St Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury. Grade: 1. NGR: SY 57329 84672.  Lead Author: PS

​The chapel (1, 2) is situated on a hill to the south of the village of Abbotsbury. Although no records survive of its building, the chapel can be dated in to the late 14th century and built by the monks of Abbotsbury Abbey as a monks’ retreat and place of pilgrimage. It is in the guardianship of English Heritage. 

1. The chapel from the north-east

2. The chapel from the south

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There are medieval strip lynchets in the side of the hill known locally as the Chapel Rings (3). The site affords spectacular views to the parish church and Great Barn to the east (4), to the Chalk hills to the north (5) and the sea to the south. The chapel probably survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536 - 1541) because it was used as a beacon for shipping. In later times a navigation light was kept burning at the top of its stair turret. The building was repaired in 1742 and again the 19th century. (click on the images below to enlarge them)

3. Strip Lynchets

4. The church and the Great Barn

5. View to the north

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Although situated in an exposed position, it has withstood the weather with 4 ft thick walls and buttresses of local Osmington Oolite (6a, 6b, 6c), a Jurassic Corallian limestone. The ooliths are cemented in a matrix of sparite (crystalline calcite).  (click on the images below to enlarge them)

6a. A sample of Osmington Oolite

6b. Ooliths in Osmington Oolite

6c. Loupe of Osmington Oolite

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The Corallian Beds form part of the northern limb of the Weymouth Anticline at Abbotsbury and have been worked in several small quarries up the slope of Linton Hill (7). The village itself lies in a syncline of Abbotsbury Iron Ore (Kimmeridge Clay). A few blocks can be seen in the chapel walls (8). 

7. Linton Hill from St Catherine's Hill

8. Two blocks of Abbotsbury Iron ore

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The interior walls, also Corallian limestone, are bare of plaster (9). The only other building stone used can be seen in the doorway in the south face which has a few blocks of Portland limestone, very much covered in lichen (10a, 10b). 

9. The interior

10a.The south entrance

10b. Loupe of the Portland Stone

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​The chapel roof was renewed in 1983 using Clipsham stone. This stone comes from the Jurassic Inferior Oolite, Upper Lincolnshire Limestone Formation and its only source was Clipsham Quarry Company now owned by Stamford Stone Company. It is advertised as a suitable stone for restoration projects and this may be why it was chosen by English heritage instead of a local Dorset building stone.
References
1.British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol1/pp1-11
2. British Listed Buildings Chapel of St Catherine, Abbotsbury, Dorset