Planning permission was granted in 2023 to erect an entrance portico/lobby on the western entrance to the church, housing an external WC.
But before work can start, archaeologists are digging trenches to see what is there.
The church dates back to 1175, but the entrance was originally on the south side of the church, looking towards the main road.
It was moved to the western end in about 1475.
States archaeologist Phil de Jersey said that meant he expected there would be graves around the doorway. And over the first few days of the dig his team has found a number of pieces of bone, including a jaw with its teeth still intact. So far they are only about half a metre down.
‘The burials can be quite shallow,’ Dr de Jersey said.
‘The ideas of six-foot under came in quite late. This is from the early medieval period, so it may only be a foot below the surface.’
Without mechanical tools, medieval gravediggers would often break though previous graves to put in new bodies, leading to some disjointed remains. But Dr de Jersey was hopeful they would find more complete skeletons as they go deeper. The plan is to go about a metre down, or until they hit undisturbed ground.
Dr de Jersey said they had not known what to expect, as much newer bones in more acidic soil in St Martin’s had been found to be spongy in a recent dig. But the clay at St Andrew’s is slightly different.
‘At the moment it looks like quite good preservation,’ he said.
‘Even slight changes in geology can affect that.’
Bones that are 1,000 years old have been found at nearby Castel Church and Dr de Jersey said it would be interesting to find some really old bones on this dig.
There is still another trench to go in, closer to the western wall of the churchyard, where the new toilet’s cesspit will go. Dr de Jersey said that part of a wall would need to be moved to get a trench in.
One thing that has been unexpected on the dig has been the services, with drainage pipes, as well as suspected water and electricity pipes running through the trenches, which the archaeologists have had to carefully work around.
Dean of Guernsey Tim Barker is also the rector of St Andrew’s and lives opposite the church. He has been following the dig with interest.
He was glad it was taking place.
‘The archaeological investigations was one of the conditions of the planning permission and we are delighted Phil de Jersey and his team are able to do the work now,’ he said.
‘It’s interesting to find out the history of the church and it will be interesting for the people of St Andrew’s.’
The bones that are found will be studied before being reinterred in the parochial cemetery – just up the lane from the church. The dig is expected to continue for a few more weeks.
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