St Andrews Church ,Church Ope Cove, Portland , Dorset
Posted by: 
Norfolk12
N 50° 32.340 W 002° 25.716
30U E 540490 N 5598717
A ruined church with a few scattered gravestones , so weathered they are hard to read.
Waymark Code: WM3A92
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/04/2008
Views: 80
This is gradually falling into the sea, care should be taken when attempting to visit here.
There are steps down to the beach below but are steep and no handrail
not suitable for young children or those with breathing problems.
By following a footpath alongside the northern edge of Pennsylvania Castle's garden you will pass through a wood; a rare feature on Portland's windswept landscape. This then opens up into St Andrew's church yard.
Once the main place of worship for Portlanders and built in the 13th century, it has been destroyed by landslips and invasions of French pirates
St Andrew's Church sits halfway down the cliff-side above Church Ope Cove and overshadowed by the Rufus Castle, but despite its strange position, it was the parish church of the island until the mid-18th century. According to the recently vandalised plaque, it was built in stages between 1150 and 1470 when the tower was added.
The Southwell Landslip, just to the church, in 1675 caused considerable damage, and the combination of this and its remoteness led to it being closed and demolished in 1756. Much of the stone was used to build St George's Church at Reforne which replaced it.
for more info re this area see
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visit link)