Roger, our guide, has a beer can in one hand, a frond of Athyrium filix-femina in the other and is explaining the finer points of fern identification to our group of aspiring botanists.

We are gathered on the tiny island of Sark in the Channel Islands, which has to be one of the most delightful places to see plantlife. The wildflower tour has taken us through dappled bluebell woods, down lanes thick with greenery and along steep cliff paths overlooking inviting beaches and hidden coves. The island, three miles long by one-and-half miles wide, is swathed in colour.

Stepping onto Sark, about 80 miles off the south coast of England and a 45-minute boat journey from Guernsey, is like stepping back in time.

There are no cars on Sark. You get about on foot, on bicycles, which can be hired from Avenue Cycles at the top of Harbour Hill, or by picking up a horse-drawn carriage at designated stops.

Waiting at the picturesque harbour, La Maseline, when you get off the boat is the “toast rack”, a red tractor and trailer to take visitors up the 295ft-high hill. Don’t be tempted to prove your athletic prowess by ignoring the lift — you will need to save your legs for some strenuous walking later.

First impressions of Sark are of a charming, sleepy idyll with golden meadows of buttercups and gleaming Guernsey cows. But swaying wildflowers and miles of spectacular coastline aside, it was blatant curiosity that brought me to Sark. I wanted to see Europe’s last bastion of feudalism before it disappeared.

Since 1565, when Elizabeth I granted Sark as a fiefdom to Helier de Carteret, the smallest independent feudal state in Europe has been ruled by a hereditary lord, the seigneur, and a parliament composed largely of landowners.

The current seigneur is Michael Beaumont, grandson of Sibyl Hathaway, the famous dame of Sark who defied the Nazis when they occupied the island during the second world war. Beaumont lives at La Seigneurie, a pretty 17th-century manor house, with exquisite formal gardens open to the public. He still collects tithes from his tenants, but much of this antiquated system is about to change. Feudalisms will soon be replaced by a one-person one-vote system, which will see the political rights of landowners reduced.

Although their old-fashioned way of life might seem quirky to outsiders, the 600 or so Sarkese seem happy. During the summer the population swells by about 400 as tourists hop off the boat to enjoy a glimpse into a way of life that has died out on the mainland.

They are guaranteed a friendly welcome. The island depends on tourism and the locals appear to relish their informal roles as tour guides, patiently answering questions about feudalism.

Many of the tourists who come here do so only for a day trip, but for those who want to stay, Sark offers a range of accommodation, from plush hotels to campsites. There are several restaurants and a series of popular summer events, including a seafood festival, midsummer show and even sheep racing.

The 16th-century farmhouse La Sablonnerie, which has been converted into a French country inn, was recently named Condé Nast’s “most excellent small hotel in the British isles”. The inn is on Little Sark, an even smaller island linked to its neighbour by a narrow isthmus, known as La Coupée. It’s 9ft wide with 300ft drops and used to be a scary proposition before it was reinforced by German prisoners of war.

It’s true that there isn’t much to do on Sark, but for those in search of peaceful country walks and a complete break from the urban buzz, the island is ideal.

The numerous tea shops are a welcome opportunity to refuel and catch your breath after a particularly steep climb. But if the island’s paths become too onerous, there are horse-drawn carriages at various points around the island to ferry passengers to points of interest, which include the second oldest windmill in the British Isles (built in 1571) and the tiny two-cell prison, which opened in 1856 and is still in use today for those who have overindulged in the pub and been picked up by one of Sark’s two volunteer policemen.

One of the most popular places to overindulge or just sip a lemonade on the island is the Bel Air Inn, which has four self-catering chalets and a cosy restaurant called Pollys.

For those with young children, Stocks Island hotel, a converted 18th-century farmhouse, is a popular choice. It has four family bedrooms, a swimming pool and a garden littered with toys.

It would be a mistake not to experience Sark from the sea. George Guille Boat Trips sets off from Creux harbour and takes visitors around the island, pointing out rare species of birdlife and the dark, brooding caves at the foot of the cliffs. There are also several pretty, sheltered beaches, where you can be dropped off for a picnic before catching the next boat back.

Details: Ramsay Travel (www.ramsayworldtravel.co.uk, 01382 200 394) has return flights from Dundee to Guernsey from £179. Aurigny (0871 871 0717, www.aurigny.com) offers flights from London Gatwick and Manchester from £59 return.

Isle of Sark Shipping Company (01481 724 059, www.sark.info) runs ferries from Guernsey, from £22 return.

Rent a chalet at Bel Air Inn (01481 832 052; www.belairsark.info) from £300 a week. Bed, breakfast and dinner at La Sablonnerie (01481 832 061; www.lasablonnerie.com) costs from £66.50 per person. Stocks Island hotel (01481 832001, www.stockshotel.com) has B&B from £50 per person, or £65 per person including dinner

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