Saumarez Park was originally the Fief Sausmarez and existed from at least the 17th century, passing through several families. The Le Marchants built a house on the present site in 1721/22 and it is very likely that the present small walled kitchen garden was to serve that house.
In 1788 James (eventually Admiral Lord) de Saumarez married Martha Le Marchant, daughter of Thomas and Mary, who lived at Saumarez Park. On Thomas’ death James became the owner of the park.
The large walled kitchen garden probably became necessary around the 1830s to feed the increased family establishment.
In 1938 the fifth lord sold much of his estates, including Saumarez Park, to the States of Guernsey for some £17,000.
Eventually the walled gardens became the propagation centre for Parks and Gardens. The Board of Administration had been studying the future of the gardens and in 1996 commissioned Peter Thoday to report, and plans were drawn up – known as the quilter plan – recommending that the walled gardens should be reconstructed as a working kitchen garden.
In 2000 the propagation centre was moved to Burnt Lane and the walled kitchen gardens became much neglected.
Six years later, a group of seven formed the Guernsey Botanical Trust, with Raymond Evison as chairman. Their first project was the restoration of the walled kitchen gardens, with one to be known as the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden and a lease was written for the GBT to be able to lease the walled gardens from the States of Guernsey.
It was discovered that the States had put aside £100,000 for work to be done on the gardens and an agreement was reached so that GBT could use the £100,000 as long as it was able to raise a further £100,000 as matched funding, to restore the gardens using traditional methods as near as possible to the design and style of the original ones in 1875-1900.
In 2007, the trust’s first action was to start clearing the WKGs of all the accumulated rubbish. About 60 volunteers filled many large skips with concrete from the old greenhouse pillars, mattresses, TV sets, waist-high weeds and other dumped rubbish.
The necessary funds were raised and the building part of the project began:
In 2009, the head gardener’s office was rebuilt.
In 2010, Sir Fabian Malbon opened the Lemon House.
In 2012, the Orchard House was opened by HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
In 2014, the Vine House was built, the north wall of the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden now boasts a magnificent 170ft run of south-facing glass houses and a shed was built to house a shop to sell the produce, which became known as La Choppe.
2017 saw the launch of a fundraising campaign for the Gatehouse with an idea from a volunteer to sell a coaster with a chance to win £1,000 in a draw at the end of the year.
In 2019, the old dilapidated sheds were knocked down and we moved into a portacabin.
The building of the Gatehouse was started in January 2020, but was interrupted by Covid and subsequent building material shortages. So, for five years we lived with various challenges but always with the dream, until the Gatehouse was opened in May 2025 by the Lt-Governor Sir Richard Cripwell.
The Gatehouse includes the Sarah Groves Room – our education room, which can be hired out, the John Ramplin Room – a crew-room for our volunteers, a dry storage room and La Choppe (Guernesiais for shop) which sells seasonal produce grown in the garden and locally hand-crafted items – the proceeds from which go towards supporting the maintenance and annual running costs of the garden.
Research was undertaken so that the layout of the garden beds in the VWKG replicate, as far as possible, the original Victorian style 1837-1901, and now grow more than 300 different plants from this era including vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers.
Five of the plots are rotated between brassicas, cucurbits, legumes, roots, potatoes and sweetcorn to maintain a healthy soil. There is also a fruit plot, herb garden, salad and oriental area and two flower beds, and additionally in 2022, an area was used for the quirky beds growing unusual plants like quinoa and Jersey walking stick.
The VWKG has become a productive community garden thanks to the continued hard work of all the volunteers over the years who give their time and energy and without whom the garden would not exist.
They garden, build, renovate and carry out a number of essential tasks. Also, they have run the shop, tours and events for many years. These activities provide the finance for running the garden, as well as raising funds towards each stage of the project.
La Choppe sells a wide range of locally hand-crafted items from a number of different artisans and is staffed by shopkeepers on a rota basis who are always delighted to see visitors.
Tours are run by accredited guides who are very knowledgeable about the history and horticulture of the garden, and who also dress up in Guernsey costume. These are very popular amongst the tourists and locals.
Events have been held throughout each year including:
Our very popular Souper Spooky Saturday in October. This started with soup being made from the vegetables in the garden and was combined with a spooky theme for Halloween which attracts many families as children love to come to play the many unusual activities that we offer, dressed in exciting costumes.
Between 2011 and 2016, volunteers worked as a team for 24 Seafront Sundays which – although a good fundraising activity – did require many hours of loading a truck with produce and crafts and manning the stall with 6-8 volunteers at a time.
Countryfile filmed volunteers gathering vraic from the beach to act as a fertiliser for the garden with a cart and a horse called Tonto in 2012.
Each year from 2012 to 2016, we created a sunflower maze in the Small Walled Garden and hundreds of excited children came to explore the maze accompanied by adults who loved seeing the bees on the sunflower heads while the children discovered how to get out of the maze.
A joint event with the National Trust held in their courtyard in 2015 highlighted the importance of the tomato industry.
Lord Eric de Saumarez gave a talk to the residents of St John’s Residential Home about the de Saumarez family during a tea party held in the Lemon House for the 10th anniversary in 2016, and Sir Ian Corder cut our 10th anniversary cake.
In 2014, 2016 and 2018, for Floral Guernsey, we gave the Peter Rabbit Experience to hundreds of infant children from all the island schools where they became rabbits and helped a life-size Peter Rabbit hunt for carrots in Mr McGregor’s garden. Mr McGregor played by one of our volunteers, who grew his beard for the part, then woke up and chased them out of the garden. A magical experience with squeals of delight.
Our most successful event was Living off the Land in 2018 for the Heritage Festival. We were joined by the Channel Islands Occupation Society as well as the Red Cross, the Old Bike Gang and a collection of animals loaned by many owners. It poured with rain but the loyal Guernsey public came to support us with their brollies and wearing wellies. We held a potato peel pie competition with help from Steve Bacon at the College of FE in reference to the film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Produce has been entered every year in the North Show and we have been particularly successful with the unusual vegetable class such as the trombonchino.
We have been awarded two cups for Heritage sweet peas in the South Show, which was for many years the Island Flower Show, and in 2019, we launched a heritage seeds competition and have been asked to support the South Show again next month.
Visitors to the garden are always welcome and have included many TV gardening celebrities and other gardening experts, as well as royalty, with the highlight being when HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall opened the Orchard House in 2012.
VWKG volunteers have always taken opportunities to work with different organisations and love creating new ideas.
Over the years we have appreciated the donations by many people and organisations of money, as well as plants, seeds, furniture, paintings and artefacts.
Others have given their time. Organisations have provided many hours of help with their corporate social responsibility initiative and we are always grateful for their hard work while out of the office. Similarly, the Community Service people have often attended and helped us in the garden and with painting the gatehouse, kitchen fitting, putting up shelves, etc. We also welcome the public who come to visit the garden and support our events.
As a BIG thank you, we ask you all to join us to celebrate our 20th anniversary 2006-2026 this Saturday 1 August from 2-4pm, with free refreshments and a piece of cake, whilst listening to an eclectic range of music from an accordionist, an Armenian duduk and ad hoc recorders.
It is the volunteers who have kept the VWKG alive by many hours either in the garden or behind the scenes and are the backbone of the garden. Come and join us as a volunteer. Your skills may be just what we need to continue our heritage project. You would be made very welcome and you may form a lifelong friendship. Contact : infovwkg@walledgarden.gg.
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