Worth Matravers (St. Aldhelm's Chapel)

Worth Matravers (St. Aldhelm's Chapel)

Situated on the tip of St. Aldhelm's (or St. Alban's) Head, this small chapel dedicated to St. Aldhelm is in the parish of Worth Matravers. It's early history is obscure. It's architecture is Norman in style; later documents suggest that it existed in the thirteenth century. There is an interesting legend about its origins recounted in the chapel guide:

It is said that in 1140 a bride and groom were sailing around the headland watched by the bride's father. A storm suddenly arose, the boat capsized and both were drowned. The desolate father is said to have built the chapel to their memory; and a light was always to be kept burning to warn other sailors.

Whether this story is true or not, most authorities accept that this small vaulted building was some kind of chantry. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the chapel was beginning to become derelict. It was restored in the 19th century, and re-opened as a chapel in 1874.

Sources:

• Fletcher, J.M.J. and Dundas, C.L., The ancient Church of S. Nicholas of Myra, Worth Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck with the Chapel of S. Aldhelm on S. Aldhelm's Head. [Worth Matravers]: Vicar and Churchwardens of Worth Matravers, 1921.
• Hope, M., Dorset. In: Humphrey, S.C., ed., Blue guide: churches and chapels of southern England. London: Black; New York: Norton, 1991, p. 195.
• Hutchins, J. The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset, 3rd ed., edited by W. Shipp and J.W. Hodson, Westminster: J.B. Nichols, 1861-1873, Vol. 1, 1861, pp. 697-699.
• Jenkins, S. England's thousand best churches. London: Allen Lane, the Penguin Press, 1999, pp. 165-166.
• John Kinross., Discovering England's smallest churches. London: Wiedenfeld & Nicholson, 2003, p. 42.
• Newman, J. and Pevsner, N., The buildings of England: Dorset. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972, p. 358.
• Jackson, E.D.C. and Fletcher, E.G.M., St. Aldhelm's Church near Wareham. Journal of the Archaeological Association, 3rd. ser., Vol. 26, (1963).
• Mee, A., The King's England: Dorset. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1939, pp. 203-205.
• Pitfield, F.P., Purbeck parish churches. Milborne Port: Dorset Publishing Company, 1985, pp. 110-112.
• Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset, Vol. 2, South-East Dorset. London: HMSO, 1970, pt. 2, pp. 411-412.

Current church guide (available 1998):

Chapel of St. Aldhelm on St. Aldhelm's Head / 1st edition by Marjorie Wallace, 1985 ; 5th edition (revised) by Robert Watton, 1996.
Six page A5 sized booklet that includes a history of the chapel, some speculation on its origin and the 19th century restoration.

Web pages:

• An aerial photograph of St. Alban's Head (by Francesca Radcliffe) can be found on the West Dorset Internet page:
  http://www.wdi.co.uk/air/aldhelm.html

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Maintained by Michael Day, Last updated: 7 September 2015.