Sonia Hillsdon
Visitors Guide to Jersey
A brief history and description of the Island, with full colour illustrations and maps, highlighting Jersey's particular attractions that visitors will want to see.
From the book:
The Royal Bay of Grouville
Queen Victoria was so impressed by Grouville's east-facing coast, when she visited Jersey in 1859, that she sent a message to the Bailiff on her return to England that she would like it to be known in future as the Royal Bay of Grouville (Bus 1, 1a, 2c). And what a great deal of natural beauty there still is today - not just the sea and the sand but also the common.
The bay offers nearly 5 miles of sandy beach - plenty of space for beach games and family picnics as well as safe bathing. The stretch of sand is also ideal for walking from Le Hurel slip, on the A4 in the south, to Gorey, or for the more energetic to jog along. The distance is about 4 miles and the return journey can be made by walking (or jogging) up Beach Road to the Gorey coast road, turning left and coming along the A4 road which runs through the common and through the woods back to Le Hurel.
Any winter walker will be delighted by the sight of numerous wading birds on the shore over wintering here, such as brent geese, curlew, redshank and plover: summer walkers can spot the common and sandwich tern as well as the oyster catcher which breed here during the warmer months.
In the centre of the bay, for watersport enthusiasts, there is the Gorey Watersports Centre. The craft on hire include sailing dinghies, windsurfing boards, Hobie Cats and fun canoes, together with all the necessary equipment. For the novice or the sailor who wants to learn more, tuition is given in both sailing and windsurfing. Grouville Bay is certainly the ideal sailing bay of the island, for it stretches along for about 5 miles and, except for its southern tip, is free of rocks and treacherous currents. Nevertheless the Gorey Centre has a guardboat in case anyone experiences any difficulty. This is certainly a beautiful setting, with Gorey Castle as a backdrop.
Grouville Bay is just the right sheltered spot when the wind is from the south-west or north and, for those who do not like sand in their sandwiches, there is the alternative of the common which runs along the length of most of the beach for picnicking. To the left from the beach and the common the rugged splendour of Mont Orgueil can be seen, together with Gorey's picturesque quay and waterfront - an ideal subject for photographs. There is ample parking space and there are cafes and kiosks along the beach. Toilets are sited at the coast end of Beach Road, just past Fort William.
The Germans, during the Occupation, made extensive use of Grouville Bay. They realised that the texture of its sand was ideal for making the concrete needed to turn Jersey into an impregnable fortress. To facilitate the moving of the sand, the Germans built a railway from Gorey to St Helier
By the end of the Occupation over a million tons of Grouville beach had been used in the miles of concrete defences the Germans built over the island.
The 71 acres of common land which flank the beach have been popular with islanders over the centuries for several different reasons. In the eighteenth century Grouville Common (Bus 1, 1a) was the favourite spot for duels. In 1843 the horse races which were first run on St Aubin's sands and then at Grève d'Azette were moved to Grouville Common. So successful was the move that for 60 years all horse racing took place here, together with a splendid carnival complete with side shows and stalls. The Jersey painter, Ouless, in 1849, captured the feeling of it in his famous painting The Jersey Races. This now hangs in the Jersey Museum, where postcard reproductions of the colourful scene are also available.
An important part of Grouville today as far as conservationists are concerned, is the flat, fresh water marsh behind Gorey Common, known as Grouville Marsh. Though much reduced in size from what it once was, it still retains throughout the spring a good amount of fresh water, so providing the perfect habitat for wintering ducks, such as teal and shoveller as well as grey heron and common snipe. It is also visited in both spring and autumn by many migrating birds, including the reed, garden and willow warbler. It is also a breeding site for the great and lesser spotted woodpecker as well as the yellow wagtail. It is thought to be the best ornithological site on the island and a good viewing point is from La Cache des Prés off the A3. The flora is typical of a wetland area, featuring both reed and iris beds.
Another part of the common is the course which belongs to the Royal Jersey Golf Club (Bus 1, la, 2c), Many golfers might be familiar with the name Harry Varden - the champion golfer who won the British Open Championship five times - but few may realise his connection with this course at Grouville, Harry Varden had his early training at the Royal Jersey Golf Club, which had been established in the island as early as 1878, under the name of the Grouville Golf Club. Other players who began here include Ted Ray and the Ryder Cup Player Tommy Horton, now the club's resident professional.
Visitors are welcome to the 18-hole Royal Jersey Golf Club but are subject to starting times which are in force when they play. They must also be members of a recognised golf club and should contact the club early in their holiday if they want a game, as the sport is very popular.
Landmark Publishing £9.99
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