Guernsey

A Crown Dependency

Guernsey belongs to the British Crown but is not part of the United Kingdom. The Bailiwick of Guernsey also includes Alderney, Sark and Herm, each with its own character, and the islands issue their own banknotes and stamps. French place names and a Norman dialect recall the centuries when the islands were part of the Duchy of Normandy.

Saint Peter Port

The camera looks along the seafront of Saint Peter Port, whose granite houses climb the hill above the harbour. At the end of a breakwater, Castle Cornet has guarded the harbour for some 800 years. The French writer Victor Hugo lived here in exile for 15 years, and finished Les Misérables in his house above the town.

Tides and Light

The tidal range around Guernsey can reach about 10 metres, among the largest in the world, so the harbour and the rocks along the coast change shape completely between high and low water. Mild winters and long summer evenings give the camera a soft, changing light all year.