More information : (SX 05018907) St Julietta's Chapel (NR) (Remains of) (1)
The original chapel was founded on the island during the 10th century and dedicated to St Juliot, it is most likely part of the monastery of St. Petroc's, Bodmin. It was enlarged and extended in the 13th century when the castle was built (SX 08 NE 1). It is situated outside the castle within one of the clusters of Medieval and earlier structures. Built as a simple rectangular structure, it was enlarged by a rebuild of the East end in the mid 13th century, and provided with a small chancel step and grooves in the wall indicate a chancel screen. A new doorway was cut in the South side near the West end. A porch with inner benches was added externally to the West doorway. A simple font, now preserved in the parish church (SX 08 NE 36) is pre-Norman in date and thought to come from the chapel. Fragments of a cross incised slab panel maybe from its alter frontal. (2-3)
Although excavated in the 1930's by Radford, complete architectural redrawing of the chapel in 1988, and further historical research revised earlier interpretations. In the context of this evidence, it seems probable that the chapel originated in 10th centyry as part of a wider wave of chapel building in North Cornwall, perhaps as a privately built estate church for Bossiney, converted in the earlier 11th century from a handy ruin dating from the post-Roman occupation of the Island. It may have been eclipsed by the construction of the new church on the mainland by the middle 12th century. Following construction of Tintagel Castle, it was reused as an extra-parochial endowed chapel until the abandonment of the castle in the 16th century. (4)
Depite the statements of previous authorities there is little convincing dating evidence for the chapel and it probably dates to the 13th century and the creation of the castle. Its unusual position may be due to being built to emulate the 'chapel-on-the-rocks' of the Tristan and Iseult story. (5)
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