An historical painting of Church Ope

The History, Myths and Legends of Church Ope Cove

Portland

Partnership project with Portland Museum exploring the fascinating histories of Church Ope Cove, and its vital role in the history of Portland.

From stories of the fishermen, smugglers, leisure seekers and hut owners who have used the cove for centuries, to the legends surrounding local landmarks such as St Andrews Church, Rufus Castle and Pennsylvania Castle. During the project, a group of community researchers worked with research coordinator Bea Moyes to investigate the hidden histories of the cove, through workshops, trips to local archives, and site visits to local landmarks. Each member of the group had an opportunity to develop their own area of research, which they presented to the group at the final workshop, becoming part of a final research report. The information and understanding gathered will be used to inspire and inform new interpretation materials for the museum, web design and an artist commission for b-side festival in 2020.

This project was run by Portland Museum, in partnership with b-side, with funding from the Arts Council England.

To read about the project and all research findings please download the final report below.

I’m delighted that Portland Museum have been awarded an arts council grant to grow and diversify their community engagement programme. Both the museum and b-side festival make an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of the island and this project will provide the perfect platform for developing exciting new opportunities for participation, collections development and creative interpretation. 

Vicky de Wit Museums Advisor for Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole

Project resources

Church Ope
Resource
Document

Church Ope Project Report