St Tugual's Chapel is a

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...

and non-

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

which dates from the 11th century. It is located on

Herm Herm (Guernésiais: , ultimately from Old Norse 'arm', due to the shape of the island, or Old French 'hermit') is one of the -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, ...

, the smallest of the

Channel Island The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consist ...

s open to the public. The chapel is currently listed on the Register of Ancient Monuments and Protected Buildings for the States of Guernsey.

History

The chapel, which incorporates an earlier structure, dates from the 11th century; but it has been suggested that the site has been of religious significance from the 6th century. It is uncertain if the chapel was named after

Saint Tugual Saint Tudwal (died c. 564), also known as Tual, Tudgual, Tugdual, Tugual, Pabu, Papu, or Tugdualus (Latin), was a Breton people, Breton monk, considered to be one of the Brittany#Religion, seven founder saints of Brittany. Life Tudwal was sai ...

because he visited Herm; or if it was so called by Tugual's followers. The current chapel was built by

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

monks A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

who lived on the island. When the Wood family took over the island's lease in 1949, they re-opened parts of the chapel; and cleared several windows. The Chapel featured on a 1970 stamp.

Restoration work

In 2010 and 2011, the chapel was closed for

restoration work Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state. This may refer to: *Conservation and restoration of cultural property **Audio restoration **Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property **Film restoration ** Image ...

, in which there was re- roofing,

repointing Repointing is the process of renewing the pointing, which is the external part of mortar joints, in masonry construction. Over time, weathering and decay cause voids in the joints between masonry units, usually in bricks, allowing the undesirabl ...

, re-rendering, and

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils can prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root gro ...

installation. The

States of Guernsey The States of Guernsey (), officially the States of Deliberation and sometimes referred to as the Government of Guernsey, is the parliament and government of the British Crown dependency of Guernsey. Some laws and ordinances approved by the ...

are responsible for the chapel's upkeep. The chapel re-opened with a special re-dedication service in May 2011.

Skeletons

During the works; two

skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal fra ...

s were found; that of an

adult An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...

and that of a

child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

. The skeletons were originally estimated to be between 400 and 500 years old. Soon, three more part skeletons were expected to be excavated; but eventually, within a 15m sq area; 40 skeletons were found, around 50% of which were children. The skeletons were taken to Guernsey by a team led by

Philip de Jersey Philip de Jersey is a Guernsey archaeologist and numismatist. He is known as an expert on Celtic coins of the Iron Age. Life and career De Jersey was born in Guernsey, and studied Geography at Hertford College, University of Oxford. After gr ...

, then were returned to Herm for burial. The earliest bones dated were from the second half of the 10th century.

References

{{reflist Herm 11th-century churches Churches in the Channel Islands