PART 1
The status of The Channel Islands is a complicated matter. Set just fourteen miles off the French coast of Normandy and about a hundred odd miles south of England, they are not part of the United Kingdom, but the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands. They are Crown dependencies but are not members of The Commonwealth of Nations nor of the European Union. The two Crown dependencies are the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey which consists of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and some other smaller islands. Each Bailiwick has been administered separately since the 13th century. Each has its own independent laws, elections and representatives.
Both are part of the Duchy of Normandy and are part of the British Islands not to be confused with the British Isles. Both issue their own banknotes but freely accept Bank of England or Bank of Scotland banknotes. Their notes, however are less widely accepted back in the UK even though they are technically legal tender.
What is a “bailiwick” I can hear you ask? It is a territory administered by a bailiff but not the English version of a bailiff who is a court appointed debt collector but a Channel Islands version who is the most important citizen in their particular bailiwick, civil head, presiding officer and head of the judiciary. Basically a bailiwick is a geographical area in which a legal body has authority. It’s a traditional term and for some reason it has stuck for both Jersey and Guernsey. Both bailiwicks have recognised regional languages, Jérriais on Jersey and Guernésiasis on Guernsey. While everybody we met spoke English, they are British citizens after all, most of the placenames and streets names are French.
There is evidence of
human habitation dated to 250,000 years ago when the islands were still part of
the European landmass. In more recent times Charles II sought refuge on Jersey in
the 17th century while at the same time Guernsey favoured the opposition
parliamentary cause. The islands were occupied by the Germans during the Second
World War causing severe privation during the five years of occupation
including considerable hunger. Liberation came on 8th May 1945. Today
the islands thrive as major offshore financial centres. There has been a
downturn in tourist numbers in recent years and both major island are now
heavily reliant on the finance industry.
So, are you confused? Yes we were a bit too but suffice to say as a destination a mere 35 minute flight away from London we were expecting the islands to be bursting with tourists over a May bank holiday weekend. It was surprising then to find many of the places we visited practically deserted and our B&B host and a taxi driver both lamented the parlous state of tourism for their businesses. We found both Jersey and Guernsey charming. The late spring/early summer weather was mild but fine and everywhere was positively bursting with wildflowers and gorgeous gardens. The bees and birds feasted on the blossoms and narrow twisting roads were lined with flowers growing in hedgerows and stone walls. The houses ranged from cute stone cottages to grand Georgian mansions. The overall effect is incredibly pretty.
We hired a car on both of the islands we visited so that we could access the tiny lanes and the remote coves and beaches that dot the coastlines. We flew into Jersey and our first stop, after we checked in at our lovely B&B, was the harbour-side village of Gorey, dominated by Mont Orgueil Castle which perches on a rocky headland overlooking the northern end of the bay. Here we joined a volunteer-led walking tour of the castle to learn about its fascinating history dating from the early 13th century.
Afterwards we found a café in the village for lunch and some of the famous Jersey icecream. Its reputation is well earned, it is creamy and delicious. Jersey’s agriculture is dominated by two famous exports, the first is the Jersey cow. We came across several herds of these caramel coloured, big dewy-eyed bovines. We stopped at one field and several of the girls were highly curious to check us out. They stopped their grass munching and came close to the fence to peer at me and my camera. They have adorable faces and their excellent creamy milk is highly prized. Apparently the Queen has some Jersey cows, gifted to her by the people of Jersey. She left behind the keys to Mont Orgueil Castle but she took the cows home. More useful in your tea I expect. As for the other famous product, the Jersey Royal spud, we saw acres and acres of potatoes growing in fields and many signs for farm gates sales but we didn’t actually see them on any menus. I could easily have feasted on a bowl of roasted Jersey Royals. Maybe I will have to source some in London.
Jersey’s coastline is jagged with inlets, bays, coves, harbours and beaches. We visited several including the very picturesque Portelet Bay. We parked the car up on the road and took a winding track down to the beach. There we found a lovely bar/restaurant practically on the sand with amazing views of the rocky shore, the crystal clear waters and a tower perched on rocks that thrust out into the bay. We enjoyed a local Jersey India Pale Ale on the terrace and soaked up the sunshine and the vista.
On the north coast we walked down another track to the golden-sand Plemont Beach. Here a stream cascades from the cliff top past the mouth of a large cave onto the rocks and sand below where it forms a channel across the beach to the sea. The headlands on either end of the beach are striking and they have several caves, one of which was half filled with rock rubble so the signs warning visitors to stay out of the caves are probably best heeded.
We were alone on the beach and wandered arm in arm along the sand, admiring the stunning wildflower covered cliffs, the sky reflected in the rock pools, the crashing waves and a circling bird of prey. (Such is my love of birds of prey that we have developed the habit of spotting them wherever we travel. We are rubbish at identifying the different species however so they are all known as BOPs).
The next day we took a much anticipated trip to the Jersey Zoo operated by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. True to its founder Gerald Durrell’s vision, the zoo concentrates on rare and endangered species from all over the world. There are also numerous bird and squirrel boxes in the trees to promote the survival of several species native to the island whose populations were previously in a state of decline such as the red squirrel and the song thrush. We admired stunning, colourful rainforest birds, various types of tamarins including the Golden lion tamarin and the moustachioed Emperor tamarin, an Asiatic bear, lemurs, flamingos, gymnastic gibbons, butterflies in the walk-through butterfly house and a couple of young Galapagos Tortoises.
The orangutans were especially beguiling as there is a large family group including mischievous juveniles, right up to the large dominant male complete with robust cheek flanges. We watched them interacting socially, the younger ones play like rambunctious children and can get on the nerves of the mature adults. We saw a young female take the hand of a younger one and guide them along a rope. They didn’t let go until the little one was safe on a platform.
There is a family of five western lowland gorillas at the zoo too with plans for a bigger enclosure to allow for a larger family and the introduction of other species that they may encounter in the wild. The silverback was fast asleep on a grassy bank, soaking up the sunshine and the ladies had all found comfortable resting spots. They are marvellous animals and you only have to look into those intelligent eyes to feel an affinity. To think they are hunted and poached in the wild is devastating.
There are many other animals too, the majority are species under threat in the wild. It is a marvellous institution started by a man with a passion for animal conservation which began during his childhood years on the island of Corfu. There is an exhibition of Durrell information and memorabilia at the zoo including the original, hand-written copy of one of my favourite books, ‘My Family and Other Animals’, an account of those Corfu years and a great read.
After our zoo visit we drove south to the capital, St Helier then along the shores of St Aubin’s Bay to the south-west tip of the island where the Corbière Lighthouse stands on a rocky island connected by a causeway that is only accessible during low tide. Conveniently it was low tide so we walked out to the island heeding the signs that told us we could not rely on the warning siren to announce the inundation of the track as it may be out of action! Back on the mainland we enjoyed another of those amazing Jersey ice-creams while admiring the view of the lighthouse and the afternoon light sparkling on the sea.
St Ouen’s Bay is the longest beach on Jersey and spans almost the entire west coast of the island. The busiest part of this expanse of beach is Le Braye but we stopped at the northern most point where you can look back along the coast at the broad sweep of sand.
It was time for a
lubrication stop and we chose the charming Moulin de Lecq on the north coast, formally
a fuller’s mill dating back to the 12th century. In the 1950s the
old mill was converted to a pub but it retains many of its original features
including the enormous outside water wheel which reputedly weighs eighteen
tons. It is a charming tavern with very friendly staff and popular with locals.
We tried a local brew called “Wheel Ale” (oh I do love a good pun, especially
when it comes to beer names).
We then moved on to another pub, Les Fontaines Tavern where I couldn’t decide between surf or turf so I had two starters for my meal, spareribs and moules. So delicious! Seafood is excellent and plentiful in Jersey, goes with the whole being an island thing I guess. You’re never far from the sea. A local delicacy is crab and Ian had a yummy prawn and crab linguine. Les Fontaines Tavern has the strangest décor choice I’ve ever seen. One of the rooms, the one where we ate actually, has an entire wall of bookcases. Nothing unusual in that, it’s true, but these bookcases were filled with thick, bound volumes of The Weekly Law Reports dated from 1950 to 2008! I perused a case from 1959 where an insurance firm had refused to pay out a claim to a widow after her husband died in a car accident. She won.
The next morning we visited La Hougue Bie, a fascinating site housing a Neolithic burial chamber under the hill, a 12th century and a 16th century stone chapels atop the hill, a German control bunker and a reproduction Neolithic long house beside the hill. A museum houses a collection of Neolithic artefacts including the largest hoard of Celtic coins ever found, all 70,000 of them together with gold and silver jewellery and ingots. The 6000 year old passage grave was amazing. It was first excavated in 1925. You stoop, bent double, under a ceiling stone weighing a cool twenty tons (the hard hats were definitely a good idea!) to emerge into a burial chamber. It takes a while for your eyes to get accustomed to the dark (or you can use the torch on your phone).Incredibly the rear of the terminal chamber is lit by the rays of the sun at sunrise on the spring and autumn equinoxes.
The German command bunker has been turned into a memorial to the many people brought to the island from all over Europe during World War II to be used as slave labour by the Germans to build their infrastructure. They were held in atrocious conditions and countless of them died of overwork and starvation. The memorial tells their stories and honours their memory. It is a cruel and terrible chapter in the history of the island.
Next we headed to the north-east corner of the island to St Catherine’s Breakwater where earlier in the day over 1000 motorbikes had started a charity ride around the island in aid of Holidays for Heroes which as the name suggests offers a week’s holiday on Jersey for any member of HM Forces with injuries attributable to their service. Since the charity and the Big Rideout began in 2008 they have donated over 2,600 holidays. We timed our travel this day to be on opposite sides of the island to 1000 bikes to avoid the inevitable traffic issues. The Breakwater itself is over 700 metres long and is popular with anglers and people like us who chose to stroll its length for a view back to the village. St Catherine’s Bay is also the home of ‘Simon the Sand Wizard’s Sculpture Dome. The afore mentioned Simon has spent 70 hours sculpting sand into a fantasy scene of epic proportions, all safely housed in a geodesic dome structure to keep it safe from the elements. For a modest donation you may photograph the masterpiece and receive a postcard.
Simon is a former world champion sand sculptor and is a very friendly chap keen to share his sand sculpting experiences and expertise.
Back up on the north coast we visited the quaint tiny harbour village of Rozel which reminded us of the small fishing villages of Cornwall.
And then on to the delightful colourful pebble beach of Bouley Bay where we crunched our way over the shingle and I chose suitable pebbles for Ian to skim. To think I used to be quite good at skimming stones once. These days I’m a hazard to anyone within a thirty metre radius! I am lucky to let it go at the right time for it to even head towards the water, little own skim gracefully across its surface. No, these days it’s a spectator sport for me but I am good at counting the “skips”.
The last tour of the day was just beginning as we arrived at the La Mare winery where we were taken through the ins and outs of wine production. Ah, but not just wine. The “winery” also produces apple cider, various liqueurs and brandies, jersey caramels and the famous Jersey black butter. Also chocolate, biscuits and chutneys. We sampled everything. Once upon a time 60% of Jersey’s rural landscape was apple orchards and they exported apple cider all over the world in the 1800s. These days there are still plenty of apple orchards but you are more likely to see fields of potatoes growing than apple trees.
On our last morning on Jersey we walked up the hill to Fort Regent described as a 19th century fortification and leisure centre. The adaptation of the former to the latter makes for a confusing visit however the views over the town are great. One fascinating fact about Jersey is that the island is surrounded by shallow sandy shores that are exposed when the tide is out and thus increasing the size of the island by 20% during each low tide.
Now on to Part 2 of What’s a Bailiwick?