St Catherine's Oratory

St Catherine’s Oratory is a medieval octagonal tower, standing on one of the highest parts of the Isle of Wight.

The small medieval oratory, or chapel, was completed in 1328. The west tower of the oratory is thought to have been used as a lighthouse, with a priest to tend the light and say mass for souls lost at sea. The remaining structure is known locally as the Pepperpot. You can see the Salt Pot nearby but it is not accessible.

The oratory is on the site of a prehistoric burial mound. The nearby barrow was partially excavated in 1925, when human and animal bones, and also flint tools were discovered.