BONNE NUIT BAY

There are a number of theories about the origins of the name Bonne Nuit Bay, or “Good Night Bay”. One version suggests that it was so named because of the shelter it offered to sailors overnighting there. Another claims that Charles II, on leaving the island from this bay before it came under Cromwellian control at the end of the Civil War, exclaimed “Bonne nuit belle Jersey”. However, the latter version is blown out of the water by the fact that the name Bono Nocte was recorded as early as the 12th century, having a medieval chapel as its origin. Whatever the reason for this rather charming name, the bay is a beautiful stretch on the north coast of Jersey, between the headlands of Frémont and La Crête. It is ideal for walkers, who have a choice of paths to wander along and admire the views out to sea. There is a distinctive little round stone building on La Crête which was once intended as a fortification, but is now available as a holiday let.

Map of the area.

Bonne Nuit Bay. Photo by Andy Hawkins, via Wikimedia  Commons.