Saint Peter Port

Saint Peter Port Saint-Pierre-Port
Parish
View of St Peter Port from the South
Location of Saint Peter Port in Guernsey
Coordinates: 49°27′20″N 2°32′12″W / 49.4555°N 2.5368°WCoordinates: 49°27′20″N 2°32′12″W / 49.4555°N 2.5368°W
Crown Dependency	Guernsey, Channel Islands
Government
• Electoral district	Divided into St Peter Port North and St Peter Port South
Area
• Total	6.5 km^2 (2.5 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2014)
• Total	18,207
• Density	2,800/km^2 (7,300/sq mi)
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	UTC+01 (UTC)
Postal code	GY1-GY9
Website	www.stppcons.com

Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2001 was 16,488. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from Saint Pierre Du Bois.

As well as being a parish, St. Peter Port is a small town consisting mostly of steep narrow streets and steps on the overlooking slopes. It is known that a trading post/town has existed here since before Roman times, the pre-Christian name of which has not survived into the modern era.

The postal code for addresses in this parish starts with GY1.

People from St. Peter Port, were nicknamed "les Villais" (the townspeople) or "cllichards" in Guernésiais.

Geography

St. Peter Port is located on the east coast of Guernsey. It borders St. Sampson in the north, The Vale in the north-west, St. Andrew in the west and St. Martin in the south.

On the seaward side it faces Herm to the east, across the Little Russel, and Sark and Brecqhou even further east across the Big Russel between them and Herm. The Bréhon Tower sits in the Little Russel between St. Peter Port and Herm.

Relief The land in the north and by the harbour is low lying but in the south, the land gets much higher (but not as high as St Martin's or the Forest). This means that there are quite a few cliffs on the coast between Havelet and Fermain.

Subdivisions

Castle Cornet

Saint Peter Port is subdivided into four cantons:^[1]

1. Canton 1 or North Canton
2. Canton 2 or Canton of the North-West
3. Canton 3 or Canton of the South-West
4. Canton 4 or Canton of the South

In addition, the islands of Herm and Jethou belong to the parish,^[2] but are not part of any canton. They belong to Electoral district Saint Peter Port South.^[3]

Sport & leisure

St. Peter Port has an English Isthmian League club, Guernsey F.C. who play at Footes Lane. The Guernsey Rugby Football Club also play at Footes Lane and compete in National League 3 London & SE.

Parks and Gardens

Candie Gardens, an award-winning restored Victorian Garden features a statue of Victor Hugo. Cambridge Park is a recreational park that includes a skate park. In 2014 the parish was a Gold & Category Winner in the RHS Britain in Bloom competition,^[4] followed in 2016 with another Gold medal.^[5]

Features

The features of the town include: St Peter Port Harbour Town Church, Guernsey, the parish church of St Peter Port at the heart of the town Buildings The Royal Court House (La Cohue Royale), seat of the States of Guernsey Hauteville House, Victor Hugo's house of exile, which is now a museum under the aegis of the city of Paris). National Trust of Guernsey Victorian shop [6] Elizabeth College founded in 1563 by Elizabeth I of England. The main building (built 1826) is a prominent feature of the skyline. Victoria Tower [7] Priaulx Library [8]^:16 Guille-Allès Library [9] St James concert hall The Market, the Arcade, the High Street, the Pollet and Mill Street, which are all pedestrian priority and part of the shopping district Cobbled streets and narrow passageways of the old town Candie Museum [10] Candie Gardens [11] Marinas for visiting and local boats Military: Castle Cornet, the historic fortress that guarded the strategic entrance to the port. The castle was formerly a tidal island, but since 1859 a breakwater has connected it to the enlarged harbour. Island war memorial at the top of Smith Street [12] Parish war memorial at the bottom of Smith Street[13] St Stephens war memorial in St Stephens church[14] Liberation monument Anglo-Boer War memorial, in the Avenue [15] Fort George [16]^:126 Cemetery at Fort George Commonwealth War Graves at Le Foulon cemetery Clarence Battery dating from the Napoleonic Wars La Vallette military museum [16]^:126 German fortifications, built during the occupation 1940-45 [8]^:40 Two 13.5 cm K 09 German World War I Canon near Victoria Tower The Guernsey Aquarium, situated in fortified tunnels at La Vallette, built during the German occupation.[16]^:126 Bathing places at La Vallette A number of protected buildings [17] Castle Carey was built in 1840 for John Carey. It is a Gothic revival property, attributed to the architect John Wilson, who designed Elizabeth College and St James Concert Hall. It was briefly the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and hosted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert during their visit to Guernsey in 1859, and the Duke of Cambridge in 1862. Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Travailleurs de la Mer”, published in 1866 and dedicated to Guernsey, where he spent 15 years in exile, mentions Castle Carey. The castle stayed in the Carey family until William Wilfred Carey sold it in 1912.[18] During the Second World War, the Germans occupying Guernsey used Castle Carey as an officers’ club.

The parish of Saint Peter Port hosts: Government House (office of the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey St Peter Port Douzaine Guernsey Information Centre Fire Station States of Guernsey Police Service [8]^:34 Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service R.N.L.I., Guernsey Guernsey Border Agency Guernsey Post Footes Lane Ladies' College Vauvert Primary School Many shops Number of banks Large number of offices Blue Islands, a regional airline, has its head office in Saint Peter Port.[19] Countryside walks [16]^:125 Val des Terres Hill Climb St Peter Port Harbour Carnival [20] Town Carnival [21] The Town Church Liberation Monument

Main roads

The following main roads (listed from north-south) provide important links between St Peter Port and the other parishes:

• Les Banques (leads up the coast to St Sampson's and the north of the island)
• Rohais Road (leads to the parish of Castel)
• Mount Row (leads to St Andrew's and the west of the island)
• Ruette Brayes (leads to St Martin's and the south of the island)
• Fort Road (leads to St Martin's)

The following coastal roads (listed from north to south) are also very important as they provide access to the shops, carparks and the harbour:

• St George's Esplanade
• North Esplanade
• South Esplanade
• Mount Durand

Politics

Saint Peter Port comprises two administrative division, St Peter Port South and St Peter Port North.

In the Guernsey general election, 2016 in:

• St Peter Port South there was a 2,068 or 63% turnout to elect five Deputies
• St Peter Port North there was a 2,639 or 65% turnout to elect six Deputies.

Famous people

• Margaret Ann Neve - The oldest woman in the world until her death in 1903
• Sir Isaac Brock – Major General, "Hero of Upper Canada", War of 1812
• Matthew Le Tissier, footballer
• Alison Merrien MBE, World indoors bowls champion
• George Métivier, poet
• Heather Watson, tennis player, Team GB athlete and Wimbledon Champion
• Victor Hugo, French writer, In exile in St-Peter Port from 1855 to 1870.
• Cameron Chalmers, athlete

Numismatic History

Guernsey bank notes feature a number of parish buildings:

One pound, the Market and the Royal Court One pound commemorative, the Market and Fountain Street Five pound, the Town Church

Ten pound, Elizabeth College Twenty pound, St James concert hall Fifty pound, Royal Court house

See also

• Guernsey
• Parishes of Guernsey
• Maritime history of the Channel Islands

References

1. "St. Peter Port Parish, Canton Boundaries". Stppcons.com. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
2. "Bailiwick of Guernsey". Crwflags.com. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
3. "Guernsey Election of States Deputies, 2008". Islandlife.org. 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
4. "RHS Britain in Bloom 2014 UK Finals Judges' Reports". Britain in Bloom.
5. "RHS Britain in Bloom 2016 UK Finals Full Results". RHS Britain in Bloom.
6. "Places to visit". National Trust of Guernsey.
7. "Victoria Tower". Guernsey Museums.
8. "Townie No 1" (PDF).
9. "Guilles Alles Library".
10. "Candie Museum". Guernsey Museums.
11. "Candie Gardens". Guernsey Museums.
12. "Bailiwick of Guernsey War Memorial". Great War CI.
13. "St Peter Port Parish War Shrine, Guernsey". Great War CI.
14. "St. Stephen's Parish Memorial, Guernsey". Great War CI.
15. "South African War Memorial". Guernsey Museums.
16. Dillon, Paddy. Channel Island Walks. Cicerone Press Limited, 1999. ISBN 9781852842888.
17. "PROTECTED BUILDINGS". Environment - Guernsey government.
18. Careyroots http://www.careyroots.com/castle.html
19. "Contact Us." Blue Islands. Retrieved on 18 September 2009.
20. "Harbour Carvival". Guernsey Round Table.
21. "Town Carnival". Town Centre Partnership.

External links

• The St. Peter Port Parish Constables Website
• The Town Church Website