SARK AND HERM

The island of Sark was once described as “the last bastion of feudalism in the Western world”, having had a 450-year-old feudal system. The system began when Elizabeth I granted the island’s feudal lord, or Seigneur, the right to run the island as a “royal fief”. Recent attempts to modernise the system were overturned by the Supreme Court, however this was challenged in the European Court of Human Rights, and the island now has universal suffrage. This peaceful, car-free island is mainly dependent on tourism, and makes a lovely escape from the clamour of the modern world.

Herm is the smallest island in the archipelago that can be visited by the public, although not the smallest inhabited island. Like Sark, it is blissfully car-free, but unlike Sark the island even goes so far as to ban bicycles. However, the locals are allowed to use tractors. Herm is 3 miles from the coast of Guernsey and measures just a mile and a half by half a mile, so a visitor would have to be supremely lazy to want to drive around the island! There are a number of accommodation options for anyone wanting to stay overnight. 

Webcam views of Herm.  

Map of Sark.

Map of Herm.

La Coupee - panoramio. Photo by Jan Hazevoet, via Wikimedia Commons.

ALDERNEY

It says a lot about the quirky nature of this friendly island, the third largest of the Channel Islands, but with an area of just four and a half square miles, that the airport lounge contains a box of knitting with an invitation to passengers to indulge in the creation of knitted squares while waiting for their flights. In spite of its small size, Alderney still manages to pack in 50 miles of walking paths, making it ideal for anyone wanting to explore the island courtesy of their own legpower. For wildlife enthusiasts, walking and wildlife can easily be combined thanks to the Alderney Wildlife Trust, which organises guided walks. Alderney’s most intriguing four-legged inhabitant is a rare blonde-haired hedgehog which you may glimpse at night if you’re lucky. Meanwhile, for the birdwatchers, there are 260 species of bird, including puffins and gannets.

Alderney has a history stretching back 10,000 years, with evidence of human habitation as far back as Neolithic times. The island also has some Roman remains. Alderney was once part of France, but gained independence in 1204. However, the threat from France was never very far from the minds of the islanders, and in the 19th century there was a big push to fortify the island, not surprisingly since France is visible from Alderney, being only 9 and a half miles away at its closest point. In the 20th century, the islanders’ fears of invasion proved founded, but this time not on the part of the French, but by Germany as, like its neighbours, Alderney was occupied during the Second World War. The island is still dotted with reminders of that time. The capital of Alderney, St Anne, has a population of around 2,000, which is most of the inhabitants of the island. During the War, the Luftwaffe built a bunker and tower in the town, which became the HQ of the German Defence Forces.  On the first Sunday in May a celebration of the tradition known as Milk-o-Punch takes place, in which punch consisting of rum, eggs, nutmeg and milk is served free in all the pubs.  The tradition harks back to when toasts were drunk in the fields when putting the cattle out to summer pasture.

For events in Alderney, follow this link..

Live streaming webcam view of the harbour from Mainbrayce Chandlery.

Map of Alderney.

Alderney - Braye Bay.  Photo by Andree Stephan, via Wikimedia Commons.

MOULIN HUET BAY

The French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir visited Guernsey in 1883, and while there he became so captivated by the bay at Moulin Huet that he produced a series of paintings of this beauty spot on the Guernsey coast. An example of his work can be seen at the National Gallery. The lovely sand gracing this beach is best enjoyed at low tide when there is more of it to go around. An 1837 issue of “The Guernsey and Jersey Magazine” includes an ode to this place, which begins:

Moulin Huet Vale is dark and steep
Moulin Huet Bay is broad and deep
In crystal blue its waters sleep
And through the glassy tide
The finny tribes of ocean glide
And sea-birds o’er its surface sweep

Map of Guernsey.

Moulin Huet Bay, Guernsey - geograph.ci - 112. Photo by John Rostron, via Wikimedia Commons.

PERELLE BAY/LIHOU ISLAND

Perelle Bay is a rocky bay on one of the most rugged parts of the Guernsey coast. It is home to a clutch of megalithic remains, such as Le Trepied Passage Grave at Le Catioroc and Le Creux es Faies Dolmen on the road to L’Eree promontory. Lihou is a small island connected to Guernsey by a stone causeway. There is a priory on the island believed to have been established in the 12th century by Benedictine monks. The local people were very wary of the monks, believing them to indulge in devil worship. In most cases this was patently unjustified, but there was one particular prior known as The Wicked Prior of Lihou who was rumoured to be in league with the devil, and who had an unhealthy interest in magic and what were referred to as The Black Books. However, legend has it that the prior was effectively destroyed by his own spells when a servant accompanying him on a visit to a nearby parish whose priest was also engaged in the Black Arts ignored the prior’s instructions not to read a book of spells the servant was carrying for him. The servant managed to cast a spell from the book which caused the sea to engulf the prior as he was crossing to the island along the causeway. There is a house on the island which was used by the Germans during the Occupation for target practice, but which is now used for accommodating school groups on educational visits.

Map of Guernsey.

Lihou Island and causeway - geograph.ci - 28. Photo by David P Howard, via Wikimedia Commons.

L'ANCRESSE/PEMBROKE BAY

One of the biggest bays on Guernsey, L’Ancresse, also known as Pembroke Bay, is a magnet for watersports enthusiasts such as windsurfers, surfers and sea kayakers. It also boasts a golf course, for more land-loving sports enthusiasts. Pembroke Bay was the venue for an unusual record-breaking event in 2008, when nearly 2,000 islanders turned up with teddy bears of all shapes and sizes to form a human/teddy bear chain, breaking the previous record of 631.

During the turbulent, war-torn years of the 1700s a series of defensive structures such as martello towers were erected on Guernsey, and there are a number of 18th century towers dotted around this area, providing a defence against large troop landings. Another fortification in Pembroke Bay is Star Fort, a star-shaped earthwork defence. Just around the coast from this location is a much older site of interest, Les Fouaillages, the metalithic site of what is thought to have been a monumental tomb, in a place where human activity of one kind or another is believed to date back to 8,000 years ago.

Map of the area.

L'Ancresse Bay - geograph.ci - 25. Photo by Jonathan Wilkins, via Wikimedia Commons.

ST PETER PORT, GUERNSEY

St Peter Port, the main town of Guernsey, has an appealing town centre, made all the jollier by the presence of some brightly coloured buildings in some of its main streets. The busy harbour is reached by the narrow ‘gunelles’ or alleys which lead down to it. Cornet Rock, reachable by a breakwater and bridge, has been the site of a succession of castles, the first having been begun in the 13th century. The present-day castle is open to visitors and houses a number of museums, including a Maritime Museum and a Militia Museum. Another attraction for visitors is Hauteville House, which was occupied by Victor Hugo following his exile from France in 1851. It was here that he wrote Les Miserables. He went first to Jersey, but settled in Guernsey after falling for the island. He is commemorated by a statue in Candle Gardens.

Like Jersey, Guernsey suffered a period of occupation during World War II. The island’s liberation took place on 8 May 1945, when an Allied task force headed by HMS Bulldog arrived off St Peter Port. A few days after the liberation, the press reported on a “great convoy of mercy” as food and other supplies were brought to the island.

For events on the island through the year, see here.

Map of the area.

St Peter Port Guernsey. Photo by Alistair Young, via Wikimedia Commons.

ST AUBIN

St Aubin is at the opposite end of the bay from the island’s capital. It forms part of the parish of St Brelade, and in fact the Parish Hall is located in St Aubin, in a former railway station. The railway line which used to go from here is now closed; for a time during the war it was used by the occupying German forces, but closed soon after. Like many former railway lines in Britain, it has been converted into a walking trail, linking St Aubin with Corbiere, a distance of 6km. As well as the wonderful plantlife and trees which can be enjoyed along this trail, if you are lucky you may glimpse the odd red squirrel.

A few miles inland from St Aubin is probably Jersey’s most memorable wartime site, the War Tunnels, which were built into the hillside and used as a barracks and for storing ammunition. Exhibits inside paint a fascinating picture of what life on Jersey was like during the German occupation. 

Live streaming webcam view from Panorama Guest House.

Map of the area.

St Aubin Jersey. Photo by Marilyn Peddle, via Wikimedia Commons.

ST BRELADE/PORTELET BAY

St Brelade’s Bay has a big, sweeping crescent shaped beach lined with hotels, restaurants and cafes. Overlooking this enticing scene is the St Brelade parish church, which has alongside it the Fishermen’s Chapel, which, dating from the 11th century, is older than the church. During restoration work frescoes from the 14th century were discovered in the chapel, the one in best condition depicting The Annunciation.  The parish of St Brelades is named after a Welsh saint, allegedly the son of Kenen.

Such is the appeal of the nearby highly picturesque Portelet Bay that it is often used in promotional material for Jersey tourism. The golden sandy beach is lovely, but escapes the worst crowds due to the long descent down via steps. Of course what goes down must come back up, but there is a pub at the top with lovely views where any thirst brought on by the climb can be quenched. There is a large rock just off the beach reachable by a short causeway – a kind of baby St Michael’s Mount – with a small martello tower on top dating from 1818. There is a sad story attached to this island, which is called l’Ile au Guerdain, or Janvrin’s tomb. Philippe Janvrin was a local seaman who in 1721 died of plague while out at sea. Due to the hysteria surrounding this particular disease the locals would not allow the body on land, but instead allowed it to be buried on the island, although it was later moved to nearby St Brelade.

Map of the area.

L'Ile au Guerdain Jersey. Photo by FoxyOrange, via Wikimedia Commons.

ST OUEN'S BAY

This bay, on the west coast of Jersey. has a vast sandy beach stretching for 5 miles from end to end which is very popular for surfing due to the fact that it is right in the line of fire of the westerly winds which prevail here. There are many relics of the German wartime occupation dotted around Jersey, and several of them can be found in St Ouen’s Bay. At La Carriere there is a twin bunker complex housing a tank turret, railway truck and searchlight. At Val de la Mar there is a heavy machine-gun turret bunker, and there are gun emplacements and underground bunkers at Les Landes. These and the other wartime relics on the island are lovingly cared for by a voluntary society called the Channel Islands Occupation Society. Whether or not you are interested in the history of the Second World War, they make a different sort of tourist sight. An earlier relic in this part of the island is the Kempt Tower, a martello tower dating from 1834, which is now an interpretation centre for Les Mielles conservation area

Live streaming webcam view of the bay.

Map of the area.

St Ouen's Bay, Jersey. Photo by Man vyi, via Wikimedia Commons.

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.

ROZEL/BOULEY BAY

Rozel is a picturesque little beach village in the north-east of the island of Jersey. As well as being a lovely spot to go for a swim, it also makes a great lunch spot, being the home of a famous cafe called The Hungry Man, a colourful little kiosk with outside tables on the harbour wall. This spot is also known for its friendly ducks, and if you’re lucky they may accompany you on your swim. Rozel is a popular base for sea kayaking.

For walkers, there is a path starting at Rozel which stretches along the whole length of the north coast as far as Grosnez. The first bay along the route is Bouley Bay, which is reputed to be haunted by a big black dog with eyes the size of saucers. The sound of its chains dragging along the ground would precede a vision of the beast itself, which terrifies its victims by circling round them at great speed. Funnily enough, Bouley also has a history of smuggling, so one can’t help but wonder whether this is another instance of a ghost story being made up to keep prying eyes away from the activities of the smugglers.

Map of the area.

Rozel Jersey 2015. Photo by Unukorno, via Wikimedia Commons.

GOREY

The picturesque small harbour town of Gorey is just 30 kilometers from the coast of the Cotentin Peninsula as the crow flies, and as such was right in the line of fire during the wave of invasions by the French. This is surely the reason for the building of the impressive castle of Mont Orgueil which towers above the town, and which has served as protection for the island since the early 13th century. The site had in fact already been fortified long before that, since prehistoric times. The main part of the town, nestling at the foot of the castle, forms a row of harbourside buildings in an attractive palette of pastels, many housing enticing restaurants, pubs and hotels.

Each year in August, Gorey hosts one of the biggest events in Jersey, the Gorey Fête, which is a merry whirl of live music, beach-based games and competitions, eating and drinking, fireworks and a funfair. Another popular festival, for seafood fans, is the Fête de la Mer in May, while in June there is a regatta.

Map of the area.

Gorey Jersey Mount Orgueil and Harbour. Photo by Unukorno, via Wikimedia Commons.

ST HELIER

St Helier is the main town on Jersey, the largest island of the Channel Islands. It lies at the eastern end of a lovely bay called St Aubin’s Bay. The town’s name originates from the name of an abbey which was built on a tidal island just offshore. The abbey has since been replaced by a castle called Elizabeth Castle, named after Queen Elizabeth I by Sir Walter Raleigh, who was Governor of Jersey at the time. However, the town’s earlier origins are believed to date back to Roman times.

It is impossible to visit the Channel Islands without coming across stories about what happened there during the Second World War, when they were subjected to a Nazi occupation. One of the reminders of this time in St Helier is a square called Liberation Square, which was the scene of great rejoicing when the occupation ended. There is a sculpture in the square which was erected in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the liberation. Seemingly in imitation of the Bayeux Tapestry for which their near neighbours the French are famed, the local people produced a 12-panel Occupation Tapestry, also in commemoration of the 50th anniversary, which is housed in the Maritime Museum. There were plenty of earlier conflicts which took place here, not surprisingly involving the French, given the proximity to France. Another square in St Helier called Royal Square, which houses a statue of George II, was the scene of the last attempt by the French to seize Jersey during the Battle of Jersey in 1781. Happily, those turbulent times are now easily forgotten as one takes pleasure in the continental atmosphere and benign climate which reign supreme here.

One of the most spectacular annual events in Jersey is the Battle of Flowers, which takes place in August. For more events on Jersey, see here.

Map of the area.

St Helier Views. Photo by Amanda Slater, via Wikimedia Commons.