Islands of the Bailiwick
GUERNSEY is the best centre from which to visit all the other Channel Islands, including Jersey which is a separate Bailiwick. This gives visitors the chance to enjoy several kinds of holiday during their stay, simply by taking day trips to the other islands; these are surprisingly unlike each other in character and even in scenery, so that they almost seem to be different "little countries".
Alderney
LYING some 20 miles from Guernsey, Alderney is the closest of the Channel Islands to England —and also to France. You can reach Alderney by plane or by hydrofoil from Guernsey; the air trip takes only about 15 minutes and there are frequent daily flights. The hydrofoil runs on certain days of the week and takes about 40 minutes, but it provides a novel and exhilarating journey as it skims over the water on its "skis".
Alderney is about 31/2 miles long by 11/2 mile wide, and has a population of 1,686 — most of whom are "settlers" from the United Kingdom. It is well off for fine bays and sandy beaches that are ideal for children, and has a friendly easy-going atmosphere.
The island enjoys the longest licensing hours in the British Isles, the bars opening from 9 a.m. right round to 1 a.m. the next morning in the summer.
During World War II, Alderney was completely evacuated and turned by the Germans into a camp for political prisoners and slave workers, but the only reminders of this unhappy time you will find now are the remains of heavy fortifications.
Politically, Alderney is the most democratic of the Channel Islands, and is headed by a President who is elected by popular vote. Otherwise, the States of Alderney is a miniature version of Guernsey's government, and enacts laws relating to local affairs.
A few years ago, the people of Alderney built their own nine-hole golf course, which is now a popular tourist attraction.
Many visitors, too, are enchanted by the little town of St. Anne's, with its cobbled streets, quaint houses, shops and welcoming bars.
Alderney has always been reckoned to be something of a naturalists' paradise. If you visit it by hydrofoil, you will see the island and bird sanctuary of Burhou as you approach; you will notice, too, the famous Casquet Rocks and lighthouse, and the Admiralty Breakwater.
LYING some 20 miles from Guernsey, Alderney is the closest of the Channel Islands to England —and also to France. You can reach Alderney by plane or by hydrofoil from Guernsey; the air trip takes only about 15 minutes and there are frequent daily flights. The hydrofoil runs on certain days of the week and takes about 40 minutes, but it provides a novel and exhilarating journey as it skims over the water on its "skis".
Alderney is about 31/2 miles long by 11/2 mile wide, and has a population of 1,686 — most of whom are "settlers" from the United Kingdom. It is well off for fine bays and sandy beaches that are ideal for children, and has a friendly easy-going atmosphere.
The island enjoys the longest licensing hours in the British Isles, the bars opening from 9 a.m. right round to 1 a.m. the next morning in the summer.
During World War II, Alderney was completely evacuated and turned by the Germans into a camp for political prisoners and slave workers, but the only reminders of this unhappy time you will find now are the remains of heavy fortifications.
Politically, Alderney is the most democratic of the Channel Islands, and is headed by a President who is elected by popular vote. Otherwise, the States of Alderney is a miniature version of Guernsey's government, and enacts laws relating to local affairs.
A few years ago, the people of Alderney built their own nine-hole golf course, which is now a popular tourist attraction.
Many visitors, too, are enchanted by the little town of St. Anne's, with its cobbled streets, quaint houses, shops and welcoming bars.
Alderney has always been reckoned to be something of a naturalists' paradise. If you visit it by hydrofoil, you will see the island and bird sanctuary of Burhou as you approach; you will notice, too, the famous Casquet Rocks and lighthouse, and the Admiralty Breakwater.
Sark
THE tiny feudal state of Sark is a world of its own, and when you get off the boat at La Maseline Harbour after an hour's crossing from Guernsey, you will feel as though you have stepped back a hundred years or more. The island runs its own shipping service, incidentally, and there are boats running daily except for Sunday.
You can only get to Sark by sea, because planes, helicopters and motor-cars are banned on the island. "Taxis" are horse-drawn carriages, which will also take you on an island tour. But there are bicycles for hire, too, though you will have to climb the steep hill from harbour to village to get them. Because of the ban on cars, even the island's doctor has to do his rounds on a bicycle, and the local ambulance is drawn by a tractor.
Sark still has a feudal constitution dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I. The hereditary ruler is the Seigneur, who today is Dame Sibyl Hathaway —La Dame de Serq. The government is the Court of Chief Pleas, a feudal body that legislates on local matters. The island has no income tax, death duties, divorce or adoption laws.
The Seneschal’s court has jurisdiction over minor offences, but the tiny stone building that is Sark's prison is rather a local joke — and is supposedly haunted.
Unlike the people of Alderney, the Sarkese elected to remain on the island during the German Occupation of the Channel Islands, with the result that their way of life has changed remarkably little. More than any of the other islands, Sark has kept its original character.
Roughly about the same size as Alderney, but with a population of only 584, it has a spectacular coastline of 300ft-high cliffs. The scenery is ruggedly beautiful, and one of the most outstanding natural sights is La Coupé — a precipitous "cat-walk" that joins Sark to a piece of land known as "Little Sark".
What people really enjoy most about this feudal island is its peace. Many visitors find it astonishing to hear bird-song and the lapping of the waves so clearly because there are no cars or motor-bikes to drown the sound.
THE tiny feudal state of Sark is a world of its own, and when you get off the boat at La Maseline Harbour after an hour's crossing from Guernsey, you will feel as though you have stepped back a hundred years or more. The island runs its own shipping service, incidentally, and there are boats running daily except for Sunday.
You can only get to Sark by sea, because planes, helicopters and motor-cars are banned on the island. "Taxis" are horse-drawn carriages, which will also take you on an island tour. But there are bicycles for hire, too, though you will have to climb the steep hill from harbour to village to get them. Because of the ban on cars, even the island's doctor has to do his rounds on a bicycle, and the local ambulance is drawn by a tractor.
Sark still has a feudal constitution dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I. The hereditary ruler is the Seigneur, who today is Dame Sibyl Hathaway —La Dame de Serq. The government is the Court of Chief Pleas, a feudal body that legislates on local matters. The island has no income tax, death duties, divorce or adoption laws.
The Seneschal’s court has jurisdiction over minor offences, but the tiny stone building that is Sark's prison is rather a local joke — and is supposedly haunted.
Unlike the people of Alderney, the Sarkese elected to remain on the island during the German Occupation of the Channel Islands, with the result that their way of life has changed remarkably little. More than any of the other islands, Sark has kept its original character.
Roughly about the same size as Alderney, but with a population of only 584, it has a spectacular coastline of 300ft-high cliffs. The scenery is ruggedly beautiful, and one of the most outstanding natural sights is La Coupé — a precipitous "cat-walk" that joins Sark to a piece of land known as "Little Sark".
What people really enjoy most about this feudal island is its peace. Many visitors find it astonishing to hear bird-song and the lapping of the waves so clearly because there are no cars or motor-bikes to drown the sound.
Herm
BLESSED with lovely sandy beaches and blue bays, Herm has been described as "the nearest thing to fairyland" and "a real treasure island".
The island belongs to Guernsey and lies only three miles off St. Peter Port, and is a favourite week-end playground for Guernsey people themselves. In summer, boats operate frequent services from St. Peter Port.
The present tenant, Major Peter Wood, who has leased the island from Guernsey for over 20 years now, has developed it into a popular resort attracting over 90,000 visitors a year without spoiling any of its natural beauty.
The little shopping piazza he has built just above the harbour is very charming; in the vicinity you will find a restaurant, The Mermaid Tavern, snack bar and tea garden.
Top favourite with the children is the Shell Beach, made up of fragments of hundreds of varieties of shells washed up by the Gulf Stream. Also very popular is Belvoir Bay.
Jethou
[Now private no visitors]
BLESSED with lovely sandy beaches and blue bays, Herm has been described as "the nearest thing to fairyland" and "a real treasure island".
The island belongs to Guernsey and lies only three miles off St. Peter Port, and is a favourite week-end playground for Guernsey people themselves. In summer, boats operate frequent services from St. Peter Port.
The present tenant, Major Peter Wood, who has leased the island from Guernsey for over 20 years now, has developed it into a popular resort attracting over 90,000 visitors a year without spoiling any of its natural beauty.
The little shopping piazza he has built just above the harbour is very charming; in the vicinity you will find a restaurant, The Mermaid Tavern, snack bar and tea garden.
Top favourite with the children is the Shell Beach, made up of fragments of hundreds of varieties of shells washed up by the Gulf Stream. Also very popular is Belvoir Bay.
Jethou
[Now private no visitors]
SMALLER and more rocky than neighbouring Herm, this 11/4-mile-round island has a rugged attraction of its own, and is particularly beautiful in spring, when the hillsides are carpeted with bluebells.
Jethou is Crown property, and there is only one house on it, which is occupied by the tenant. But there is also a small cafe and little bar for visitors. You can-walk around the island in less than an hour, and enjoy some fine views of Herm, Guernsey, and Sark.
Lihou
TINY Lihou is linked to the Guernsey mainland near L'Eree by an ancient causeway so that at certain tides you can walk over to the island. The waters here are treacherous, so you should be careful to watch the tide time-tables — otherwise you could be stranded for several hours!
The island is leased from the Crown by Lt.-Colonel Patrick Wootton who has made it the centre of an international youth project which holds summer camps there.
In conclusion...
You will have read enough here to see that the Bailiwick of Guernsey is unusual not only because it is a small self-governing community that has kept its laws and customs largely intact for centuries, but also because in this small island layers of European civilisation stretching from prehistoric times through Norman feudalism to the Napoleonic Wars and Hitler's Third Reich are still in evidence.
We hope that the "difference" we have pointed out will make your visit to Guernsey not only a relaxing holiday but a fascinating glimpse into a way of life. If you want to go more deeply into any aspect of local life the Priaulx Library (just above Candle Gardens in St. Peter Port) has an unrivalled collection of books about the Channel Islands — admission is free and visitors are welcome. Below we list some of the better-known books that are on sale in local shops.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey (revised edition) by C. P. Le Huray. Revised by J. C. T. Uttley (Hodder & Stoughton).
The Story of the Channel Islands by J. C. T. Uttley (Faber).
The Channel Islands by Wilfred D. Hooke (Robert Hale).
Introducing the Channel Islands by H. Myhil I (Faber). Dame of Sark : Autobiography by Sibyl Hathaway (Heinemann).
Guernsey's Natural History by Nigel Jee (Nigel Jee). Witchcraft & the Evil Eye in Guernsey by J. Stevens Cox (Toucan Press).
Herm: its Mysteries & Charms by Michael Marshall (Guernsey Press).
The Fief of Sark by A. H. Ewen and A. R. de Carteret (Guernsey Press).
GERMAN OCCUPATION
Islands in Danger by Alan and Mary Wood (New English Library).
The Silent War by Frank Falla (New English Library). Hitler's Fortress Islands by Carel Toms (New English Library).
One Man's War by Frank Stroobant (Frank Stroobant). Swastika Over Guernsey by Victor Coysh (Guernsey Press).
The Alderney Story by Michael Packe and Maurice Dreyfus (Guernsey Press).
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