Chateau des Marais, otherwise known as ‘Ivy Castle’ is a little-known historic site nestled in a residential area in St Peter Port. It was a completely unexpected find for us when we stumbled across it some time ago. It offers a lovely grassy walk, the remains of the stone walled castle to explore and a fun bug trail for kids.
Location
Ivy Castle is located north of St Peter Port in a residential area. There are a few signs for it nearby, however, it is in such an unexpected area that you really need to be on the look-out for it. When we first came across it, we parked on Ivy Castle Lane, just by the entrance to the site, however, there wasn’t much room and I have since read on the museums.gov.gg website that there is dedicated parking accessible via Sir John Leale Avenue, off Victoria Avenue.
Background
The Chateau des Marais was first built in the early 13th century and was Guernsey’s main defensive construction for 20-30 years before the focal point shifted to Castle Cornet as the island’s main defensive structure when work began on it in 1250. During the Second World War, it was utilised by the Germans who built a bunker with inner walls, machine gun posts and communication trenches which destroyed much of the archaeological evidence of the earlier motte-and-bailey structure.
Ivy Castle Today
There is a circular grassed area surrounding the castle walls with lots of trees, making it a nice place for a peaceful stroll and there are benches for those wanting a sit. You would never know that you are only a few minutes away from the town centre. Alongside the tranquillity, the beauty of this place is that the site is contained, so it is safe for kids to run off and be free, however, note that there is a moat surrounding the castle walls, which in most places, has dense greenery between you and the water, but you will still need to keep a close eye on very little ones. We were lucky enough to see baby ducks swimming in the moat when we first visited which was a real highlight for my girls.
As you walk around the grassed outer area you will see a stone archway and path, this leads you to the inner section and castle ruins. This is a completely contained area and a good spot for a picnic. You will see a small stone building and a set of stone steps leading up to a metal door. You can’t get inside, but can peer through the bars, making this another place on the island that my girls are certain was a gaol and leads to them making up lots of gruesome stories about what went on in there!
At the back of the old stone structure you will see signs of World War II and the concrete additions made by the Germans. The roof of what I assume was a German bunker, is quite large and high, my girls love climbing on it, which is probably due to the fact that it makes them much taller than me!
The Bug Trail
The Guernsey Arts Commission (GAC) have worked with children who live near the Chateau and artist Hugh Rose to explore this natural habitat. A set of insect illustrations was produced so that a trail could be created around the Chateau. The Bug Trail info board is located at the entrance to the site showing all of the bugs to look out for. There are little plaques dotted around the site with pictures of the bugs and we had fun trying to find them all.
However, if you would like it to be more interactive, each icon can be scanned using the Gamar app which will give you information about the insects being read by the children who were involved in the project. The app can be found via the Gamar website http://gamar.com/.
Ivy Castle really is a hidden gem, offering tranquillity in St Peter Port and a great place for kids to have a run around in a contained space, and as dogs are welcome, it’s a place for the whole family. Hope you have fun walking around this historic site and the beauty is, you can visit for a quick stop-off or stay for a while with a picnic.
Address
Chateau Des Marais, Ivy Castle Lane, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2HX
Bus Routes
11, 12, 21, 51, 92
