Fishermen's Chapel, Jersey, United Kingdom

The walls of the ancient Fishermen's Chapel are reputed to date from the middle of the 6th century, but some authorities give a later date. It is however only a few monastic chapels survived the destruction of over fifty others at the hands of the Reformers in the 16th century. The material used in the chapel is the same as was used in the parish church: limpet shells crushed and dissolved with boiling sea-water. The stone roof was raised in the 14th century. The monks of that period evidently found the roof too low and squat for wall paintings. These were discovered in 1918. After a severe storm, colour was revealed on the ceiling and a picture of the 'Assumption' was seen, but in a damaged condition. But underneath the plaster was found another painting, 'The Annunciation', of about 1310-1315 A.D. At the foot of this painting are seen fourteen figures, supposedly members of an old Jersey family, the head of which had paid for this painting.The floor was restored to its earlier level in the 1980s to the medieval level, and the 'low, squat' aspect of the chapel which appears in early photographs is now gone, as the proper proportions can be seen.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Sue Willard (6 months ago)
I walked along St.Brelade promenade and through the gardens to the small Fisherman's Chapel. You can walk along the beach or a short distance on the road. The Chapel was built in the 11- 12th century although some claim even earlier. The mediaeval paintings are breathtaking. This is a must see attraction.

Jasmine P (8 months ago)
Closed with no opening times online

Julie Ellam (9 months ago)
One of the most beautiful chapels I have ever been in. When I next visit Jersey I will definitely return see it again

Jersey Bean (2 years ago)
Beautiful old church

Dermot Tuohey (3 years ago)
This is a small and very bare (other than the walls) chapel adjacent to St. Brelades Church. Whilst a lot of the walls are whitewashed and bare, there are some inscriptions and artwork inside that are quite unique. The chapel avoided damage by reformers and it is reputed some of the walls might date to the 6th Century.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Fishermen's Chapel

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus