Church Ope Cove
Church Ope Cove, also known as Church Hope Cove, is a small secluded beach on the eastern side of Portland, located close to the hamlet of Wakeham. The cove's name originated with the establishment of Portland's first parish church, St Andrew's, above the beach, while "Ope" is a local dialect for "an opening down to the water side".
With a history of invasions from foreign raiders, smuggling, and use by Portland's fishing and stone industries, the cove is now a popular area for recreation, including swimming and angling. The cove and surrounding area has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the importance of its natural environment and wildlife.
History
Early strategic importance, construction of Rufus Castle and St Andrew's Church
For centuries, Church Ope Cove was traditionally seen as a vulnerable spot for enemy raiders to land on Portland. The first recorded account of a Viking attack on the British Isles occurred at Portland in 789 AD, and it has been suggested that Church Ope Cove was one of the most likely locations. Upon the arrival of the three ships from "Northmen", the royal reeve of Portland (or possibly Dorchester) and his men were all killed when they attempted to identify and greet who they believed to be foreign merchants. Further raids on Britain increased over the following decades, with Church Ope Cove being confirmed as the location of an attack in 837 AD.
The Saxons built the first defences in the area, but later in the late 11th century, taxes were raised on the island to construct a new defensive work, which was built on the cliff-top overlooking the beach. The surviving ruins of Rufus Castle have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting it was a replacement of an earlier structure. The area above the cove was also used as the site of Portland's first parish church, St Andrews, which has origins to the Saxons as well. The church was rebuilt in the 12th century and faced a number of repairs and restorations over the course of its religious use. The area was prone to landslides, which often caused considerable damage, as did attacks from French raiders. St George's at Reforne later replaced the church in the mid-18th century.
Shipping piers for use of the stone industry
The cliffs running north-east of the cove, above Penn's Weare and further north along East Weare, are some of the earliest to have been quarried on the island. The area provided much of the stone used by Sir Christopher Wren for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. In order to ship the stone, a number of piers and quays were built around Portland's coast, such as Durdle Pier and King's Pier at East Weares. Church Ope Cove was also the location of three piers, the first of which appeared on a 1745 map as Church Hope Key. Another, Hop Pier, was first recorded in 1765, while a third appeared on an 1800 map. They remained in existence until the mid-19th century, by which time much of the island's quarrying had moved inland and used other transportation methods such as the Merchant's Railway.
Following the opening of the Portland Branch Railway in 1865, a new line was proposed for the island, named the Easton and Church Hope Railway. The original idea proposed to build a broad gauge line from Easton to Church Ope Cove, thereby linking Portland's stone industry to a new shipping pier on the eastern side of the island. The scheme was approved in 1867, but did not come to fruition. The Easton and Church Hope Railway was later revived in 1884, but with new plans of linking Easton to the existing branch railway instead.
Fishing, smuggling and wrecking of Meteor
Church Ope Cove was a traditional spot for fishing and small boats were regularly launched from the beach into the 20th century. A boat house was first depicted on maps in the 19th century and it remained in existence until the mid-20th century. For decades, an old rusting hand winch was left lying on the beach as a reminder of the fishing trade.
Portland's rich and extensive smuggling past saw Church Ope Cove as one of the popular locations for smuggling activity. One particular event to occur at the cove during the 19th century was recorded in 1903 when an old seaman and smuggler Wiggett recalled to T.P.'s Weekly how smugglers had landed 150 kegs of brandy there.
Portland's notorious coastline has also seen the wrecking of many ships, with the cove being the location of the first steamer vessel to be wrecked on the Dorset coast, when the Post Office steam-packet Meteor went aground there on the evening of 23 February 1830. She was returning from the Channel Islands when the vessel encountered thick fog in the English Channel and was unable to navigate Portland's coast. All of the fourteen crew were rescued and the on-board mail taken to Weymouth Post Office. In March it was reported that "considerable portions" of the vessel's machinery and stores had been salvaged, while the remaining wreck was later sold.
Pennsylvania Castle
Between 1797-1800, John Penn, Governor of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, had the Gothic revival mansion Pennsylvania Castle built above the cove. Penn, whose mother, Juliana Fermor, was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, first discovered Church Ope on one of his trips with King George III to Weymouth and Portland. The King suggested the site's suitability for a marine residence and soon granted him the Crown-owned land on the cliff above, known as Church Knaps.
Penn also had a stone bath built below the gardens, known as John Penn's Bath. However, when it was completed in 1805, the Court Leet demanded an annual rent for its use as it was built on Common Land. Penn refused to pay and the bath was abandoned, with the remains still in existence today.
World War II anti-invasion measures and Russian spy landing
During World War II, two pillboxes were constructed in 1940, overlooking the cove. They were built as part of British anti-invasion preparations, at a time when the German's invasion plan, Operation Sea Lion, was considered a major threat. However, today neither survive and no traces remain. In addition to these pillboxes, a minefield was placed at the back of the cove. A private in the Welsh Regiment, in a state of depression, committed suicide in 1940 by entering the mined area. His grave is at the Royal Naval Cemetery above Portland Harbour, while the minefield itself was cleared by the end of the war.
In the late 1950s, the cove was the setting for the landing of two Russian spies, aided by the Portland Spy Ring, particularly the ring member Harry Houghton, a clerk at HM Naval Base Portland who was operating with and passing secrets to Russian spies. One of the operations Houghton was tasked with by one of his Russian controllers was to assist in the landing of two Russian spies at Church Ope Cove at night. Houghton had previously recommended the cove as a suitable landing spot due to its seclusion. In addition to being close to Houghton's caravan home, it was out of sight of the coastguard at Grove Point and avoided both Portland Harbour and Portland Bill Lighthouse. On the night, Houghton set up two red leading lights above the cove to help guide the two men, who arrived on a motorboat, believed to have come from a Russian trawler or submarine. Climbing up the cove's steps to the clifftop, they were then transported in Houghton's car to Blandford Forum, where the spies were driven away in the car of another spy. Houghton would later aid a similar landing again, but at Lulworth Cove, only weeks before the core of the Portland Spy Ring, including Houghton, were arrested by the British security services.
Recreation
By the early 20th century, recreational use of the beach had started to become popular and this continued throughout the century, while use of the beach by the fishing industry declined. Due to being sheltered by cliffs on three sides, the beach was often used for swimming, bathing and picnics. In addition to the existing fishing huts, beach huts began to appear at the cove since the late 19th century. As the cove's recreational use increased, a long flight of concrete steps leading down to the beach were laid by Portland Urban District Council in 1906.
Today the beach continues to be popular for angling, snorkelling and swimming, while many beach huts are located at the cove, which are much sought after and often sell for sums above £20,000.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Churches & Chapels etc. - Paul Benyon - website page
2) BBC History - British History Timeline - Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - website page
3) Discover Dorset: Shipwrecks - Maureen Attwooll - Dovecote Press - 1998 - ISBN: 978-1874336594 - page 38 - book
4) Dorset Beaches - Church Ope Cove - website page
5) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
6) Exploring Portland - John Penn's Bath - Geoff Kirby - website page
7) Heritage Gateway - Church Hope Cove, Portland: Boat House - 4 001 343 - website page
8) Heritage Gateway - Church Hope North Piers, Portland - MDO19620 - website page
9) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Pennsylvania Castle Hotel with Attached Walls - website page
10) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1962 - pages 11, 17 - book
11) Official Church Ope Cove and East Weares information board at cove viewpoint area
12) Operation Whisper: The Capture of Soviet Spies Morris and Lona Cohen - Barnes Carr - ForeEdge Press - 2016 - ISBN: 978-1611688092 - pages 216-217 - book
13) Operation Portland: The Autobiography of a Spy - Harry Houghton - Rupert Hart-Davis - 1972 - ISBN: 978-0246105486 - chapter 6 - book
14) Pastscape - various entries - website page
15) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 18 - book
16) Portland Encyclopaedia - Rodney Legg - Dorset Publishing Company - 1999 - ISBN: 978-0948699566 - pages 30, 137 - book
17) Portland Picture Archive - Fishing - website page
With a history of invasions from foreign raiders, smuggling, and use by Portland's fishing and stone industries, the cove is now a popular area for recreation, including swimming and angling. The cove and surrounding area has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the importance of its natural environment and wildlife.
History
Early strategic importance, construction of Rufus Castle and St Andrew's Church
For centuries, Church Ope Cove was traditionally seen as a vulnerable spot for enemy raiders to land on Portland. The first recorded account of a Viking attack on the British Isles occurred at Portland in 789 AD, and it has been suggested that Church Ope Cove was one of the most likely locations. Upon the arrival of the three ships from "Northmen", the royal reeve of Portland (or possibly Dorchester) and his men were all killed when they attempted to identify and greet who they believed to be foreign merchants. Further raids on Britain increased over the following decades, with Church Ope Cove being confirmed as the location of an attack in 837 AD.
The Saxons built the first defences in the area, but later in the late 11th century, taxes were raised on the island to construct a new defensive work, which was built on the cliff-top overlooking the beach. The surviving ruins of Rufus Castle have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting it was a replacement of an earlier structure. The area above the cove was also used as the site of Portland's first parish church, St Andrews, which has origins to the Saxons as well. The church was rebuilt in the 12th century and faced a number of repairs and restorations over the course of its religious use. The area was prone to landslides, which often caused considerable damage, as did attacks from French raiders. St George's at Reforne later replaced the church in the mid-18th century.
Shipping piers for use of the stone industry
The cliffs running north-east of the cove, above Penn's Weare and further north along East Weare, are some of the earliest to have been quarried on the island. The area provided much of the stone used by Sir Christopher Wren for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. In order to ship the stone, a number of piers and quays were built around Portland's coast, such as Durdle Pier and King's Pier at East Weares. Church Ope Cove was also the location of three piers, the first of which appeared on a 1745 map as Church Hope Key. Another, Hop Pier, was first recorded in 1765, while a third appeared on an 1800 map. They remained in existence until the mid-19th century, by which time much of the island's quarrying had moved inland and used other transportation methods such as the Merchant's Railway.
Following the opening of the Portland Branch Railway in 1865, a new line was proposed for the island, named the Easton and Church Hope Railway. The original idea proposed to build a broad gauge line from Easton to Church Ope Cove, thereby linking Portland's stone industry to a new shipping pier on the eastern side of the island. The scheme was approved in 1867, but did not come to fruition. The Easton and Church Hope Railway was later revived in 1884, but with new plans of linking Easton to the existing branch railway instead.
Fishing, smuggling and wrecking of Meteor
Church Ope Cove was a traditional spot for fishing and small boats were regularly launched from the beach into the 20th century. A boat house was first depicted on maps in the 19th century and it remained in existence until the mid-20th century. For decades, an old rusting hand winch was left lying on the beach as a reminder of the fishing trade.
Portland's rich and extensive smuggling past saw Church Ope Cove as one of the popular locations for smuggling activity. One particular event to occur at the cove during the 19th century was recorded in 1903 when an old seaman and smuggler Wiggett recalled to T.P.'s Weekly how smugglers had landed 150 kegs of brandy there.
Portland's notorious coastline has also seen the wrecking of many ships, with the cove being the location of the first steamer vessel to be wrecked on the Dorset coast, when the Post Office steam-packet Meteor went aground there on the evening of 23 February 1830. She was returning from the Channel Islands when the vessel encountered thick fog in the English Channel and was unable to navigate Portland's coast. All of the fourteen crew were rescued and the on-board mail taken to Weymouth Post Office. In March it was reported that "considerable portions" of the vessel's machinery and stores had been salvaged, while the remaining wreck was later sold.
Pennsylvania Castle
Between 1797-1800, John Penn, Governor of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, had the Gothic revival mansion Pennsylvania Castle built above the cove. Penn, whose mother, Juliana Fermor, was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, first discovered Church Ope on one of his trips with King George III to Weymouth and Portland. The King suggested the site's suitability for a marine residence and soon granted him the Crown-owned land on the cliff above, known as Church Knaps.
Penn also had a stone bath built below the gardens, known as John Penn's Bath. However, when it was completed in 1805, the Court Leet demanded an annual rent for its use as it was built on Common Land. Penn refused to pay and the bath was abandoned, with the remains still in existence today.
World War II anti-invasion measures and Russian spy landing
During World War II, two pillboxes were constructed in 1940, overlooking the cove. They were built as part of British anti-invasion preparations, at a time when the German's invasion plan, Operation Sea Lion, was considered a major threat. However, today neither survive and no traces remain. In addition to these pillboxes, a minefield was placed at the back of the cove. A private in the Welsh Regiment, in a state of depression, committed suicide in 1940 by entering the mined area. His grave is at the Royal Naval Cemetery above Portland Harbour, while the minefield itself was cleared by the end of the war.
In the late 1950s, the cove was the setting for the landing of two Russian spies, aided by the Portland Spy Ring, particularly the ring member Harry Houghton, a clerk at HM Naval Base Portland who was operating with and passing secrets to Russian spies. One of the operations Houghton was tasked with by one of his Russian controllers was to assist in the landing of two Russian spies at Church Ope Cove at night. Houghton had previously recommended the cove as a suitable landing spot due to its seclusion. In addition to being close to Houghton's caravan home, it was out of sight of the coastguard at Grove Point and avoided both Portland Harbour and Portland Bill Lighthouse. On the night, Houghton set up two red leading lights above the cove to help guide the two men, who arrived on a motorboat, believed to have come from a Russian trawler or submarine. Climbing up the cove's steps to the clifftop, they were then transported in Houghton's car to Blandford Forum, where the spies were driven away in the car of another spy. Houghton would later aid a similar landing again, but at Lulworth Cove, only weeks before the core of the Portland Spy Ring, including Houghton, were arrested by the British security services.
Recreation
By the early 20th century, recreational use of the beach had started to become popular and this continued throughout the century, while use of the beach by the fishing industry declined. Due to being sheltered by cliffs on three sides, the beach was often used for swimming, bathing and picnics. In addition to the existing fishing huts, beach huts began to appear at the cove since the late 19th century. As the cove's recreational use increased, a long flight of concrete steps leading down to the beach were laid by Portland Urban District Council in 1906.
Today the beach continues to be popular for angling, snorkelling and swimming, while many beach huts are located at the cove, which are much sought after and often sell for sums above £20,000.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Churches & Chapels etc. - Paul Benyon - website page
2) BBC History - British History Timeline - Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - website page
3) Discover Dorset: Shipwrecks - Maureen Attwooll - Dovecote Press - 1998 - ISBN: 978-1874336594 - page 38 - book
4) Dorset Beaches - Church Ope Cove - website page
5) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
6) Exploring Portland - John Penn's Bath - Geoff Kirby - website page
7) Heritage Gateway - Church Hope Cove, Portland: Boat House - 4 001 343 - website page
8) Heritage Gateway - Church Hope North Piers, Portland - MDO19620 - website page
9) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Pennsylvania Castle Hotel with Attached Walls - website page
10) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1962 - pages 11, 17 - book
11) Official Church Ope Cove and East Weares information board at cove viewpoint area
12) Operation Whisper: The Capture of Soviet Spies Morris and Lona Cohen - Barnes Carr - ForeEdge Press - 2016 - ISBN: 978-1611688092 - pages 216-217 - book
13) Operation Portland: The Autobiography of a Spy - Harry Houghton - Rupert Hart-Davis - 1972 - ISBN: 978-0246105486 - chapter 6 - book
14) Pastscape - various entries - website page
15) Portland: A Topographical and Historical Gazetteer - Roy Mackenzie - 1999 - page 18 - book
16) Portland Encyclopaedia - Rodney Legg - Dorset Publishing Company - 1999 - ISBN: 978-0948699566 - pages 30, 137 - book
17) Portland Picture Archive - Fishing - website page
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