The island-wide folklore trail released last October in celebration of the children’s book Once Upon an Island, A Treasury of Guernsey Folklore, written and illustrated by Penny Dawes has now been extended to October 2024 due to its success. 

The routes are suitable for the whole family, allowing those interested the chance to visit locations associated with ancient Guernsey folklore tales. Transporting you to the enchanted and magical side of The Islands of Guernsey, while also uncovering the historical and cultural traditions behind the origins of each tale.

Each of the illustrations has been researched and matched with a location on Guernsey that has a strong connection to one of the tales to create a signposted, family friendly walking route with 20 locations to discover, allowing you to visit the important sites in the stories. These trails are the perfect way for individuals and families to explore Guernsey.

Trail cards are available to be collected from The Guernsey Museum at Candie, or downloadable from https://www.penandfable.net/folklore-trail. Once completed children can collect their very own folklore badge! 

The folklore of Guernsey allows modern-day islanders to discover how our ancestors felt about the natural world. Each post displays a tale, an illustration and a QR code, which when scanned an audio storytelling performed by a member of Guernsey History in Action Company will play. The combination of being in the exact spot where the tale originated, seeing the illustration and listening to a dramatic storytelling of the tale is such a wonderful and interactive experience, enabling those of all ages and learning styles to understand Guernsey’s ancient heritage. 

Once Upon an Island is supported by VisitGuernsey, Guernsey Arts, Blue Ormer, Guernsey Museums and The National Trust of Guernsey. 

Once Upon an Island is available from Hub 25, Lexicon and online at www.blueormer.gg