Churches of Portland

This page aims to list the churches and chapels on Portland past and present. They are listed in chronological order and according to their denomination. Some have their own articles which can be accessed by clicking on their images or hyperlinks.

Church of England

St Andrew's Church
Portland's original parish church, the ruins of St Andrew's overlook Church Ope Cove. It has origins dating back to the 12th century when it built by the Benedictine Monks of St. Swithin of Winchester on the site of an Anglo-Saxon church. It was rebuilt, repaired and altered on a number of occasions over the following centuries, including when foreign raiders torched the building in 1340. A detached tower was added in the 15th century and the church dedicated to St Andrew in 1475. Suffering from the instability of the site it occupied, the church fell into disrepair by the 1750s and a decision was made to build a new church, St George's. A temporary "tabernacle" was established in Wakeham for services until the new church was completed. Although much of St Andrew's was torn down with its closure, a number of features remain, including walls, gravestones, tombs and the archway of the tower.

St George's Church
Built at the west end of Reforne between 1754 and 1764, St George's was designed by Thomas Gilbert and consecrated by the Bishop of Bristol, Rev. Thomas Newton, on 29 July 1766. It served as Portland's parish church until 1865 when Underhill and Tophill were split into separate parishes. Later that century plans were made to build a replacement for Tophill and All Saints' was completed in 1917. St George's was then used as a cemetery chapel, but gradually suffered from general deterioration and vandalism, along with bomb damage in 1940. Restoration began in 1968 by the Friends of St George's Church group and the church was vested to the Churches Conservation Trust in 1971.

St John's Church
Owing to the increasing population of the island at the time and the inconvenient distance of the parish church for many residents of Underhill, St John's was built in Fortuneswell as the daughter church to St George's in 1839-40. It was designed by Mr. Edward Mondey, built by Mr. John Hancock of Weymouth and consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rev. Edward Denison, on 12 September 1840. St John's became a parish church in 1865 when Underhill became its own parish. The church remains active as part of the Portland Parish.

Portland Prison Chapel
Portland Prison was built and opened in 1848 as a public works prison, whereby convict labour in the Admiralty Quarries produced stone for various government works on and off the island, namely the two breakwater arms constructed to form Portland Harbour. The prison's chapel was constructed in 1849 and first opened on 25 December that year for divine service. It later served as a hall and classrooms/workshops after the prison was transformed into a Borstal Institution in 1921. The former church was burnt out by incendiary bombs during a raid in 1941 and its ruins soon cleared.

St Peter's Church
The establishment of Portland Prison resulted in the creation of a village at Grove, which mainly accommodated prison warders and their families. Initially served by the prison chapel, the expanding village was given its own church, St Peter's, through the efforts of Rev. Arthur Hill, who established a movement for its construction. The church was designed by Captain Edmund Du Cane, built by convict labour in 1870-72 and consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rev. George Moberly, on 27 August 1872. It also served as the garrison church of the Verne Citadel. It was later made redundant in 1973, but continued use as a private chapel for the adjacent Young Offenders Institution until 1988. St Peter's is now in private ownership and on Historic England's "Heritage at Risk" register due to its deteriorating condition.

St Andrew's Church (Avalanche Memorial Church)
St Andrew's was built in 1878-79 both as a chapel of ease serving the residents of Southwell and Weston, and as a memorial church to the collision between the SS Avalanche and SS Forest off Portland Bill, which claimed the lives of over a hundred in 1877. The tragedy prompted public donations and subscriptions towards the church's construction, including from victims' relatives and friends in New Zealand. Designed by Mr. George Crickmay, the church was built by Messrs Lynham and Bayliss of Portland and consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury on 3 July 1879. The church remains active as part of the Portland Parish.

Navvy Mission Hall
In 1898, the contractors of the breakwater works, Messrs Hill and Co, erected an "Iron Town" at Grove Corner to accommodate the workmen and their families. A Navvy Mission was formed and services began to be held outdoors and in St Peter's. In 1899, a mission hall of corrugated iron and wood was erected facing Easton Lane for exclusive use of the navvies and their families. In addition to being used for services, meetings and entertainments, the hall was able to be partitioned into two smaller rooms for the purposes of reading, smoking and recreation. The "Tin Town" was dismantled in 1904 and the mission room was sold to St George's and relocated to Reforne for use as a parish room. It remained in use into the 1950s and was demolished in the 1960s.

RN Hospital Chapel
A general hospital for the Royal Navy was opened at Castle Road, near Castletown, in 1904, on a site above existing RN sick quarters. A building of corrugated iron was erected at the site during this period for use as a chapel. When the hospital site was handed over to the National Health Service in 1957, the building became a chapel of rest. A replacement was opened and dedicated by the Bishop of Sherborne, Rev. John Kirkham, on 11 April 1984, and the original chapel building subsequently demolished.

All Saints' Church
All Saints' was built to replace St George's as Tophill's parish church, with fundraising for its construction commencing around 1910. Designed by Messrs Crickmay and Sons, All Saints' was built in Easton by Messrs H. Pittard and Son of Langport in 1914-17 during the hardships of the Great War. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rev. Frederick Ridgeway, on 28 May 1917. Although a tower was intended for the church, it was never built. The church remains active as part of the Portland Parish.

St Paul's Church
St Paul's was established in the c. late 1950s as a replacement of the previous chapel within the RN Hospital grounds. It was housed in a former boathouse dating to the 1890s at the main gates of the dockyard in Castletown. As with the former hospital chapel, St Paul's was the principal Royal Naval church in the area, serving personnel of HM Naval Base Portland, HMS Osprey and visiting sailors. It also welcomed use by local residents. The church ceased use in c. 1993, prior to the closure and selling of HMNB Portland in 1996. The building was demolished around 2007.

HMS Osprey Chapel
A small chapel established at East Weare during the mid-20th century for use of personnel of the anti-submarine establishment HMS Osprey. A 1965 guide for new personnel describes the chapel as being "open at all times", with a Holy Communion service held each Wednesday. The chapel closed prior to the mid-1980s and the entire Upper Osprey site became disused with the closure of HMNB Portland.

Verne Prison Chapel
HM Prison The Verne was opened in 1949 as a medium security training centre within the southern region of the former Verne Citadel. Converted from the officers' mess, which was built in the 1860s, the prison chapel was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rev. William Anderson, on 26 July 1955. It retains its role as chapel to date.

Wesleyan Methodists

Brackenbury Chapel
Portland's Methodist following was established with the arrival of preacher Robert Carr Brackenbury in 1791. He initially purchased a house for preaching in Fortuneswell, but the growing congregation led Brackenbury to erect a small chapel in the village at his own expense. It was built in 1792 and opened in January 1793. The completion of a larger place of worship adjacent to the chapel in 1899 led to the demolition of the original chapel in 1903. A new manse, Brackenbury House, was then built on the site.

Wakeham Wesleyan Chapel
Alongside the construction of the chapel in Underhill in 1792, Brackenbury hired a dwelling in Wakeham to serve as a preaching house for the residents of Tophill. It was replaced by a house purchased outright two years later for use as a chapel. After his death, Brackenbury's wife then erected a purpose-built chapel in the hamlet at her own expense for approximately £190. It was opened on 7 August 1825 by Rev. George Smith, who had assisted in Brackenbury's establishment of a Methodist following on the island. The chapel remained in use until its replacement was opened in 1855. It was demolished by the end of the 20th century, with Nos 85 and 87 now on the site.

Southwell Wesleyan Chapel
Wesleyan services at Southwell were originally held at the house of Charles Whittle, while William Pearce's residence there was registered as a place of worship in 1818. A purpose-built chapel was later erected in 1849 and opened in June that year. After its closure in 1997, the chapel was sold to private owners and converted into a residence, Chapel Cottage, in 2000-02.

Easton Wesleyan Chapel
A Wesleyan chapel built in Easton in 1854 as the result of an expanding population, which left the 1825 chapel at Wakeham too small to serve the congregation of Tophill. It was designed by Mr. J. Read of Axbridge and opened on 4 January 1855. When a replacement was completed in the village in 1907, the 1854 chapel was sold to Albany Ward and converted into the Palace Cinema. It closed in 1958 and went on to be used as the Palace Club, a centre operated by the Dorset County Youth Service, until 1984. The former chapel was then demolished and replaced with three new residences.

Weston Wesleyan Chapel
A Wesleyan chapel to serve the small settlement of Weston was built in 1858. It remained in use by the Methodists until c. 1971. The building was demolished in 1972 and replaced with a private residence named Chapeley.

Underhill Methodist Church
As the island's Wesleyan following continued to grow over the course of the 19th century, the original Brackenbury Chapel of 1792 became too small to serve the congregation of Underhill. A new church was designed by Mr. Robert Curwen of London and constructed by Mr. John Patten of Portland in 1898-99. It opened on 22 May 1899 and held its final service on 3 April 2022.

Easton Methodist Church
Much like the Brackenbury Chapel in Underhill, the Wesleyan chapel at Easton became too small to serve its congregation by the end of the 19th century. A period of fundraising took place from 1902 and a new church was constructed in 1906-07 by Messrs Wakeham Brothers of Plymouth on a site facing Easton Square. It was designed by Messrs Latrobe and Weston of Bristol and opened on 12 September 1907. The adjacent Wesleyan school of 1878 remained in use until 1926 and went on to become the church hall.

Primitive Methodists

Ranter's Lodge
A Primitive Methodist following was established on Portland in 1838 through the efforts of Rev. Thomas Russell and a fishing store at Chiswell, Ranter's Lodge, was quickly converted into a preaching room. It remained in use for several years until services were removed to the larger Long Room at Conjurer's Lodge (see entry at bottom of page). Ranter's Lodge then reverted to its previous use as a store and was later converted into an artist studio/workshop with accommodation in 1993-94.

Chiswell Primitive Chapel
The first purpose-built place of worship for the island's Primitive Methodist following, the chapel at Chiswell was opened by May 1858 and continued to serve the local circuit until 1869 when it was replaced by a larger chapel in Fortuneswell. The one at Chiswell was then purchased by the Wesleyan Methodists who continued to use it until the mid-20th century. The building then became a store and workshop before being converted into two private residences in the 1980s.

Weston Primitive Chapel
The only Primitive Methodist chapel for Tophill was erected in 1859 at Weston and opened in January 1860. It cost £110 and was able to accommodate 130 persons. It remained in use as a Methodist chapel until 2003 and was then taken over by Rose Funeral Service for use as a chapel of rest.

Fortuneswell Primitive Chapel
As the 1858 chapel at Chiswell soon became inadequate to comfortably accommodate the growing society on Portland, a new, larger chapel was built in Fortuneswell in 1869. It was designed by Mr. James Kerridge of Wisbeach and constructed by Mr. John Patten of Portland. The building remained in use as a Methodist church until 1971 when it was closed and sold to Captain Chibnall. Aware that the Portland Dramatic Society were in need of a permanent home, the Captain offered the society a lease to occupy part of the building. Conversion work began in 1972 and the Royal Manor Theatre was opened in October 1978. The RMT Company purchased the building in 1982 and continues to use it to hold performances and events for the local community.

Bible Christian Methodists

Wakeham Zion Chapel
Portland's Bible Christian Methodist following was established in 1857 by Rev. William Mason, and a chapel was erected and opened at Wakeham in 1859. It later closed in 1938 and was demolished that year to make way for a new Methodist manse.

Maidenwell Bible Christian Chapel
While the Tophill congregation of Portland's Bible Christians were served by the Zion Chapel, those at Underhill initially used a temporary place of worship in Chiswell. Wishing to erect a chapel of their own, a site was acquired at Maidenwell and a chapel constructed in 1865-66. It was opened on 14 January 1866 and remained in use by the Methodists until 1971. The chapel was then acquired by the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1974 for use as a Kingdom Hall.

Grove Mission Chapel
A mission chapel at Grove Road was opened by the Bible Christians in December 1904. A building of corrugated iron, it was able to seat 200 persons and cost approximately £300 to erect. It closed during the second half of the 1910s and was sold to the Open Brethren who re-erected it at Reforne for use as a gospel hall.

Roman Catholic

Chapel of St Mary
The opening of Portland Prison and commencement of government works on the island led to an influx of new residents and workers to the area, some of whom were of Catholic faith. The first place of worship outside the prison was a small chapel dedicated to St Mary, built off Grove Road. The building, which was replaced by a permanent chapel in 1868, was later demolished in the 1960s.

Church of Our Lady and St Andrew
As the island's Catholic community continued to grow, a new, permanent church was built at Grove in 1868. Designed by Mr. Joseph Hansom and built by Mr. John Patten of Portland, it was dedicated by the Bishop of Plymouth, Rev. William Vaughan, to St. Mary and St. Andrew. Towards the end of the 20th century, the church's need of extensive repair combined with a lack of priests in the diocese resulted in a reduction in its use. The last service was held in 2007 and the church was sold in 2010 to a private owner.

Portland Prison Chapel
The earliest Roman Catholic chapel within Portland Prison was converted from a mess room during the 1860s. Owing to the many Irish convicts of the Fenian Brotherhood who were incarcerated at Portland during this period, a paid Catholic chaplain was first appointed at the prison in 1866. The prison's first purpose-built Roman Catholic chapel was later completed in 1915. When the prison's Church of England chapel of 1849 ceased religious use in the 1920s, CoE services were transferred to the RC chapel. It is no longer used for worship.

Our Lady Star of the Sea
Established off Victoria Square, Our Lady Star of the Sea opened in 1939. The corrugated iron building had been erected by the Admiralty for use of Royal Naval personnel, but residents of Underhill were also able to worship there. The chapel closed in 1979 and was demolished in 1991.

Congregational Church

United Reformed Church
The Congregational Church was established on the island in 1825 when the small following converted a barn and stable at Chiswell into a place of worship. These buildings were replaced with a purpose-built chapel in 1827, which soon became too small to serve the growing congregation. A new chapel was built in 1858 on the same site and opened on 21 October that year. Known as the United Reformed Church from 1972, the congregation's numbers had dramatically declined by the 21st century and the church closed in 2009. It was sold to a private owner in 2011 and is now used as an entertainment space for guests staying in two attached holiday lets, which are based in the former manse and schoolroom.

Salvation Army

Salvation Army Citadel, Easton
Portland's Salvation Army were established in 1885 and regularly used Easton's Jubilee Hall for meetings and services during their early years. A citadel had been established at Park Road by the time of the Portland Year Book of 1905. It was replaced in 1926 with a new building constructed at Easton Street, which remained in use by the Salvation Army until the 2000s. It was then sold to a developer and transformed into three dwellings in 2011-12. Portland's Salvation Army are now accommodated at Easton Methodist Church.

Open Brethren

Osborne Hall
An Open Brethren following on Portland had been established at the end of the 19th century. As recorded in the 1905 Portland Year Book, the congregation held Sunday services at the Osborne Hall in Fortuneswell for a period. The building itself had been constructed in 1889 as a victuallers, primarily serving the Royal Navy. It went on to have various community uses before being converted into a private residence in the 1980s.

Gospel Hall
With the closure of the Mission Hall at Grove Road, originally erected by the Bible Christians, the corrugated iron building was sold to the Open Brethren, dismantled and re-erected at Reforne for use as a gospel hall. It opened in the c. early 1920s and remained active into the late 20th century. The hall was demolished during the 1990s and the site is now occupied by a residence, 127 Reforne.

Other

Vicar's House
An ecclesiastical building of 13th or 14th century origin, the Vicar's House at Wakeham is believed to have been built as an oratory for use by the Lords of the Manor and later converted into a parsonage attached to St Andrew's. The building was left a ruin after Parliamentary forces torched it during the Civil War of 1642-46. Vicar's House was never rebuilt and despite calls for its preservation, the final remains were destroyed by quarrying activity in 1917.

Conjurer's Lodge
Portland's Methodist circuit suffered a division in the early part of the 19th century owing to allegations that some of its congregation were believers in witchcraft. Portland's minister, Rev. Francis Derry, investigated the claims in 1816 and expelled fifty individuals, who in response established their own chapel on the first floor of a workshop/store at Chiswell. It remained in use for ten years until a reconciliation was achieved in 1826, ending "years of anxiety and struggle". In the 1850s, the 'Long Room' was once again used for services, this time by the Primitive Methodists until the opening of their 1858 chapel. The building remains in use as a store to date.