavation and conservation work during 1981 and 1982 showed that the C12 church had a central lantern tower. The nave was extended westwards in the early C14 and a detached west tower added in the C15. At three points within the nave, the foundation of an earlier church was located. Accurate dating was not possible, but a Saxon foundation date is not unlikely. <6-7>

St Andrews Church: excavation in progress. <8>

Description of the developmental history of the church with illustrations. <11>

The remains of the Church of St Andrew were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset) from aerial imagery of 2001. <12>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(2) THE CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW (696711) stands in the supper part of a re-entrant in the cliff on a level site which has been strengthened by a high retaining wall. The church was abandoned as unsafe in the middle of the 18th century and is now a ruin. The remains of the walls are of squared stone and rubble. The church was built in the 12th century and the lower part of the chancel walls of this date survive together with the N. respond of the chancel arch and S. footings of the nave. IN the 14th century the church was damaged by fire and reconstructed with a narrow nave of which the lower part of the N. wall only survives. There are also footings for a projection S. of the W. end of the nave. The site was excavated by J. Merrick Head (Dorset Procs. XIX (1898), 123); it has since been disturbed by a bomb and in 1963 was much overgrown.

The chancel is built of squared stone with the chamfered jambs of a doorway in the S. wall (one jamb newly fallen in 1963). The base of the N. respond of the chancel arch has engaged shafts above a moulded plinth. The 14th-century walling is of rough rubble and retains no detail. Rebuilt in the boundary wall at the N.W. corner of the church yard is a 14th-century arch, two-centred and of two chamfered orders. Fittings – Coffin-lids: S. of church, remains of three coffin-lids with moulded edges, two with raised cross, medieval. Monuments: in churchyard, s. of church, headstones – (1) to John Flew, 1698, and Grace his wife, 1740, headstone carved with shrouded corpse and cherubs’ heads; (2) to Margery, wife of William Gibbes (?), 1684, headstone with hourglass; (3) to Robert Mitchell, 1680; (4) to Julan, wife of Robert Bett, 1691, with symbols of mortality; (5) to Mary Ferty (/), 1690/1; (6) to Andrew Stone, 1704.’

<2> Herrick Head, J, 1898, Isle of Portland - the Ruined Churches of St. Andrew, 123 (Article in serial). SWX2102.

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 341 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> Department of the Environment, 21 Sept 1978, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Weymouth and Portland amendment 1978, 5 (Scheduling record). SWX2136.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1978 (Map). SDO17396.

Church [NR] (remains of) [NAT]

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1980, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1978, 116 (Serial). SDO78.

‘PORTLAND (SY 69697111). The ruined church of St Andrew, parts of which are dated by architectural evidence to the 12th century, is the subject of a Dorset County Council conservation scheme. Archaeological investigations in connection with this scheme are directed by A. M. Hunt. Clearance of rubble was observed by P. W. Cox for the Department of the Environment during November, 1978. Some 60 architectural fragments were recovered, and portable items removed for cleaning and drawing. A number of minor details were added to the plan of the church, previously surveyed by students of the Department of History and Archaeology at the Dorset Institute of Higher Education. Students also planned and recovered the surviving grave memorials in the churchyard. Work is expected to continue in 1979.’

<7> Hunt, A M, 1980, Portland, Old Church of St. Andrew, 92 (Article in serial). SWX2044.

<8> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 30-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<9> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1982, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1980, 92 (Serial). SDO80.

<10> Hunt, A M, 1981, Portland: Old Church of St. Andrew, p127 (Article in serial). SWX2045.

<10> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1982, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1981, 127 (Serial). SDO81.

<11> Hunt, A, 1983, Old Church of St. Andrew, Portland, p74-6 plans (Article in serial). SWX2047.

<12> Google Earth, 01-JAN-2001, Google Earth 2001 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13042.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451729 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:57PM