Monument record MDO8367 - St Aldhelm's Chapel, Worth Matravers

A late 12th century chapel, restored in the early 19th century and in 1873; it is situated within an earthwork enclosure. The list description suggests that it may have been built as the undercroft of an uncompleted tower rather than as a church. Listed.

St Aldhelm's Chapel situated on St Aldhelm's Head is of coursed rubble with ashlar dressings and has a pyramidal roof. The chapel was built in the late 12th century, possibly to incorporate a sea-mark, and was served, at least in the 13th century, by a royal chaplain. It was restored in the early 19th century and in 1873. The building, of one compartment with angles pointing approximately to the cardinal points has a series of buttresses, four of which were added in post-medieval times. At the apex of the roof is a short cylindrical ashlar pier, now supporting a cross erected in 1873, but perhaps originally carried up more prominently as a sea mark for shipping; the suggestion that it provided the base for a fire-beacon seems untenable. The chapel stands on a 2ft high platform in the middle of an irregular earthwork enclosure defined by a bank, at most 3ft high externally and 1 1/2ft high internally; it probably contains stones. No certain entrance is visible, but a slight, possibly original, gap occurs on the north east. In addition to the chapel, which is at the centre of the enclosure, the interior contains on the south west, a later ditch 2ft deep, which cuts the back of the bank at the west corner and turns through two near right angles towards the chapel door. Between the ditch and bank on the south west is a slight rectangular platform, possibly the site of a building, and a shallow rectangular depression on the south which may be of similar origin. Plan. <2>

No change: earthworks surveyed at 1:2500. <4>

The outer enclosure is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <6> and was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 96077555) St Aldhelm's Chapel (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 411-412 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(2) ST. ALDHELM'S CHAPEL (Plate 205), on St. Aldhelm's Head, (13/8 m. S.S.W.) is of coursed rubble with ashlar dressings and has a pyramidal roof covered with stone slates. The chapel was built in the late 12th century, possibly to incorporate a seamark, and was served, at least in the 13th century, by a royal chaplain (Hutchins I, 698). It was restored in the early 19th century and again, by Lord Eldon, in 1873.
The building is of one compartment (25½ ft. square) with its angles pointing approximately to the cardinal points. The outer wall has an original battered base along the S.W. side and the N. half of the S.E. side. At the S. angle is an original clasping buttress with a splayed base, rising to half the height of the wall; at the E. corner is a pair of 13th-century angle buttresses of similar height; four tapering buttresses with raking courses were added in post-mediaeval times. Between the heads of the older buttresses, on the S.E. side, is a late mediaeval moulded string-course; the N.E. wall has an original moulded corbel-table. The doorway in the N.W. side has a round head and jambs of two chamfered and grooved orders, the chamfer stopped above and below the imposts, and a moulded label with nail-head enrichment; in the opposite wall is a lancet window with widely splayed internal reveals and round rear arch. At the apex of the roof is a short cylindrical ashlar pier, now supporting a cross erected in 1873 but perhaps originally carried up more prominently as a seamark for shipping; the suggestion that it provided the base for a fire-beacon seems untenable.
The interior (Plate 206) has a large clustered central pier, half-pier responds in the middle of each wall and angle shafts, all with chamfered imposts; these support four quadripartite vaults with heavy cross and diagonal ribs covering the chapel. The cross ribs and their vaulting shafts and the diagonal ribs have the same rectangular section, but the vaulting shafts of the diagonal ribs comprise single salient angles. All the foregoing members have stopped chamfers. The floor has been raised and the altar steps have been rebuilt in recent times.
Fittings—Inscriptions and Scratchings: many dates and initials on central pier and responds including TD 1629, IC and MC 1665, HC 1709. Recess: in S.W. wall, at S.E. end, plain with square head and jambs and sloping sill.
Earthworks—The chapel stands on a 2 ft. high platform in the middle of an irregular earthwork enclosure defined by a bank at most 3 ft. high externally and 1½ ft. high internally; it probably contains stones. No certain entrance is visible, but a slight, possibly original, gap occurs on the N.E. In addition to the chapel, which is at the centre of the enclosure, the interior contains on the S.W. a later ditch 2 ft. deep, which cuts the back of the bank at the W. corner and turns through two near right-angles towards the chapel door. Between the ditch and the bank on the S.W. is a slight rectangular platform, possibly the site of a building, and a shallow rectangular depression on the S. which may be of similar origin.'

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 358 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F1 CFW 05-FEB-1986 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<5> DCMS, 2000, Scheduled Monument Notification Schedule amendment 01-Aug-2000 (Scheduling record). SWX2717.

<6> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 1398-99 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12897.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456406 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 27 2024 4:35PM