Saumarez Park is the largest public park on the island of
Guernsey.
The Park
The park, one of the island's main social venues, is located in the
Parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of
Castel
Castel may refer to the following places:
in France
Castel is the Occitan word for the Latin ''Castrum'' (small caserna military castrum) and occurs very often in southern France toponyms especially mixed with the adjective ''nau'' (which means ' ...
,
about 4 km from the centre of
Saint Peter Port
St. Peter Port (french: Saint-Pierre Port) is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958.
St ...
. It contains various facilities, including the National Trust of Guernsey's Folk & Costume Museum, a cafe, a large children's playground, large open grass lawns and a duck pond. A nature trail links the park with nearby Cobo Bay on the north shore of the island.
In 1869, Baron
James Saumarez
Admiral of the Red James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez (or Sausmarez), GCB (11 March 1757 – 9 October 1836) was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, known for his victory at the Second Battle of Algeciras.
Early life
Saumarez was born ...
(1843–1937), grandson of
Admiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
Admiral of the Red James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez (or Sausmarez), GCB (11 March 1757 – 9 October 1836) was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, known for his victory at the Second Battle of Algeciras.
Early life
Saumarez was bo ...
, who had acquired the property through his marriage in 1788 with Martha Le Marchant, exercised his ''droit de retraite'' (right of redemption) to buy Saumarez Park and the nearby Le Guet estate, after his father had put the property up for sale. A diplomat who travelled widely in his career, he created a set of exotic gardens, which included a bamboo walk, a Japanese garden, a camelia lawn, a rose garden and a walled garden.
[How the de Saumarez family shaped the island]
dated 10 March 2007, at guernseypress.com, accessed 8 November 2015 After his death Saumarez Park was acquired by the States of Guernsey.
The park is open all year round from dawn until dusk. Entry is free of charge, except when certain events are held when there are charges for parking and entry.
Saumarez Park Manor
The large manor house is today a residential care and nursing home.
Folk & Costume Museum
Situated within the park, near the Victorian walled garden, is the National Trust of Guernsey's Folk & Costume Museum. It is housed in a cluster of meticulously restored traditional farm buildings and showcases Guernsey’s heritage with exhibitions covering domestic life, farming, fishing and sea-faring. In addition, special exhibitions from the more than 8000 pieces of its nationally acclaimed costume collection are on display throughout every season.
Annual Events
The Park has played host for many years to ''Le Viaër Marchi'', a fund raising event for the
National Trust of Guernsey
The National Trust of Guernsey is an association that preserves and enhances historic buildings and the heritage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Founded in 1960, the association became The National Trust of Guernsey in 1967.
In 1968, the Trust, a ...
in early July,
[{{cite web , url=https://www.nationaltrust.gg/viaer-marchi/about-viaer-marchi/ , title=ABOUT VIAËR MARCHI , publisher=National Trust of Guernsey , accessdate=24 May 2020] the Lions Club of Guernsey ''Donkey Derby'' in mid August and the ''North Show'' and ''Battle of Flowers'' in late August.
References
External links
History of Saumarez Park
Tourist attractions in Guernsey
Geography of Guernsey