Thursday 10 March 2022
Works to restore some of the historic structures in Guernsey's Candie Gardens are underway and will continue over the coming months.
The historic gates and archway are being removed so they can be repaired and restored, with some of the design details recast. The oldest of the gates is the upper gate, which was installed on 3 March 1896, and described at the time by The Star as 'a great boon to persons anxious to get home after the night fetes'.
The two glasshouses at Candie Gardens are also being restored. Both are currently closed to the public, and the restoration will mean they can again be safe and available for use. The oldest of the two glasshouses dates back to 1792 and is thought to be one of the oldest in the British Isles.
It is too early to give a definitive timeframe on the completion of these works because of the historic nature of the structures but it is hoped the repairs on the gates will be finished by the middle of this year, with one of the two glasshouses ready for use by the end of the year.
Emily Coule, Acting Senior Environment Services Officer said
'Candie Garden is a beautiful, green and historic space in St Peter Port and it's great to see it getting back to its best. We've recently seen the restoration of the Candie ticket office thanks to the kind voluntary work from a member of the community. In the past couple of years we've also had Floral Guernsey re-planting the flower beds, and we know those floral displays will really shine this summer. And now we're keeping that momentum going by getting on with some of the other important, historic parts of the gardens - the gates and the glasshouses - and we're really looking forward to seeing those progress.'