St. Peter's Church, Portland

St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church is a redundant 19th-century church, located in The Grove village, on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. It was consecrated in August 1872 and has been a Grade II* Listed building since September 1978.^[1]

History

St. Peter's Church in 1996.

Originally an Anglican parish church, the chapel was built between 1870 and 1872 by convicts for the use of the neighbouring military garrisons stationed nearby. Services and such events as baptisms were still held in the church until during the 20th century.^[2] It was designed by Major-General Sir Edmund Du Cane.^[3][4] It was built for a total cost of £8000 - the most expensive church on the island in 1872. As with many Portland buildings from the time, the construction and decoration of the church was done by convicts from HM Prison Portland and HM Prison Dorchester.^[5][6]

In 1973, the church was declared redundant and became privately owned, with no public access.^[6] Since early 2004, the church was listed for sale but there were strict rules governing its development. In 2013, a public right of way through the church's grounds was made open. Around the same time it sold for £100,000 freehold, with rumours of the church being reopened, although as of mid-2014 nothing has been done with the church.^[7]

The gate piers and boundary walls to the north and west of the church, dating circa 1875, became Grade II Listed in September 1978.^[8] At the same time the vicarage of St Peter's Church, which dates from the mid 19th-century, became Grade II Listed too.^[9] In 2008 St. Peter's Church was included in English Heritage's list of Heritage at Risk.^[3][10]

Design

The church is built with Portland ashlar stone and has slate roofs, using ornate architecture. Inside one window was replaced due to bomb damage in 1941, and the new window was placed in memory of Bandmaster J. Tyson and men of the Dorset Regiment killed in action. The stained glass in the church dates from the 20th century. The church still maintains many of its original features and is set in walled gardens with mature trees. Of notable interest is the mosaic within the church, bordering around the porch and chancel, which was the work of female convicts. It was laid by Constance Kent, who was serving a life sentence in HM Prison Parkhurst.^[1][5]

In the 1972 book The Buildings of England, authors Newman and Pevsner stated "St Peter is in its own way as surprising and as bold in scale as St George's Church, Reforne, Easton."^[5]

References

Coordinates: 50°33′08″N 2°25′35″W / 50.5521°N 2.4263°W / 50.5521; -2.4263