St George's Church was built between 1754 and 1766 to replace the dilapidated St Andrew's Church near Rufus castle. The latter had suffered damage by landslips and raiding French pirates and was no longer suitable as a place of worship.
The location for St George's Church was in part because it was one of the few places where graves could be dug the required 'six feet deep'. Although completed in 1766, by 1794 the roof timbers were so decayed that the roof had to be replaced. The church was uncomfortable and draughty but served the Island until a new church - All Saints - was consecrated in Easton in 1917.
St George's fell into disuse despite the fact that the population of Portland had increased ten-fold between 1801 and 1901. Its poor state of repair and inconvenient location resulted in it becoming abandoned and bomb damage in 1940 helped its decline. In the 1960s it came under the protection of the 'Friends of St George's Church' who have now restored it to its original glory.
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Isisbridge said:
St George's Church was built between 1754 and 1766 to replace the dilapidated St Andrew's Church near Rufus castle. The latter had suffered damage by landslips and raiding French pirates and was no longer suitable as a place of worship.
The location for St George's Church was in part because it was one of the few places where graves could be dug the required 'six feet deep'. Although completed in 1766, by 1794 the roof timbers were so decayed that the roof had to be replaced. The church was uncomfortable and draughty but served the Island until a new church - All Saints - was consecrated in Easton in 1917.
St George's fell into disuse despite the fact that the population of Portland had increased ten-fold between 1801 and 1901. Its poor state of repair and inconvenient location resulted in it becoming abandoned and bomb damage in 1940 helped its decline. In the 1960s it came under the protection of the 'Friends of St George's Church' who have now restored it to its original glory.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Church,_Portland