Located on a cliff 350 feet above the sea on a bed of Portland stone is St. Aldhelm's Chapel. This is a rather curious structure.
It small size and sturdy construction first. It is about 35 feet square. The walls are about three feet thick. No one knows for sure why it was built nor exactly when. It is thought to have been built during the 12th century. Thoughts on its purpose vary from a signaling station, warning point to the hazards of the coast at this point, a memorial to a woman and her husband that drown off the coast at this point. The look out theory is challanged by the fact there is only one small window. If you will look at the image to the lower right you will notice the buttresses on either side of the window also limit the span of vision.
The white building in the background is a modern coast guard station overlooking the ocean.
