Guernsey has three other satellite islands. The first is Herm Island, I wrote about him before.The second island is Alderny (in English or Aurigny in French) which is the largest of the satellite islands but which I have not yet had the opportunity to visit, since the only way to get there is by a rather expensive flight. The third island is Sark (in English or Sercq in French) and of the three it is my favorite. And today let me tell you why I love it so much and why you too should not miss it on your next visit to Guernsey.
The history of Sark
We know very little about the history of Sark before it became part of a duchy. Normandy In 933, we don’t even know the origin of its name. During the Middle Ages, a monastery was established on the island, but by the 16th century it was abandoned due to its complete remoteness from civilization and a series of epidemics. In 1565, Queen Elizabeth I of England granted Hellier de Carteret the right to call himself “Lord of the Sacks” in exchange for him committing to owning the island for 1 families who would protect it from invaders and pirates. As a result, the island was divided into 40 plots that were inherited from father to son and exist, with minor changes, to this day.
Over the following centuries the island passed from one family to another until in the 19th century the Collings family took over the island of Sark after the previous ruler mortgaged it and failed to pay his debts. The descendants of this family are the ones who rule Sark to this day and they hold the title Seigneur of Sark or Dame of Sark, as this title can also be passed to women, which has indeed been done several times in recent centuries.
During World War II, it was idle, like the rest of the islands. Guernsey, under German occupation, and one Jew who lived there managed to keep a low profile and survive the entire war without being discovered. Sark was liberated one day after Guernsey, so they celebrate the end of the German occupation there on May 10th, not on May 9th like the rest of the islands of Guernsey. But if you thought that was the last time someone invaded this island, you were wrong. In 1990, a French nuclear physicist named André Gardes decided to invade Sark and take it over by force. He took an automatic rifle and arrived by boat to the island at night. After distributing leaflets in which he declared that the island was now under his control, he sat down with the rifle on a bench near the Seigniorie, the estate of the ruler of Sark. This attempted occupation ended that same day when the Constable of Sark took control of him and he was sent to serve a week in prison in Guernsey. Want to learn more about this amusing invasion? Take a look at this video:
How do you get to Sark Island and what can you do there?
The Isle of Sark can be reached by ferry from Guernsey, the journey taking about 40 minutes, at the end of which you enter a lovely bay. On the way there, if you are lucky you will see the tourist ships parked not far away and the lighthouse at the end of the island.
When you get off the ferry and start walking into the island itself, you will discover one of the unique features of this island: there are no cars at all. Well, to be honest, that’s not entirely true because there is a tractor that is used to transport goods from the port to the inhabited part of the island above, but other than that, nothing. So how do you get around on this island? Either on foot or by horse-drawn carriage!
However, if you listen to me, leave the horses and carriages for a moment, we will soon reach them, take your feet and start climbing to the top of the island yourself. In return for the effort (which is not so bad) you will find yourself walking along the paths of a magical forest and in case you get tired, don't worry, you will find a number of benches scattered in the forest on which you can rest. And so after about 20 minutes of walking you will reach the center of Sark Island, where you will find quite a few shops, restaurants and carriages. This is exactly the time to rent a horse-drawn carriage, along with a few other people and go on a trip around the island.
Sark's carriage drivers arrive on the island in the spring and stay there until the tourist season ends in late autumn. They will take you to all sorts of hidden corners of the island and tell you a little about its history and the pirates who lived there. During the carriage ride, you can get off, walk around a bit and enjoy the views.
At the end of the trip I guess you'll be hungry. If you listen to me, go eat at The Flower of the Garden A small restaurant where you can eat some of the delicacies that Sark can offer you, including lobster salad for about £15 (not expensive at all for such a delicacy).
However, if you are not hungry, don't worry, there are quite a few other excellent places to eat along the way. Therefore, from the town of Sark, I suggest you start walking towards Le Petit Sark. And you should know this: Sark Island is actually made up of two islands connected by a very narrow bridge that was built by German prisoners of war after World War II. When you get there, you will discover one of the most beautiful sights on the island.
Cross the bridge and continue around this wild island and you will finally reach the La Sablonerie hotel, where you can eat not bad food, but a little too expensive for my taste. If you don't want to eat there, continue on and you will come to an old silver mine that closed in the 19th century.
After you finish walking there, return to the “Big Sark” and this time you can take a different path that will lead you. To the Stokes Hotel (Stokes Hotel). This is a 4-star hotel with a not-so-bad restaurant that I received a recommendation for from my landlords, who know a thing or two about Guernsey. There is no doubt that if you want to stay in Sark, this could be a not-so-bad option. You will probably ask me, why stay in Sark if there is a ferry that you can take back to Guernsey the same day? The reason for this is that Sark is the place where you can see the stars in the sky in the best way in the world. The reason for this is that Sark has no street lighting and therefore its light does not interfere with the light coming from the stars in the sky. The result, on a clear, cloudless night, is simply spectacular.
And if you have already stayed in Sark for the night, then the next day you can take a short trip in one of the boats around Sark to discover caves hidden among the cliffs and watch the Puffin, the symbol of Guernsey, nesting among the cliffs. Alternatively, you can go to the Seigneurie building where the ruler of Sark lives and visit its charming gardens.
Either way, whether you stay for one night or come for a few hours of sightseeing, I'm sure this charming island will forever be etched in your memory.
Lovely article and by the way, you can also ride electric bikes. They have approved this in recent years 🙂
Very interesting and fun
Regarding carriage rides, do you need to book in advance? Where do they wait?
There is no need to book it in advance. When you get from the port to the island, you see the carts and simply choose one and get on it.