St. Martin's Church

Guernsey, United Kingdom

St Martin de la Bellouse dates from around 1225 with the centrally situated tower (similar to the one at the Forest Church), nave and chancel completed by 1250. The South porch was added around 1520 and until 1869, was the meeting place of the Douzaine. The church sits on an ancient holy site in attractive surroundings.

The church is well known for the female menhir stone figure (dating back to 2500 - 1800 BC) La Gran' Mere du Cimquiere which guards the entrance to the cemetery. In prehistoric times, the statue would have been idolised and in the 1700's it became the focus of witchcraft. Even in the 19th century this activity is thought to have continued and a church warden his reported to have split the stone, but locals later repaired it. Today some folk still place coins on her head or flowers around her neck for good luck. The Church has the only font in the island which dates from before the Reformation.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: c. 1225
Category: Religious sites in United Kingdom

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ahmed Abdo (9 months ago)
Jo Gib (6 years ago)
Most evocative ancient site on the island - the Grandmere of St Martins! A beloved and appreciated stone. The church itself is lovely and in a gorgeous setting.
Philip Dunn (6 years ago)
tanya allett (6 years ago)
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Danmark Church

The first written record of church in Danmark locality date back to the year 1291. Close to the church are several stones with a Christian text and cross inscribed. The oldest parts of the present red-brick church are from the 1300s. In the late 1400s the church was enlarged to the appearance it has today. The church has been modified both internally and externally several times, among other things after the fires in 1699 and 1889. There are lot of well-preserved mural paintings in the walls.