ENGLAND-ISLANDS

FARNE ISLANDS
Services
Sights & Sites
●Golden Gate Boat Trips – Harbour Road (Northumberland Coast AONB); 011-44-016-6572-1210; discoverthefarneislands.co.uk/store/index.php?page=contact-us or info@discoverthefarneislands.com.

●Farne Lighthouse – Inner Farne; 011-44-034-4800-1895 (National Trust); nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands/features/lighthouses-on-the-farne-islands; built in 1811 per Daniel Alexander’s design; lighthouse keepers’ cottages to rear; lighthouse converted to solar powered operation in 1996; now maintained by Trinity House via their local lighthouse attendant, George Shiel, who also provides guided tours inside lighthouse.



GUERNSEY
Bars & Nightclubs
●Ship & Crown – North Esplanade, Victoria Pier (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-1368; liberationgroup.com/pubs/the-ship-and-crown; seafront location.

Hotels
●Old Government House – St. Ann’s Place (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-4921; theoghhotel.com; luxurious rooms in town center.
●Pandora Hotel – Hauteville (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-0971; pandorahotel.co.uk; where Victor Hugo’s mistress, Juliette Drouet, lived while he was exiled here; shabby-ish.
●St. Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort – Rohais (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-8282; handpickedhotels.co.uk/stpierrepark.

Restaurants
●Côbo Tea Room – Le Couochant Du Soleil, Côbo Coast Road (Castel, on Côbo Bay); 011-44-014-8125-3366; facebook.com/CoboTeaRoom; homemade produce, friendly service & homely atmosphere.
●Crow’s Nest Brasserie – North Esplanade, Victoria Pier (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-8994; liberationgroup.com/pubs/the-crows-nest-bar-and-brasserie; stylish bar-bistro; seafront location.
●Fermain Beach Café – Fermain Lane (Village du Putron); 011-44-014-8123-8636; visitguernsey.com/food-drink/fermain-beach-cafe; lovely Côbo Bay is where Ebenezer & Liza have picnics (per G. B. Edwards’ Book of Ebenezer Le Page).
●Le Nautique – Quay Steps (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-1714; lenautiquerestaurant.co.uk; also in St. Peter Port for fish & seafood.
●Old Government House – St. Ann’s Place (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-4921; theoghhotel.com; for dinner either of 2 restaurants: formal Governor’s Restaurant or airy & light Brasserie with walled garden.
●Pavilion – Rohais (St. Peter Port, at St. Pierre Park Hotel); 011-014-8126-4165; thepavilion.co.gg; modern brasserie.

Services
●Gill Girard – Le Tertre, Route du Tertre (Castel); 011-44-014-8125-2403 or 011-44-077-8110-4094 (mobile, urgent calls only); gillgirardtourguide.com; guided tours & walks.
●Guernsey Information Center – North Esplanade (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-3552; visitguernsey.com; island has 28-mile clifftop footpath network, maps for which available here.

Sights & Sites
●Belle Grève Bay – on east coast (just north of St. Peter Port); large bay with lovely promenade along shore; park at La Salerie car park (south of bay) & walk north to next parish, St. Sampson, approximately 1.5 miles; love beach is La Petite Grève.
●Candie Gardens – Candie Road (St. Peter Port); large Victor Hugo statue.
●Chouet Peninsula – headland near Champ Rouget & Mont Cuet; where Ebenezer Le Page lived (per G. B. Edwards’ Book of Ebenezer Le Page).
●Creux es Faies (Passage Grave) – Rue de Dehus (Vale, 4.5 kms north of St. Peter Port); neolithic passage grave; best is Le Déhus Dolmen, 4K-year-old passage grave; flick switch inside to illuminate capstone’s underside, which bears carved warrior figure, bearded, armed with arrows & bow.
●Fort Doyle – La Route de la Lande (Vale); museums.gov.gg/forts or visitguernsey.com/fort-doyle; battery built on headland east of Fontenelle Bay in 1803 as part of extensive improvements to island’s defenses during war between England & revolutionary France; 3 18 pounder cannon placed at what was then known as “Doyle Battery” in honor of then Lieutenant Governor Sir John Doyle; fort remained important to island after construction of La Platte Fougère lighthouse in 1909; during WWII once again used for defense as German occupying forces, who called it Stutzpunkt Nebelhorn, heavily fortified area including 3 coastal defense guns, anti-aircraft guns & mortars (defensively strong position as overlooks possible landing places at eastern end of Fontenelle Bay & also narrow sea passage between coast Platte Fougère’s rocky reefs); distinctive rounded shape at northern end built to accommodate cannon on traversing platform, while other 2 faced east & west on rolling garrison carriages.
●Fort Grey – Route de la Lague (Rocquaine, St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8126-5036; museums.gov.gg/forts or visitguernsey.com/fort-grey; standing on site of earlier Château de Rocquaine; completed in 1804 & named in honor of General Charles, Early Grey of Howick, K.B., who was Governor of Guernsey from 1797-1807; due to its shape, affectionately known as “Cup and Saucer.”
●Fort Hommet – Hommet headland (Castel); museums.gov.gg/forts or visitguernsey.com/fort-hommet-gun-casemate; in 1680 there was fortification with 1 gun on this site; by 1795, however, fort strengthened & additional gun positions constructed; in 1801 6 guns recorded on headland; Martello tower built in 1804; in 1856 barrack block constructed & this housed part of Regular Army garrison until WWI (later destroyed).
●Fort Le Marchant – L’Ancresse Common (Vale, accessible via footpath from Le Catelain or L’Ancresse Bay public car parks); museums.gov.gg/forts or visitguernsey.com/fort-le-marchant; fort has stood on site since at least 1680; at 18^th Century’s end, when French invasion fears prompting new fortifications all around Guernsey’s coast, original fortification, known as Fort L’Angle, expanded; work completed in 1805 & new fort named after then Lieutenant Bailiff Eleazar Le Marchant; in 1854 large barracks built on fort’s landward side, surrounded by defensive ditch (barracks since demolished & ditch filled).
●Fort Pezeries – Pleinmont (Torteval, accessible via pedestrian road from Portelet Harbour or via cliff path from Pleinmont headland); museums.gov.gg/forts or visitguernsey.com/fort-pezeries; museums.gov.gg/forts; fort has stood here since at least 1680; during 18^th Century gun platform extended & musket steps added; later magazine built & parapet strengthened; by 1842 fort had fallen into disrepair; now 3 18 pounder cannons guard Rocquaine Bay once again.
●Star Fort (Fort Pembroke) – Pembroke headland (Vale); museums.gov.gg/forts; built in 1811; star forts were by their nature temporary constructions & survival of intact & unmodified examples are rare.
●German Military Underground Hospital – La Vassalerie (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8123-9100; visitguernsey.com/german-underground-hospital; largest remaining structure from German Occupation; almost invisible from surface, tunnel complex covers 7K sq ms & hewn out of solid rock by slave workers; work started on this huge complex in 1944 when D-Day landings occurred & it looked likely that considerable German casualties might need to be cared for; hospital was never finished but forbidding atmosphere serves as reminder of grim conditions that slave workers lived in, many dying during its construction.
●Hauteville House – 38 Hauteville (St. Peter Port); 011-44-014-8172-1911; victorhugo.gg; only home Victor ever owned, he lived here 15 years; spent years decorating house with found items from around island; worth seeing.
●Lihou Island – where Ebenezer & his friend, Jim, are stranded (per G. B. Edwards’ Book of Ebenezer Le Page) all night when they miscalculate inrushing tide speed; at 33', Guernsey tidal range is among world’s biggest; visitors to nature reserve & ruined 12^th Century priory on Lihou need to study tide times notice next to causeway so as not to suffer same fate as Ebenezer & Jim; also worth seeing is “Venus Pool,” large, deep, rock pool that can carefully clamber down to & take swim in if you’re brave enough.
●Rocquaine Bay – St. Pierre du Bois Parish; shingle beach; also, where Liza Quéripel lived (per G. B. Edwards’ Book of Ebenezer Le Page).
●Le Trépied Dolmen (Druid’s Altar) – St. Saviours (on Catioroc headland, near Clos Est Mougues & Roque Tourgis); megalithicguernsey.co.uk/le_trepied_dolmen; prehistoric passage grave built during Neolithic period (4000-2500 BCE); single chamber tomb with 3 capstones, 1 of which to original position in 1870s; excavations in 1840 discovered pottery & flint arrowheads dating to 1800 BCE; tomb repeatedly mentioned in 17^th Century witch trials as witch meeting place & black sabbath venue (8 annual meetings to celebrate events like equinoces, etc., & attended by Devil).
●Vale Castle – Castle Road (Vale); visitguernsey.com/vale-castle; original name “Le Chateau St Michel,” then became “Chateau de Val” or “Chateau de Valle”; over 1K years old; defends both St. Sampson’s harbor at eastern end of Braye du Valle, Guernsey & Bordeaux Harbour.



JERSEY
Hotels
●Archirondel Tower – northeast Jersey (close to St. Catherine’s woods); 011-44-015-3463-3304; jerseyheritage.org; 1 of 24 Martello towers that dot Jersey coastline; built on rocky outcrop in St. Catherine’s Bay in 1792 and used as artillery soldier garrison; red and white tower now linked to shore by St. Catherine’s Breakwater’s abandoned southern arm; no running water or toilet facilities (beach café 100 yards away with 24-hour access to toilets and showers); guests must bring own sleeping bags; tower has electricity and lighting; only 7 day beds provided.
●Fort Leicester – Bouley Bay; 011-44-015-3463-3304; jerseyheritage.org; split across 3 levels; 2 large furnished bedrooms, living room, fully fitted kitchen, and bay views; large private garden and terrace; beach café and pub nearby.
●Radio Tower – close to Corbiere; 011-44-015-3463-3304; jerseyheritage.org; former occupying Nazi forces watchtower; top flower has 360° views; overlooks lighthouse.
●Seymour Tower – Grouville; 011-44-015-3463-3304; jerseyheritage.org; have to follow guide along mile and half trek at low tide to this 223 year-old structure; completely surrounded by water when tide comes in.
●La Tour Carree – St. Ouen’s Bay; 011-44-015-3463-3304; jerseyheritage.org.



MERSA
Restaurants
●Company Shed – 129 Coast Road; 011-44-012-0638-2700; the-company-shed.co.uk; need to bring your own bread, mayonaise, and wine; unprepossessing establishment, best visited in good weather; excellent seafood.



SARK – 1^st island ever designated Dark Sky Space because of extraordinary starwatching conditions.
Hotels
●Stocks Hotel – Stocks Lane; 011-44-014-8183-2001; stockshotel.com.

Sights & Sites
●Le Moulin – highest point on Sark & highest point of Bailiwick of Guernsey, with 114 meter altitude.
●Pilcher Monument – above Havre Gosselin on west coast; sark.co.uk/pilcher-monument-14911; on evening in October 1868 Agnew Giffard, engineer-in-charge of new breakwater at Creux harbour, set off back to Guernsey in 18' gig; left Havre Gosselin with his brother Walter, Russell Renouf (breakwater lighthouse keeper), Dr. Gatehouse (medical officer, about to take up practise in Alderney) & J.G. Pilcher, London oil merchant; per Rev. Cachemaille, they were told it was dangerous to go & would soon be dark; tide carried them long way south, then wind blowing from north freshened into tempest; night fell & suddenly became intensely dark; wreck found 7 miles from Dielette (Normandy coast); Agnew Giffard’s body came ashore in Havre Gosselin; Walter Giffard’s body found in small cave at Pointe du Nez, Eperquerie; Russell Renouf’s body found in Gouliot caves; w months later Pilcher’s body came ashore at Niton (Isle of Wight); doctor’s body never found; granite monument erected by Pilcher’s widow; made from Guernsey granite by Henrys Monumental Masons, Bordage, Guernsey, with leaded letters.



SCILLY ISLANDS
Access
●Scillonian III – Penzance to Scilly; 011-44-084-5710-5555; islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/sea.htm.
●Isles of Scilly Skybus – Newquay Cornwall Airport to St. Mary’s Airport; 011-44-084-5710-5555; skybus.co.uk.

Hotels
●Flying Boat Cottages – Old Grimsby (Tresco); 011-44-017-2042-2849; tresco.co.uk; stylish beach-houses with indoor pool, spa, bar, and restaurant.
●Hell Bay Hotel – Bryher Island; 011-44-017-2042-2947; hellbay.co.uk; 25 suites, some with private balconies and patios, decorated in warm colors; world’s edge setting.
●Island Hotel – Tresco Island; 011-44-017-2042-2993; islandhotel.co.uk; 48 room lodge; Isles of Scilly; more like Caribbean than England.
●New Inn – Tresco Island; 011-44-017-2042-2844; tresco.co.uk; Michelin-listed gastropub with airy rooms and great views.
●St. Martin’s on Isle – St. Martin’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-2092; stmartingshotel.co.uk; little dingy inside (renovated 20 years ago) but smart outside with great restaurant.
●Sea Garden Cottages – Old Grimsby (Tresco); 011-44-017-2042-2849; tresco.co.uk; 25 self-catering cottages; sea-facing.
●Star Castle Hotel – St. Mary’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-2317; star-castle.co.uk; once Elizabethan castle built in 1593; converted to hotel in 1933; wonderful views; rooms have antiques and rich fabrics.
●Tresco Holidays Cottages – Old Grimsby (Tresco); 011-44-017-2042-2849; tresco.co.uk.

Restaurants
●Ales of Scilly – St. Mary’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-2419; microbrewery.
●Ruin Beach Cafe – Old Grimsby (Tresco); 011-44-017-2042-2849; tresco.co.uk/Food_and_Drink/Ruin/ruin_beach_cafe.aspx; charming place that serves great coffee, pizzas, and homemade granola; wholesome eco vibe; very laid-back and relaxed, barefoot but civilized, with lots of driftwood and stone; can watch beach from terrace.
●St. Martin’s Bakery – St. Martin’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-3444; stmartinsbakery.co.uk; sourdough and Lawrence Loaf are specialties; also, Cornish pasty using Tresco beef.
●St. Martin’s Vineyard – St. Martin’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-3418; stmartinsvineyard.co.uk.
●Troytown Farm – St. Agnes Island; 011-44-017-2042-2360; troytown.co.uk; 14-acre property.

Services
●Bird-Watching – William Wagstaff; consult naturalists’ notice board on St. Mary’s Quay.
●Island Sea Safaris – 011-44-017-2042-2732; islandseasafaris.co.uk; boat around isles.
●Walks – contact Katharine Sawyer; scillywalks.co.uk; guided tours.

Shopping
●Hillside Farm – Bryher Island; 011-44-017-2042-3156; hillsidefarmholidays.co.uk; roadside stall for produce.
●Tresco Stores – Tresco Island; 011-44-017-2042-2806; impressive goody range; specially cheeses.

Sights & Sites
●Abbey Garden – Tresco Island; 011-44-017-2042-4105; staggering array of botanicals.
●Isles of Scilly Museum – St. Mary’s Island; 011-44-017-2042-2337; iosmuseum.org; artifacts from shipwrecks, wildflowers.