Church Ope Cove
Church Ope Cove is a small cove and stoney beach found close to Wakeham on the Isle of Portland. From the main road, follow the lane past Portland museum and Pennsylvania castle, the short walk brings you out below the ruins of the 15th century Rufus castle and above Church Ope cove beach at the Church Ope cove viewing point, one of the most beautiful places to see on Portland.
Church Ope Cove walk
Church Ope Cove walks start here and you can either take the steps down to the beach or walk in the opposite direction along the jagged coastline. If you choose to go down to the beach, about halfway down, you will find the path that heads through some woodland that leads to the well visited
Portland pirates graveyard. These are the ruins of the graveyard and church of St Andrew, a 12th century church which after destruction from landslips was eventually abandoned for the new church on Portland. St Andrews church graveyard however remains, as do a few ruins of the church (church ope cove pirates graveyard). One of the monuments remaining here has the emblem of a skull and crossbones which many (wrongly) believe indicates that this is a pirate grave - making the churchyard locally known as the Portland pirate cemetery.
Church Ope Cove Beach
Down at Church Ope Cove beach, you will find a Stoney beach covered in white stones, its a wonderfully peaceful spot and is the site of a few private beach huts too,
the beach huts at Church Ope Cove have one wonderful setting and are amongst the most sought after beach huts at Portland. Close-by at
Portland Bill are many more Beach Huts with lovely views across Portland Bill and the Race. There are few huts on the beach so rarely are there any Church Ope Cove beach huts for sale but when they do come up, they unsurprisingly get snapped up fairly quickly. Church Ope Cove isn't the easiest beach to access but this adds to its beauty as a wonderfully peaceful beach, in this way its similar to
Worbarrow beach - equally only accessible after a walk (this time through the beautiful Tyneham countryside) and making a lovely private beach. There aren't many beaches on Portland but other small beaches in the area include the one at Smallmouth Bay at Ferrybridge before you join the road over to Portland and Castle Cove beach overlooking Portland Harbour.
Portland Smugglers
Smuggling was common all along the south coast and Dorset was no different, its commonly said that smugglers would know whereabouts on Chesil beach they had landed just by the size of the pebbles. The classic Faulkner novel Moonfleet tells a fictitious story of smugglers in the nearby village of Fleet a few miles down the road. With small secluded coves like Church Ope Cove it doesn't take much to imagine smugglers landing their illicit contraband on the Church Ope Cove beach.
Church Ope Cove in WW2
Portland in WW2 was a key target due to its large naval presence at Portland harbour. The many American troops stationed here and being a potential site for massing troops ready for the D-Day invasion also made it a target. Many of the stories are told at the Nothe Fort in Weymouth and the D-Day Museum on Portland. As one of the few landing points on Portland, the area around Church Ope Cove like much of England's coast would have been protected with barb wire and mines in World War 2 to prevent enemy invasion, pill boxes were also placed above the cove to provide far seeing lookout posts.
