Saumarez Park

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Saumarez Park is Guernsey’s largest public park. It’s in the Parish of Castel, about 4 km from the centre of Saint Peter Port. The park has a cafe, a large children’s playground, plenty of open green space, a rose garden, and a duck pond. A nature trail links the park to Cobo Bay on the north shore. The National Trust of Guernsey runs the Folk & Costume Museum inside the park.

In 1869, Baron James Saumarez bought Saumarez Park and the nearby Le Guet estate after his father put the property up for sale. He created exotic gardens with a bamboo walk, a Japanese garden, a camelia lawn, a rose garden, and a walled garden. After his death, the park was taken over by the States of Guernsey.

The park is open year-round from dawn to dusk. Entry is free, except when events require charging for parking or entry. The large manor house is now a residential care and nursing home.

The Folk & Costume Museum is near the Victorian walled garden and shares Guernsey’s heritage, including domestic life, farming, fishing, and seafaring. The collection includes more than 8,000 costume pieces.

Saumarez Park hosts several events: Le Viaër Marchi, a fundraiser for the National Trust of Guernsey, in early July; the Lions Club of Guernsey’s Donkey Derby in mid-August; and the North Show and Battle of Flowers in late August.