New pathways and buildings could be created around the Little Chapel to aid visitor access and enjoyment of the historic site.
Built by Brother Deodat – a member of the De La Salle Brothers who taught at Les Vauxbelets – in stages between 1913 and 1939, with further decorative pieces of crockery added by Brother Cephas until his retirement in 1965, the chapel has become one of Guernsey’s leading tourist attractions.
Now maintained by The Little Chapel Foundation, plans have been submitted to the Development and Planning Authority to modernise the site.
The plans include designs for an interpretation centre and toilets, new pathways around the site, and other external works including to the access road and parking.
The changes would enable wheelchair access to the site, while offering more information about its history than is currently available there.
Designed by Lovell Ozanne Chartered Architects, the plans propose putting in new plants and hedges, a dry valley to divert rain water down stream, resin bound gravel paths, and “simplified step access” with handrails.
Seating would be provided “throughout” under these plans, with an “entrance building” created, and a cafe with a picnic area, toilets, and a new viewing area to see the Chapel.
The 14 Stations of the Cross would be retained, installed along the new pathways within the site.
A pedestrian link between the Little Chapel and neighbouring Blanchelande College will be retained under the plans, but the school has no involvement in the upkeep of The Little Chapel or its future plans.
A past row over the maintenance of the Little Chapel, including access to toilets on a former retail site adjacent to the tourist attraction have died away in recent years
In 2023, Martin Guille Silversmiths closed, claiming the landowner – Blanchelande College – had increased its rent.
Since then, the school has used the former workshop and shop to extend its educational provision.
The Little Chapel is maintained by The Little Chapel Foundation.
The charity accepts donations towards the ongoing work to maintain the Little Chapel.
A message on its website says that it needs “approximately £500,000 to fully restore the Little Chapel”.
It says this money will pay for ongoing work at the site “together with proposed plans for the woodland gardens, way of the Cross, information area, car park, and wheelchair friendly access pathways.”