Curious Dorset Churches – Part 4

– – – Exploring The Countryside and Lanes of Dorset – – –

Today, we are going to look at a tiny chapel that is totally different to anything I have featured here before and yet one which has connections with the church at Moreton, about which I posted yesterday. But what is the connection?

St Catherine by the Sea, Holworth

This is St Catherine by the Sea and it stands in a tiny coastal hamlet known as Holworth which is half way up the western flank of the White Nothe headland – or half way down of course, depending on how you look at it 🙂 ! This is not an old church in the normal sense since it was built less than a hundred years ago in 1926, but since then it has been extended and refurbished.

It may resemble a garden shed from the outside, but inside it is a delight! With the light pouring in, the timber just comes alive, and there is a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere about this place. There is something else that sets this lovely chapel apart from other churches though, and that is its position right on the Dorset Coast Path overlooking the sea. Surely this church has as good a view as any in the country.

Outside of the tiny church is an equally tiny grave yard. Only a few rest here and they are either local residents or those who died at sea nearby. In fact, in terms of residents, there are few remaining in what has always been the smallest of hamlets since some of the cottages are now holiday homes. Some of the homes that remain, sit perilously close to the crumbling cliff edge and one wonders how long they will last.

So what is it that connects this minuscule, hidden away gem with yesterday’s world renowned church at Moreton? Well the answer lies in that east window. These three panes were etched by Simon Whistler, an engraver and musician, son of Sir Lawrence Whistler who engraved the windows at the more famous church. The style is similar and of course there are only three panes but they are certainly equally beautiful. The window is in fact a memorial to a local farmer and to the victim of a notorious murder on Wimbledon Common.

I walk this part of the Dorset coast all the time, and I regularly stop off at this delightful chapel to sit and pray or meditate, perhaps to eat lunch, or maybe to just sit and soak up that amazing view across White Nothe and out to sea. Surely there can be nothing better.

This church may not have the ancient history of some of those in my other posts, but for its position, the fact that it is still an active place of worship, its wonderful ambience, and its sheer quirkiness, it surely deserves a place in my list of curious Dorset churches.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time,
Your friend The Dorset Rambler

If you would like to contact me, my email address is terry.yarrow@gmail.com – comments and feedback are always welcomed.

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