Milton Abbas, Dorset - St Catherine's chapel

One of my fondest, and enduring memories, of my time at Milton Abbey was of the rather magnificent grass steps climbing up to St Catherine's chapel, LNK, from the cricket pitch east of the Abbey. Back in the day [late 70's, early 80's] they were a perfectly manicured, out of bounds, grass sweep up the hill through the wood. Now sadly only the bottom third appears to be grassed - I assume the bit that is maintained by the school - whilst the top two thirds has died and the trees and weeds have encroached. I assume this part is 'maintained' by the local council and austerity cutbacks have resulted in this lack of care, which is a shame.

The chapel itself has Saxon roots and Norman remnants and, as far as I remember, is internally extremely plain. Nonetheless it's charming, not least for its hidden location in the beech woods.

ST CATHERINE'S CHAPEL, on the hill, 300 yds E of the church and exactly in line with it. Built of flint and consisting of nave and chancel. The building is Norman - cf. the two Norman windows and two Norman doorways with tympana characterized by the segmental curve of the underside. The SW doorway is more elaborate. It has one order of colonnettes with fancy leaf capitals and an inscription promising a 120-day indulgence to pilgrims. Norman also - Latest Norman - the chancel arch with triple responds, the middle one keeled, water holding bases (already), scallop capitals, and a pointed unmoulded arch with a continuous outer roll moulding. - TILES in the chancel.

The story begins at the top of one of the most remarkable green stairways we have seen: 111 green steps of turf between solid balustrades of yew hedges. Rarely have men and Nature worked together more impressively. At the top of this long flight of steps is a chapel built by Saxons, renewed by Normans, long a pigeon house and a labourer’s cottage, but now a church again. It was on the site of this chapel that Athelstan, First King of All England, camped with his guards on their way North to meet the Danes, and here he dreamed that he would be victorious. The English Chronicle tells us that the dream came true, and Athelstan founded Milton Abbey in memory of his victory.

Flickr.