Parish churches of Guernsey 10

Done! And I finished with St Sampson's which is claimed to be the oldest Parish Church in the Island and stands on or near the site where St Sampson first landed as a pioneer missionary from Dol, in Brittany, about the year 550 AD.

The Church we see today dates from the 12th Century and consisted of only the nave and chancel. This was the fashion in contemporary churches around Marmoutier to which abbey the church belonged. The church was substantially complete by 1350.

One of the features that distinguishes us from some continental neighbours is that we are legally given "exclusive and perpetual right of burial". Which means that once we are buried we can't be removed without legal process. Unfortunately not for the departed of St Sampsons where, in 1969, a large part of the graveyard fell into the neighbouring flooded quarry. It took until 1982 to sort out the mess!