The harbours at St Peter Port and St Sampson are steeped in history and have been shaped by the lives of islanders for nearly 200 years.
The harbours that we know today were originally built to serve industries that have long since passed. In the early years the main export was granite, carried aboard by ships that were powered by steam or sail, and which would return carrying coal.
The ports themselves supported thriving communities, and became bustling centres of industry and commerce. Cargoes were transported to nearby warehouses, dock workers lived in the area, and ship building yards grew up around the periphery. And so the harbours and their surrounding 'towns' became the heart of much of island life - and remain so to this day.
Changing with the times
Over the years, demands have shifted. So the harbours have adapted and evolved, and been re-equipped and rearranged for every new requirement. In St Sampson, fuel tankers now discharge alongside berths where quarrymen once loaded stone onto sailing ships. And in St Peter Port, where steamers docked for foot passengers to walk ashore after a long sea journey, travellers now drive off the latest fast ferries.
As leisure boating has grown in popularity over the years, much of the space within (and around) the harbours, once required to navigate sailing ships, has gradually been given over to private moorings.
In 2019, Guernsey Ports began a detailed investigation to identify the island's future harbour requirements, details of which can be found by clicking on the link below.
