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St Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury
Summary
The medieval chapel of St Catherine dominates the picturesque village
of Abbotsbury from its perch on a hill high above the village. A climb
to the chapel gives superb views out over The Fleet and Chesil Bank
to Lyme Bay.
The Chapel
St Catherines dates from the 14th century. It was built by the monks
of Abbotsbury, possibly as a beacon for pilgrims coming to worship at
the abbey in the village below. The chapel survived the Dissolution
of the Monasteries that destroyed the abbey, because it was so valued
as a navigational beacon to sailers making the crossing of Lyme Bay.
Because it was dedicated to St Catherine, the patron saint of spinsters,
the chapel became popular as a place for women to pray for a husband.
In the words of an old prayer:
A Husband, St Catherine,
A handsome one, St Catherine,
A rich one, St Catherine,
A nice one, St Catherine,
A nd soon, St Catherine.
The chapel is built entirely of local stone, hauled up the hill to
the building site. There is a small oratory in the turret. The interior
is bare, though regular musical events are held in the chapel, featuring
local musicians. Surrounding the chapel are a series of medieval strip
lynchets; terraces cut into the hillside for agricultural purposes.
The lynchets are know locally as Chapel Rings, and are quite striking
when seen from the village below.
The climb from the village takes 10 minutes or so (depending on how
many stops you take to enjoy the view!) The slope is not terribly steep,
and once you've reached the top, a very short level walk to the seaward
side of the hill gives stunning views out over Lyme Bay, with Abbotsbury
Swannery, The Fleet, and Chesil Bank in the foreground.
Getting There
Abbotsbury is 9 miles west of Weymouth on the B3157. The chapel can
be reached from the western end of the High Street via Rope Walk (signposted).
Related:
Abbotsbury
Photo Gallery
Abbotsbury
Swannery
Abbotsbury
Sub Tropical Gardens
Abbotsburt
Travel Information
Chesil
Bank and The Fleet
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