La Seigneurie
Today’s main house dates from 1675 and has been home to two of Sark’s three Seigneurial families: the Le Pelleys (from 1730) and the Collings (from 1852), ancestors of our current Seigneur
Because the Seigneurie, residence of the Seigneur, in 1730 when Susanne Le Pelley became the Dame of Sark. Rather then move to the Manoir she chose to stay in her own residence, La Perronnerie. She gave Le Manoir to the church Minister to reside in.
The complete house of La Seigneurie as we see it today was therefore never planned as a whole but rather evolved in stages under the whims of successive Seigneurs. The result is a house of great character which has often proved most bewildering to guests who find it easy to lose themselves inside the building. Starting from anywhere there are at least two ways to nearly every room and no less than sixteen flights of stairs, excluding those to the tower.
There is a dovecote tower, also erected by Susanne to house her pigeons in 1733.
Beside the residence there are two former chapels, one of which is Medieval.
The Watchtower is Victorian, erected in order that signalling could take place between Sark and Guernsey.
The high walls around La Seigneurie were erected to protect the plants and vegetation from the harsh winds and salt air. The walls also radiate heat that it has absorbed throughout the day. The garden and glasshouse were built around 1835 and although layout of the formal rose garden edged with box hedging is one of the oldest features, the circular rose garden and pergola is much more recent. The maze was designed for children and planted by the late Seigneur Michael Beaumont in 1991.