St. Andrew's suffered from an unstable site and was prone to landslips (notably those on the east side of Portland in 1665 and 1734).

Within two months a decision was made, with a survey of the old church finding that repairs would be at least half the cost of a new building.

A year after the completion of the church, a house was built nearby for the parish clerk, and this building would become The George Inn.

[5] Designed by architect and quarry merchant Thomas Gilbert, St George's is regarded as one of the most impressive 18th-century churches in Dorset.

[1] It is a large church built of Portland stone and has a tower, a nave, transepts, an apse, and a kind of 'abortive dome' over the crossing.