Sark: A Salute to Feudal Britain
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Port
St Peter Port, Guernsey
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$159.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 6¼ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Coming ashore by ship's tender at St Peter Port; then, board the modern ferry for the eight-mile crossing to Sark. Once on the island, you will transfer to a tractor-bus for the ride up to the center of the village.
The slow and graceful lifestyle of Sark is evident as you climb aboard a horse-drawn carriage for a tour of the island where no cars and only a few tractors are permitted -- you'll no doubt appreciate the slower pace for which the island is renowned.
Setting out from the village, you will see the small post office, the island's prison -- a small stone structure with just two cells -- and Sark's parish church. The island still has a seigneur -- a feudal lord whose privileges are the same as those when the fief was granted by Queen Elizabeth I. He (or she) lives in La Seigneurie, home of the seigneurs of Sark since 1730. Nowadays, the Seignure is democratically elected. Visit the beautiful garden of this imposing house.
Return to the village to find several teashops and small restaurants. Sark's extraordinary attachment to laws and institutions that have long since been abandoned by other Western societies makes it indeed a feudal state in modern times.
Notes:
The ferry to Sark Island is the local ferry and is not exclusive to Holland America Line guests. Not advisable for guests using a wheelchair as there are many steps (tide dependent) at both Guernsey and Sark harbors and a five-minute walk to the tractor landing on uneven terrain with steep inclines.