St Tugual's Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Tugual's Chapel |
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The entrance to St Tugual's Chapel
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| Region | None |
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| State | States of Guernsey |
St Tugual's Chapel is a small, old building on Herm island. It is a chapel, which is a place for worship. This chapel is special because it is not linked to one specific religion (non-denominational). It also has not been officially blessed for religious use (non-consecrated).
The chapel was built a very long time ago, in the 11th century. Herm is the smallest of the Channel Islands that people can visit. Today, St Tugual's Chapel is protected by the States of Guernsey. This means it is an important historical building.
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The Chapel's Long History
The chapel you see today was built in the 11th century. But people think this spot might have been important for religious reasons even earlier, around the 6th century. We are not sure if the chapel was named after Saint Tugual because he visited Herm. It might also have been named by his followers.
Who Built the Chapel?
The current chapel was built by Norman monks. Monks are religious men who live together in a community. These monks lived on Herm island.
Recent Times at the Chapel
In 1949, the Wood family started looking after Herm island. They helped to open up parts of the chapel again. They also cleaned the windows so light could shine through. The chapel was even shown on a stamp in 1970!
Restoring St Tugual's Chapel
In 2010 and 2011, the chapel was closed for important repair work. This work is called restoration. During this time, the chapel got a new roof. Workers also fixed the stone walls and improved the drainage system. The States of Guernsey are in charge of keeping the chapel in good condition. The chapel reopened in May 2011 with a special service.
Skeletons Found During Repairs
During the restoration work, something unexpected was found. Workers discovered two skeletons! One was an adult and the other was a child. At first, experts thought these skeletons were about 400 to 500 years old.
Later, more digging was done in a small area. This led to the amazing discovery of 40 skeletons in total. About half of these skeletons belonged to children. A team led by Philip de Jersey took the skeletons to Guernsey for study. After the studies, the skeletons were brought back to Herm and buried again. The oldest bones found were from the late 10th century.
See also
In Spanish: Capilla de San Tugdual para niños
