St. Clement Parish Church, Jersey, United Kingdom

The Parish Church of St Clement's origins lie with a privately owned wooded chapel which is thought to have been destroyed during the Norman raids. Construction of the stone church began around the year 911, starting with a chapel which is now the nave. The church became a parish church no later than 1067, because it is known that Duke William II of Normandy granted half the tithes of the church to the Abbey of Montivilliers in Upper Normandy. Only parish churches were permitted to collect tithes.

In the 15th century the church was considerably enlarged by the addition of a chancel and transepts, giving it the usual cruciform shape of most Christian churches. It has been possible to ascertain the approximate date for these enlargements and alterations from the Payn Arms (the three trefoils) in the chancel. The Payns were the Seigneurs of Samares during the 15th century. Also from this period are the gargoyles on the East outside wall, and the murals or frescoes inside the church. When the church was enlarged, the roof was raised and constructed in stone. The line of this may still be observed on the tower arch and buttresses were also constructed to support the weight.

References:

The Island Wiki

Religious sites in United Kingdom

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Michael Wynne (23 months ago)
An interesting, historic church. It's not the most fascinating Parish church on the island, but has the same quirky architecture as many of the island churches. It could do with a good tidy, however the people are all very friendly and welcoming.

Ludgero Miranda (4 years ago)

George Mcnaught (5 years ago)
Beautiful building, and very welcoming

Jersey Kayak Adventures Info (5 years ago)
Quiet and a good place to contemplate in.

St. Clement Parish Church

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Bengtskär Lighthouse