Occupying the middle stretch of Guernsey’s west coast, St Saviour is one of the island’s most rural parishes. Boasting unspoilt landscapes and untouched scenery, St Saviour is a breathtaking countryside destination packed with local farms, expansive woodland and magnificent coastal views. Wildlife flourishes in this corner of Guernsey and the parish’s network of cycle lanes make exploring this abundant area incredibly easy. Both cycling and hiking are fantastically popular pastimes in St Saviour with not only endless nature to discover but a multitude of fascinating historical sites and points of interest. In addition, the spectacular tidal range that the west coast experiences makes St Saviour Guernsey’s leading destination for water sports, particularly surfing.
St Saviour Historical Sites and Attractions
St Saviour is the parish with the highest number of historical sites and landmarks on the island. Home to the wealth of World War II tunnels and fortifications, the parish is overflowing with war history. As a starting point, hidden from view, the entrance to St Saviour’s Tunnel can be found in a field next to the parish church with a network of tunnels created by the Germans running underneath the church. The tunnels were used for the storage of ammunition and the tower of the parish church was then used as a German lookout tower during the occupation of the Channel Islands.
The highlight of St Saviour’s war sites however is undoubtedly Batterie Mirus. Home to the biggest gun emplacement on the Channel Islands, Batterie Mirus is fascinating to explore. The guided tour of Batterie Mirus takes visitors underground, through the network of tunnels and inside of Gun Emplacement No. 1. Guides are extremely knowledgeable about both the battery itself and the history of the island’s German occupation making a visit to Batterie Mirus the best and most educational war site experience in Guernsey.
The parish also features numerous neolithic sites including Le Crocq and Le Catioroc. The latter is the most impressive megalithic site on the island featuring the well-preserved Le Trepied dolmen. The dolmen is an impressive site to visit with a certain mystical air. The headland of Le Catioroc and in particular, Le Trepied is shrouded in mythology and a prominent place in Guernsey folklore. Le Catioroc is associated with fairies whilst Le Trepied is said to have been a meeting place for witches.
St Saviour Other points of Interest
St Saviour’s coastal area is one of the parish’s main attractions. With the west coast of Guernsey boasting one of the world’s best tidal ranges, surfers flock to Guernsey with St Saviour the island’s leading destination for surfing. Perelle Bay is the best spot to ride the waves and is a quieter alternative to nearby Vazon Bay. The cove is low-key with limited facilities nearby but the waves here are extraordinary.
Perelle Bay is also a popular spot for kayakers with the Prosperity Wreck Site located not far offshore. The wreck of the Cypriot cargo ship named Prosperity is a captivating place of maritime history and a kayaking tour to the site details the tragic story of Prosperity and the loss of her crew. At low tide and in good weather conditions, it is possible to land on the reef and explore the site on foot.
Further inland, St Saviour Reservoir is one of the parish’s most picturesque destinations. The freshwater reservoir is surrounded by a woodland habitat with abundant wildlife and vibrant plant life. The Millenium Walk takes a circular route around the reservoir taking in the area’s stunning scenery and takes around an hour to complete.
St Saviour is one of Guernsey’s most popular walking and hiking destinations with extensive trails running both inland and coastal. The natural scenery of the parish is simply breath-taking, attracting those exploring the island on foot and on two wheels.
he historic chapel Saint Appolline, the Reservoir, the St Saviour Parish Church, the German Underground Hospital, the Batteries of Mont Chinchon and the Guernsey Woodcarvers (a family run business housed in traditional 16th century buildings) are well worth a visit in Saint Saviour. Historic neolithic sites can be visited at Le Crocq and Le Catioroc (Mont Chinchon).
St Saviours features plenty of places to visit, such as the Guernsey Woodcarvers, a family run business housed in traditional 16th century buildings. Run by the Le Messurier family, they manufacture wooden gifts and fine furniture, antique restoration, repairs, carving, wood turning, cabinet making and French polishing and modern finishes. See their craftsmen at work in the studio as they use over 60 different woods and browse around their well stocked shop. If you can’t find what you are looking for they will endeavour to make or find it for you.
St Apolline’s Chapel in La Grande Rue, St Saviour is a small medieval chapel that dates back to 1392. It has been restored and is now open to the public and features a 14th century painting of the Last Supper. St Apolline’s Chapel was named after St Apolline, the patron saint of dentists
St Saviour Shopping, Dining and Nightlife
Shopping, dining and nightlife in St Saviour is extremely limited due to the parish’s rural positioning. Throughout the parish, you will find local stores and the occasional grocery express store providing you with any essential items. Restaurants are predominantly inland and consist of local pubs and in-hotel restaurants whilst there is also a small handful of coastal eateries to service you during a day by the sea. Nightlife in St Saviour is simply non-existent but the peaceful character of the parish is what gives St Saviour its charm.
St Saviour Sports and Events
When it comes to sport in St Saviour, activity is predominantly water based with surfing and kayaking both popular activities in the area. Events in the parish are somewhat limited to seasonal fairs and community events with the St Saviour Concert series one of the highlights on the parish events calendar. Throughout the year, the St Saviour Church hosts a series of concerts with free admission. Every event varies with the Church welcoming choirs, jazz bands, blues musicians and the Guernsey Concert Brass.
St Saviour Transportation
As a rural parish, St Saviour is most easily navigated by car. Most of the parish’s highlights are easily accessible with convenient and typically free parking. The beach fronts of St Saviour are also generally more accessible than many of the island’s most popular beaches.
Alternatively, if you are exploring Guernsey via public transport, the bus service provided by CT Plus operates three frequent routes through St Saviour. Two of the three routes stop at Perelle Bay and all routes connect to St Peter Port Bus Terminus for further connections across the island. Route 91 takes a circular coastal route around the island calling at multiple destinations in all parishes with the exception of St Andrew.
In addition to driving and public transport, St Saviour is also the best parish to navigate on foot or by bicycle with an extensive network of trails. Cycle trails run both inland and coastal providing endless opportunity to explore the parish’s natural scenery and points of interest.
Guernsey Airport (GCI) is not far from Saint Saviour, and gets you comfortably to and from Guernsey. The following passenger airlines operate at Guernsey Airport: Air Berlin, Aurigny Air Services, Blue Islands, Flybe and VLM for Cityjet.
There are buses running across the island to bring you to almost every destination on Guernsey. Ferries operate between Guernsey and Jersey, the UK and France.
