The Cove House Inn

THE COVE HOUSE INN, CHISWELL

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1280745
Date first listed:
17-May-1993
List Entry Name:
The Cove House Inn
Statutory Address:
THE COVE HOUSE INN, CHISWELL
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Location

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Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
2001-08-08
Reference:
IOE01/04606/15
Rights:
© Mr Reg Perry. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1280745
Date first listed:
17-May-1993
List Entry Name:
The Cove House Inn
Statutory Address 1:
THE COVE HOUSE INN, CHISWELL

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
THE COVE HOUSE INN, CHISWELL

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Dorset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Portland
National Grid Reference:
SY 68327 73522

Details

PORTLAND

SY6873 CHISWELL, Chesil 969-1/3/198 (West side) The Cove House Inn

II

Public house. Early C19 with earlier origins. Large square dressed Portland stone blocks, slate roofs and stone stacks. The main central unit extends one bay to the right and one bay to the left at a lower level.; there are various additions at the rear, stepped down to a lower access level. Centre block is in 3 storeys, 2 windows: 4-pane sashes in flush boxes, but at ground floor are small 12-pane; at centre a lean-to porch with C20 door. To the left is a 4-pane sash over a broad recessed mid C20 window and to the right the same. The left gable includes an early C19 small 9-pane sash in the gable. At the right hipped end are two 4-pane sashes and, at basement level, a gabled porch with stone cheeks; there is a further door in the rear extension. The centre block has gable stacks. Interior modified in C20; there are substantial dressed stone walls in the basement, possibly part of an earlier building on the site. This is one of the rare survivals from the great storms of 1824 which caused such damage to this part of the Portland coast. The inn played a prominent part in the saga of shipwrecks on this part of the coast, particularly in the infamous Avalanche and Forest disaster of 1877. Watch was kept from its windows, survivors were taken in and bodies of victims were taken to the nearby "dead house" by the landlord's family - Ranter's Lodge (q.v.). Many important meetings were held here in the C19, including committees for the relief of suffering for catastrophic storms, for the establishment of a lifeboat (1870) and for protest against the practice of catching fish by dynamite charges (which became national news in 1877). (Morris S: Information on Cove House: 1991-).

Listing NGR: SY6832773522

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
381918
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Morris, S, Information on Cove House, (1991)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of The Cove House Inn

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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