50th Anniversary of the National Trust of Guernsey

Perforation type: 13 ½x13 ½

Subject:

80 pence. Moulin de Quanteraine*

 

Additional:

*The National Trust is a registered charity, founded in the UK in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists: Miss Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley.

Concerned about the impact of uncontrolled development and industrialization, they set up the Trust to permanently safeguard places of historic interest or natural beauty for the benefit of the nation. Today, the National Trust is one of Europe's leading conservation bodies, protecting more than 248,000 hectares (612,000 acres) of land of outstanding natural beauty, 1,141 kilometers (709 miles) of coastline and over 200 buildings and gardens of outstanding interest and importance.

The following quote by Octavia Hill, outlines her case for the need for all people to be able to access space: places to sit in, places to play in, places to stroll in, and places to spend a day in.

The need of quiet the need of air, the need of exercise, and the sight of sky and of things growing seem human needs, common to all men.

2010 marks the 50th anniversary of The National Trust in Guernsey, whose work supports the National Trust's mission to be 'for ever, for everyone'. The Guernsey Trust also carries out its own mission to 'preserve and enhance the island's natural beauty, its historic buildings and heritage.'

Records show that following a letter to the Guernsey Evening Press and subsequent correspondence and interest from a number of islanders, an initial meeting was held on 18th February 1960, where a formal proposition to form a Trust was carried by the eight persons present. During the months that followed, a Constitution was drafted and approved and on the 7th December 1960 the National Trust of Guernsey was born.

Our 50th anniversary celebratory issue features just a handful of the properties and land the Guernsey Trust holds in perpetuity, ensuring that their future protection is secure.

Guernsey Post has issued set of six stamps, featuring six well-known objects protected by the Fund.

At the stamp presented here, shows Watermill, known as Le Moulin de Quanteraine, in St Peters (known officially as Saint Pierre du Bois (English: "St. Peter in the Wood") is a parish in Guernsey; It is the centre for the Guernsey Western Parishes which includes Torteval, St Saviour's and the Forest.). This unique property was gifted to the Trust in 1989 by Mrs Elizabeth Silten. The main farmhouse, dating from the 16th century, has been expertly restored and the two wings are now privately let.

The Water Wheel was restored during 1990 and 1991 and can now be seen working. This wheel was probably used for grinding corn in the main building and also to drive a threshing machine in the barn.

This information was taken from the official description of the issue.
__________

In the design of the sheet used an image of the mill wheel in the lateral position.