Forest Church

The Forest Church stands on the high plateau of the south of the island. The cluster of houses known as Le Bourg probably grew up around the church, rather than the church being built to serve an existing village. There has been a church on this site for a very long time, certainly since before 1048 when it is mentioned in a Royal Charter. Long before that, there-is evidence that this was an important Pagan shrine. At the time of the above charter the church was in the possession of the Abbey of Moutiers in France. The present structure is not as early as this, although parts of the masonry in the southeast corner of the church behind the organ may date from this period. The church as it stands today is the smallest Parish church in Guernsey. It is not easy to date it, as, like most Guernsey churches, the architecture is unlike that of contemporary French or English ones; most of them are similar to the early Celtic churches of Brittany, Ireland and West Wales. We do know that it was built in stages over several hundred years from the 11th century on wards. The east end of the South aisle, where the organ now stand s, was built first, then the central Bell tower which is typical of Guernsey churches in its architecture and construction. The original door to the church was where the vestries now stand and was approached through a covered porch with seats either side. As the congregation increased the church was expanded by the addition of the North aisle which is now the main bod y of the church. It was completed during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.