St. Clement’s parish church - (bus route no. 2c). The
name Clement comes from the Latin Clemens, meaning merciful, and it
was a popular name in the ecclesiastical circles in the middle
Ages. The Clement, however, from whom both the church and the
parish got their name, was probably from pope Clement I, who lived
in the 1st century AD. He is best known for his Epistle to the
Church of Corinth and has long been the patron saint of sailors.
St. Clement’s special emblem and also the parish crest is an anchor
to commemorate his being condemned to die for his faith by drowning
in the Black Sea with an anchor tied around his neck.
The date of the original St. Clement’s church is not known as it
has been altered and added to over the centuries. In common with
other parish churches, it would have been a building with a low
thatched roof and narrow windows, two of which can still be seen in
the north wall. That part of the present church where the organ is
now was a separate chapel and remained for about 500 years. The
fine sculpture granite dates from about 1400 was left outside the
church during reformation, only being found again 300 years
later.
In the 15th and 16th centuries the church gradually took the
cruciform shape it has today and added its belfry and spire. The
church’s renowned wall paintings date back to the 15th century and
are worth looking at for their period detail. On the west wall of
the south transept all that remains of an illustration of an
ancient French poem ‘The Three Living and Three Dead’ are the legs
of two horses, the hand of one of its riders, the head of a dog and
the depiction of a boat. The walls in the north transept and on the
north side of the nave tell the tales of two vanquished
dragons.
Reference: ‘Jersey’ by Sonia Hillsdon.
This cache is a quick cache and dash, there is no room for
TBs or swaps, please ensure that it is hidden before you leave. If
you haven’t already found “One year on” (GC16KRJ) by the Mundy
Family this can be done at the same time.