Travel Story--The Isle of Guernsey

Guernsey is a small island in the English Channel between England and France. Although closer to France, it is a dependency of the English Crown. I visited in September (2026), here is some of what I saw

Guernsey landscape

A lush green island with beautiful coasts, both enticing sandy beaches and romantic cliffs 

Guernsey Coastline

South of England and encircled by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, it has a very mild climate with cool winters and warm summers. I noted a number of plants I associate with warmer climates, such as the red-hot pokers (Kniphofia) 

red-hot poker (Kniphofia) on Guernsey

a really big old palm

big palm on Guernsey

and this big bamboo (though it is one of the hardier bamboos, I think, yellow bamboo Phyllostachys aurea)

There were cool modern buildings (and note the big warm-climate plants) 

Lovely shaded side streets

Harbors with ships

and picturesque churches

Torteval Church

On the headlands were great expanses of brambles (blackberries probably, Rubus)

lots of brambles 

Of course there was lots of coastline

Though only 24 square miles, Guernsey is independent and considered a country. It has its own elected government and officers, currency, and judicial system. It lets England protect it and represent it internationally. Long part of the lands of the Duke of Normandy, it became part of English crown lands when the Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) became King of England. When in 1204 King John lost the duchy of Normandy to France, Guernsey and the other Channel Islands chose to stay with the English king. They made specific agreements which have passed down only a little modified to the present. Thus they answer to the King of England but not to England's Parliament or other branches of government. I write "they" but Guernsey's agreement is different from Jersey's, the Channel Islands are a series of independent entities. 

The currency looks like England's, but is not:

Guernsey currency

Important in Guernsey's history was the decision by England that it couldn't be defended in 1940 as Nazi Germany was expanded. People made sudden decisions to evacuate to England or not, not having expected the war to come to them. But it did. Germany invaded and occupied Guersey until 1945. Conditions were grim. The Germans built lots of bunkers and fortifications (with prisoner of war slave labor) many of which remain. 

Walking along the headlands, there are sudden deep passages 

leading to bunkers, better visible on this one:

Guernsey is trying to find and do something with all those bunkers. Some are completely unsafe, others might be repurposed. The Nazis did so much construction in five years that Guernsey is still working on it 81 years later. 

The island has lovely pastures and meadows. And famous Guernsey cows, but I have no photos of them, because we went by quickly on a bus tour. 

Guernsey has deposits of blue-gray Bordeaux diorite and red-brown Cobo granite; lots of the older buildings are a blend of those 

And. like most places, Guernsey has some architectural wonders. For example, the Little Chapel, a building absolutely covered--inside and out--in little mosaic pieces, mostly crockery, some seashells, pebbles and other things. It was done almost entirely by Brother Déodat Antoine who worked on it from 1914 to 1939  and has been saved with some effort by the Little Chapel Foundation Guernsey. It is only 16 feet long, but the passage turns and descends, making it seem larger. 

Interior, Little Chapel, Guernsey

Guernsey has its own language, a local mix of English and French, but you don't hear it much. Mostly the language is English. I include the sign because I'm used to seeing Road Closed Ahead. I love the many ways we can say the same thing. 

Here's another. As you come into the roundabout, it says Filter. Does that mean "yield" or "merge"?

"Filter" the road says

Guersey is a holiday destination for the U.K. Not far distant, English-speaking, with a mild climate, its a great place to go to the beach when there's chilly rain in England. I end with a photo of a mature eucalyptus tree, an indicator that there hasn't been in killing frost in that location for decades,

eucalyptus  tree

A pretty island with a rich history and lots to see. Glad I got to go there.

Comments and corrections welcome. 

Kathy Keeler

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While on Guernsey I saw these plants that are in the book: dandelions, plantain, curly dock and petunias.