St Aldhelm's Chapel

St Aldhelm's Chapel is one of the oldest churches in England and is a Grade I-listed building. The Norman chapel, situated on the high outcrop of St Aldhelm's Head, was named after the Bishop of Sherbourne who died in 709AD.

The small Norman chapel on St Alban's Head is not quite as idyllically freestanding as many photos suggest. On the perspective and the image section is important. ;)

The lack of evidence for an altar or a piscina suggests that the building may not have been built as a chapel. It may have originally been built as a watchtower for Corfe Castle, covering the sea approaches to the south. Its identification as a purpose-built chapel rests on records of payments to a chaplain in the reign of King Henry III (1216–1272).
The interior of the chapel is approximately 7.7 metres (25 ft) square. In the centre is a square pier supporting four square rib vaults, with the heavy ribs leading to transverse arches, all stop-chamfered. In the north-west side is a Norman round-arched doorway. A small window is contemporary with the doorway. The corners of the chapel are orientated towards the cardinal points. The interior of the chapel contains a 12th-century groin vault, supported by a central column. Evidence uncovered during 20th century repairs to the chapel roof suggest that it may have been topped with a beacon at some time. The roof now bears a stone cross erected in 1873.