Sark & Herm General Information Area: Sark: 5.5 sq km (2.1 sq miles). Herm: 2 sq km (0.8 sq miles). Population: Sark: 550 (1996). Herm: 60 (1996, including 4 inhabitants on Jethou). Population density: Sark: 100 per sq km. Herm: 48.5 per sq km. GEOGRAPHY: Sark is a 45-minute boat journey east of Guernsey. It is almost two islands, the two parts being joined by a narrow isthmus known as La Coupée. The island is a plateau, with a collection of animals and plants unique to Sark. In the spring and autumn, the island becomes home to an unusual selection of migratory birds. The main village is situated at La Collinette. The coastline is rugged, with many cliffs and caves. Herm lies between Guernsey and Sark. It has lush and varied scenery, with meadows, unusual wild flowers and steep cliffs overlooking secluded coves and pounding surf. Herm attracts up to 1000 visitors a day during the summer. Government: Dependencies of the British Crown with considerable internal autonomy. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II. Head of Government: Seigneur Michael Beaumont. The island of Herm is privately leased by Guernsey. The island of Sark is a personal fief held by the Seigneur direct from the British Crown. Language: Local patois, a type of old Norman French. English is widely spoken. Telephone Sark and Herm are connected to the UK STD telephone network; area code: 01481. Mobile telephone GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Network operators include Guernsey Telecoms (website: www.guernseytelecoms.com). Internet ISPs include gtonline and Guernseynet. Information is available from Guernsey Telecoms (website: www.guernseytelecoms.com). Post There is a post office on Sark. Note: For information on time and electricity, and for further information on communications and money, see the Guernsey section. Passport/Visa See main United Kingdom section. Money Currency: Both Sark and Herm use Sterling as currency. UK mainland banks can be found on Sark. Duty Free See main United Kingdom section. Public Holidays See main United Kingdom section. Health See main United Kingdom section. Travel - International SEA: Sark and Herm can be reached by sea from either Jersey or Guernsey. Sark: The main harbour is at Maseline. All visitors arriving from the UK must transfer at Guernsey. Sailings from the UK are with Condor Ferries departing from Poole or Weymouth. For more details, contact Condor Ferries (tel: (08453) 452 000; fax: (01305) 760 776). Sailings from France depart from Saint Malo with Emeraude Lines (tel: (2) 2318 0180; fax: (2) 2318 1500). The Isle of Sark Shipping Company runs daily services (travel time – 45/50 minutes) between Guernsey and Sark in summer, with a more limited service in winter. For further information, contact Isle of Sark Shipping Company Ltd, White Rock, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2LN (tel: (01481) 724 059; fax: 01481 713 999; e-mail: info@sarkshipping.guernsey.net). Herm: There is a ferry service daily between Guernsey and Herm (travel time – 20 minutes). Ferries leave every 30 minutes from Guernsey to Herm and faster catamarans can be chartered. Carriers include: Herm Seaways and Herm Express Ferry, Albert Pier, Weighbridge Clock Tower, St Peter Port, Guernsey (tel: (01481) 724 161; fax: (01481) 700 226); or Trident Charter Company, Trident Kiosk, Weighbridge Clock Tower, St Peter Port, Guernsey (tel: (01481) 721 379; fax: (01481) 700 226). ROAD: No cars are allowed on either island. The Sark ‘taxi’ is a horse-drawn carriage which takes visitors around the island. Bicycles can also be hired on Sark. Herm has only a few essential tractors and an emergency four-wheel-drive vehicle. Note: There is a landing tax for all visitors to Sark. Accommodation There are six hotels, many guest-houses and self-catering cottages and apartments on Sark. Herm has one hotel, the White House Hotel which has a tennis court, croquet lawn and outdoor swimming pool, and several self-catering cottages. There is also a campsite, the Seagull campsite, at the top of the island. For further information, contact the Sark Tourism Office (see Contact Addresses section). Introduction SARK: A feudal state ruled by a Seigneur, who is also a member of the autonomous parliament called the Chief Pleas. The island’s countryside is characterised by its granite cliffs topped with flowered fields known as cotils. There are several excellent beaches, pools (Dixcart and Grand Greve) and rock pools, including the Venus Pool (a 6.1m/20ft tidal pool) and Adonis Pool; most of which are only accessible at low tide. Creux Harbour is tiny but picturesque – boat passengers come ashore through cliff-cut tunnels. At the northernmost point of the island lies the Bec du Nez or ‘Oystercatcher’s Rock’– a stretch of rock that juts out to sea, commanding a breathtaking view. At low tide, it is possible to take a boat trip around the coastline of Sark to visit caves including the Boutique Caves, according to legend a past haunt of smugglers. A popular attraction for visitors are the gardens of La Seigneurie, which has been the home of Sark’s Seigneurs since 1730. It has a large Victorian watchtower and is one of the best formal gardens in the Channel Islands. Other attractions include the 19th-century windowless prison (still occasionally used to keep disorderly drunkards for a night or two); Le Manoir (an 18th-century manor house built by the first Seigneur of Sark); and the ancient windmill, standing at the highest point in the Channel Islands. La Coupée, a very high isthmus (79.2m/260ft above sea level) carrying a narrow road above the sea, links Sark with Little Sark. Before it gained railings, people used to cross it on their hands and knees when there were high winds; even now, cyclists and horse carriage passengers must dismount. HERM: Privately leased, and run as a resort island. Attractions include a ‘Tom Thumb’ village restored from derelict houses, a restored chapel, woods, caves, swimming in rock pools and the shell beach – covered by countless shells deposited by the Gulf Stream, some from as far away as Mexico. There are quite a few pubs on the island which devise their own opening hours on a rota system; one will almost always be open. Sport & Activities Sailing: The islands of Sark and Herm both welcome visiting yachts and boats, though permission should be obtained from the harbour administration offices. Herm Harbour charges no fee for mooring. For details, contact Herm Island Administration Office (see Contact Addresses section). Walking and cycling: Sark and Herm are car-free islands, with the exception of a few farm tractors, which makes walking or cycling around them all the more pleasant. Bicycles are available for hire on both islands. Travel by horse-drawn carriages is widespread. The islands offer numerous scenic walks along the cliffs, and a guide with pathways can be obtained from the tourist offices. It is possible to walk around Herm in less than two hours. Watersports: Sark Island stands high out of the sea and its jagged coast and rocky cliffs occasionally harbour small sandy beaches where swimming is possible, notably at Dixcart Bay. Herm Island has long sandy beaches on its northern shore which are suitable for swimming and snorkelling. Diving is also available (a certificate to show proof of qualification is normally required). Birdwatching: The islands are a treat for birdwatchers. Social Profile See main United Kingdom section. Business Profile See main United Kingdom section. Climate These islands enjoy a temperate climate with warm summers and milder winter temperatures than those experienced in the UK. History and Government Government: It is a hierarchical system. The civic head of the island of Sark is the Seigneur of Sark, and below him, the island’s parliament, the Chief Pleas, with the right to a suspensory veto on its ordinances. The Seigneur appoints a Seneschal of Sark (subject to the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey) who is President of the Chief Pleas and Chairman of Sark’s local Court of Justice, the Seneschal’s Court. The present Seigneur is Michael Beaumont and the Seneschal (or President of the Chief Pleas) is Lt-Col R J Guille. Guernsey leases the island of Herm to Major A G Wood, who is under contract as a tenant to be responsible for certain administrative duties on the island Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.