The warm, sunny weather after the rain last week has created the perfect conditions for sowing the seeds for Project Sunflower, the conservation initiative started by Sue Daly and now in its third year. The two-acre field, which is near the Island Hall, has been loaned by farmer Gavin Nicolle who does the land preparation work with help from his son Martin. As well as sunflowers the seed mix contains…
Set in the centrally located yet quiet, secluded Gardens of Clos de la Tour THE COTTAGE is close to The Avenue, St Peters Church, most beaches and cliff paths plus local eateries. This fabulous 4 star, Gold Award winning property has its own entrance through a private glass porchway leading directly from its south facing garden area and has a wonderfully simple open plan design on both ground floor and…
The Old Forge Plaisance. . A luxuriously appointed newly built detached granite farmhouse style cottage, with oak beams and floors, large fully fitted and equipped farmhouse kitchen with heritage cooker (Aga style), walk in pantry, separate utility room with washing machine, large galleried landing entrance foyer, large living room with granite fireplace and wood burning stove, three bedrooms/bathrooms, own enclosed south facing private garden, sea views from most rooms,…
Sark’s Seigneur, Christopher Beaumont, and his family got stuck into the hospitality industry this month to make sure that Hathaways, the café at the Seigneurie Gardens, was up and running in time for Easter after the previous tenant was unable to open due to ill health. Christopher’s wife Sarah, their daughter Sibyl and Sarah’s sister Annie are running Hathaways every day between 10am and 5pm offering homemade cakes and scones…
A crowd of locals and visitors gathered at the Beauregard duck pond on Good Friday to watch the children sail their model boats, an Easter tradition that has been running for at least seven decades. As usual, most of the children waded chest high in the muddy water sending the mallards and their chicks to take cover in the shrubbery for a couple of hours. Model boat builder George Torrode,…
The Gouliot headland on the west coast of Sark is looking at its most glorious right now with swathes of wildflowers covering much of the heathland. There are still violets and primroses in bloom and these have been joined by a purple haze of bluebells. Although normally a woodland flower, bluebells thrive on Sark’s cliff tops because their bulbs are shaded by the bracken that grows as they finish flowering….
Food writer and judge on ITV’s Great British Menu Matthew Fort was on Sark recently for a return visit to Stocks Hotel along with some other top professionals from the food industry. While they were there Stocks’ chef Dan Wood showed them around the hotel’s award-winning permaculture garden where they also met head gardener Susan Fryer. The gardens at Stocks produce organic food for the hotel using design principles found…
With the sunshine and lengthening days Sark’s spring wildflowers are putting on a fabulous display. On the coast the first of the thrift and sea campion is coming into bloom and the gorse and blackthorn shrubs are covered in blossom. In the woodlands and on Harbour Hill the bluebells are starting to open, filling the air with their beautiful scent. To find out more about Sark’s wonderful wildflowers have a…
With the spring term about to end here on Sark, pupils at the island’s school have been exploring different ways to tell the Easter story at Messy Church, an evening of creative activities organised by the Methodist Chapel. The painting, biscuit decorating and textile fun was followed by a short service and supper but the children have another couple of weeks to wait for their Easter eggs! Pictures by Sue…
A Brief Introduction to the Royal Sark Militia What is a militia, why did Sark have a militia and when did it start? A militia is a group of ordinary citizens obliged to enroll for military instruction, practice and in the case of an emergency active duty. The history of Sark’s militia begins in 1565 with its first Seigneur, Helier de Carteret. When Queen Elizabeth I of England granted him…
