Sitting ontop of a hill in Dorset overlooking the spectacular Chesil Beach is St Catherine’s
Chapel.
It’s found in the quiet village of Abbotsbury, and it’s a beautiful small chapel, with
a very steep walk up to it.
However, whilst walking up to the remarkable chapel, you are doing the same walk that medieval
monks took during the Middle Ages to pay their respects at this site of pilgrimage.
Join us today as we look at the Chapel that’s dedicated to the Saint executed by the Romans.
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St Catherine’s Chapel was built around the late 14th century, at the same time that the
Abbotsbury’s Title Barn was created.
Inside of the village of Abbotsbury was a monastery, which was dedicate to St Peter.
It was founded in the 11th century by a thegn of King Cnut, and the abbey was very important
in the local area.
It became a place of power in the village, and owned 8 manor houses and the houses in
the village.
In the 14th Century, the Black Death came to the village and devastated the area, and
even killed the abbot and many of the villagers.
This weakened the village of Abbotsbury significantly and the area was even attacked from the sea
a number of times.
During the reign of King Henry VIII, the abbey was dissolved and the site suffered greatly.
The last Abbot of Abbotsbury, Roger Roddon was forced to hand over the keys of the monastery,
and under the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the site was cleared of it’s valuables,
it’s brethren and the land was sold.
When it was surrendered on the 12th March 1539, Abbot Rodden along with the prior and
8 brethren were given pensions of varying wealth, and the commissioner who dissolved
the monastery, Sir Giles Strangways bought the abbey buildings, the manor houses, water
mills and the swannery for a price of £1906 and 10 shillings.
In modern money, this equates of around £1.4million pounds.
It’s clear Strangways the commissioner sent by the King to dissolve Abbotsbury Abbey liked
the area, as he even had his own father buried in the abbey, and much of the land today still
belongs to his descendants.
The Abbey was eventually demolished to maximise the money from the sale, and to reuse the
stone, but the Tithe Barn and St Catherine’s Chapel were spared.
The Chapel was built by the monks of the abbey in the 14th century, and they would make regular
walks up the hills to the chapel for pilgrimage.
Other’s would come from further afield to visit the chapel, and they would see the beautiful
views of Chesil Beach and the English Channel.
The site allows you to see for miles along, and you can even see Portland in the distance.
The chapel also allowed monks to escape and withdraw from the monastery for private prayer
and meditation high above the village and overlooking the sea in a beautiful and peaceful
setting.
It’s dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, which is rare in England, but she did have
a significant cult within the country int he medieval period.
Catherine was a saint who was considered both a princess and a prominent Christian scholar.
She converted hundreds to Christianity as a teenage girl, but at the age of 18 she was
executed and killed in horrific fashion.
She lived during the reign of Emperor Maxentius, and was a learned young girl.
She was allegedly visited by the Virgin Mary and by Jesus who persuaded her to become Christian,
and at the time Christians were being persecuted.
Maxentius was known for his cruelty towards them, and Catherine even visited the emperor
to convince him to stop, but the emperor ordered her to be thrown into prison and tortured.
It was said she was fed by a dove from heaven, and during her time in prison she was visited
by Christ, and that her wound were tended to by angels.
Catherine did not give over her faith despite her torture, and allegedly the emperor even
tried to marry her but she refused.
Outraged by this refusal and the fact Catherine claimed she was married to Jesus Christ, the
emperor ordered Catherine to be executed on a spiked breaking wheel, or a Catherine wheel,
of which the device gets its name.
However when she touched it, it shattered.
Then Maxentius then ordered Catherine to be beheaded, but upon her execution she ordered
the executioner to strike herself, and when she was beheaded, it was said a milky substance
came from her neck rather than blood.
Following this she then became a prominent saint, and a medieval cult emerged after her
body was allegedly rediscovered.
St Catherine’s Chapel in Abbotsbury was just one of a few buildings across Europe
dedicated to her.
It has a rectangular structure, and was made from locally quarried stone, and it has stood
the test of time high up against the elements.
It was constructed expertly, allowing rainwater to drain off the roof through holes in the
walls, and in the north west corner is a small tower.
The chapel stood on the hill looks a lot bigger than it really is, and it’s a cute but small
little chapel.
Inside are stained glass windows, and during the medieval times it would have been just
as rich, with bright colours and beautiful decorations inside.
A local tradition emerged at the chapel however, in which young woman of the village would
walk up to the travel and they would try to get the help of Saint Catherine.
They would put one of their knees in the wishing holes of the south doorway in the chapel,
and also their hands in two other holes and make a wish, in search of a husband.
They would say a prayer looking for their future husband, but today it’s a beautiful
and spectacular building.
So St Catherine’s Chapel is a small church dedicated to the saint who was executed by
the Romans.
It’s a beautiful place to come for a walk and to visit, as is the village of Abbotsbury
where the remains of the monastery eerily can be explored.
Once again thanks for watching.
To support our channel, please make sure to subscribe.
Once again thanks for watching.