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WALKING ON GUERNSEY

Almost a tropical scene, as walkers take a break at a well-appointed beach café

The walks in this guidebook are mostly short and straightforward, chosen to reflect the diversity of the landscapes and seascapes, along with the history, heritage and natural history of Guernsey. Almost all the walks link directly with one or two other walks, allowing all kinds of extensions to the routes. All the walks are easily accessible by bus services, so a car is not necessary.

The islands covered by the Bailiwick of Guernsey have a combined land area of 78km2 (30 square miles) and walkers are never more than 3km (2 miles) from the sea. Within this limited area this guidebook offers around 225km (140 miles) of incredibly varied walking, with a coastal walk alone measuring almost 65km (40 miles). If explorations are extended beyond Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm to Jersey, then the interest and enjoyment is doubled. Complete coastal walks around the five main Channel Islands are now being promoted as the ‘Channel Island Way’, measuring 178km (110 miles).

In the past the Channel Islands were not really viewed as a walking destination. Rather, they were a holiday destination where people simply couldn’t help walking. These days, one third of visitors state that their main reason for visiting the islands is to walk. The sight of golden beaches, rugged cliffs, flowery headlands and lush woodlands prove irresistible for exploring on foot. There are so many things to see along the paths, tracks and roads – interesting places to visit and always the offer of food and drink.

The walks are mostly circular and almost every stretch along the coast features a contrasting exploration inland. It has to be said that there are few paths and tracks inland, and while some roads can be quite busy, there are plenty of quiet country roads too, specially designated as ruettes tranquilles, where priority is given to walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. A few of the walks are entirely inland, because it is important to appreciate the inland countryside and its farming traditions just as much as the popular coastline. Almost every route passes some sort of attraction, ranging from castles to historic houses, churches to craft centres. Many attractions seem to exist purely because they have a captive audience of visitors; those that are on or near the walks are noted, with brief details offered. Many of them have an entry charge and may be well worth an hour’s exploration.

Paths on Guernsey are mostly on firm, dry surfaces, but some stretches may be muddy after rain. Some paths on steep slopes are equipped with plenty of concrete steps. Most of the time a pair of comfortable walking shoes are fine for walking, and hefty boots are not required. If boots are worn, lightweight ones will suffice. There are some signposts, but most paths are obvious even without markers, and it is usually obvious if a path is private. Roads on Guernsey sometimes bear their names at one end or both, which saves confusion when they form a dense network.

There are plenty of walking opportunities inland on Guernsey, where there is a network of lanes

What to take

Generally speaking, Guernsey’s weather is a little milder than the weather you would expect in the south of England. There are no hills and walkers rarely find themselves much above 100m (330ft) above sea level. The most basic walking gear will suffice, with comfortable footwear, clothing to suit hot and cool conditions, including sun protection for sunny days and waterproofs in case of rain. It is increasingly common to see heavily booted walkers with poles and packs trudging round the island, but Guernsey is a gentle landscape, and even if foul weather were to interfere with a walk, it is very easy to cut walks short, bail out by bus and retreat to your lodgings.

Waymarking and access

Guernsey is intensively cultivated, with large areas given over to tillage and greenhouses, while most pastures are grazed by Guernsey cows. Around 60,000 people live on the island, the road network is remarkably dense and car ownership is very high. Add to this the huge number of visitors, and it is a wonder there is room to breathe, let alone walk. However, there are plenty of paths, tracks and quiet roads available for walkers, and while signposts and waymarks are few, routes freely available to the public are usually quite obvious. The best maps of Guernsey show many of these routes, but by no means all of them. By contrast, paths, tracks and roads that are private are usually clearly marked as such. In practical terms, with this guidebook to hand, Guernsey can be explored thoroughly using the available access.

Prominent stone markers often indicate where paths are leading, especially around the coast

Special mention needs to be made of the inter-tidal zone. Guernsey has one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, up to 12m (40ft) at spring tides. The sight of sandy beaches and jagged rocks emerging from the sea as the tide recedes encourages many people to explore to the water’s edge, and to a certain extent this is to be encouraged, but it must be done with caution. Obtain a copy of the tide times and study them carefully. Walking out as the tide recedes is unlikely to be a problem, but when the tide is advancing it is possible to be cut off before realising it. Trying to get from beach to beach around the foot of cliffs can be dangerous and can lead to an inconvenient stranding, or death by drowning. In short, do not wander around the inter-tidal zone without having a clearly visible route back to dry land.

Maps

The maps in this guidebook are extracted from the 1:15,000 States of Guernsey map. This is rather different from the Ordnance Survey maps used by most walkers in Britain. In fact, the map was originally compiled by the Military Survey at 1:25,000, but this is now out of print. New and updated digital mapping has been produced by Digimap at 1:15,000, www.digimap.gg, for the States of Guernsey. This is the most detailed map of the island, showing everything down to field boundaries and even the back gardens of houses in towns and villages. The walking routes in this guidebook are shown as a highlighted overlay on this 1:15,000 map. Sketch maps of Alderney, Sark and Herm show the walking routes on the small islands.

There are plenty of other maps of Guernsey, mostly published by Perry’s. These include free maps suitable for general touring, which often highlight attractions so boldly that they obscure other details in the vicinity. By all means amass a collection of free maps, picking them up from the tourist information centre or from hotels and visitor attractions around the island.

Getting around Guernsey

By car

Cars can be taken on the Condor ferries to Guernsey, and it is possible to hire cars on Guernsey, either pre-booked or on arrival. Guernsey cars carry only numbers on their registration plates, but hire cars are stamped with a prominent ‘H’ for ‘hire’, or according to local drivers, ‘horror’, because of the way they perceive the driving skills of visitors! Guernsey’s roads are narrow and the maximum speed limit is 35mph, dropping to 15mph on ruettes tranquilles. Roads can be very congested, especially at peak times around St Peter Port, and parking is very limited in some areas. The bottom line is, you won’t be going anywhere fast!

A designated ruette tranquille gives priority to walkers and cyclists and has a 15mph speed limit.

A car is essential if you choose accommodation away from a regular bus route, but if you are based in St Peter Port, or on a regular bus route, then it is best to use buses to travel round the island. Drivers who do not understand the ‘filter in turn’ rule that applies in Guernsey should think twice before driving there.

By bus

Guernsey has an excellent bus network provided by CT Plus – possibly one of the best networks in the entire world! It is worth visiting the kiosk at the town terminus for timetables and information about tickets at the earliest opportunity. All the routes on Guernsey in this guidebook were researched using buses, and the author heartily recommends this mode of travel. The timetables come in summer and winter versions, although there are only minor differences between them.

The bus routes are numbered and generally fan outwards from St Peter Port, running from early until late. They reach various far‐flung parts of Guernsey, where they turn round and come back to town. Some bus routes run in clockwise and anti‐clockwise circuits, with different numbers. For instance, the ‘Guernsey Vaeux’ route 91 runs clockwise around the coast of Guernsey, while route 92 runs anti‐clockwise, and both are exceedingly popular. Almost all bus routes touch the coast at some point, and have sections that overlap or run concurrent with other routes. St George’s Esplanade, running north from St Peter Port, features several bus routes.

Flat‐fare tickets can be bought on the bus for single journeys, and transfer tickets are available if another service needs to be used. Bus passes can be bought, offering unlimited travel for one, two or seven days, for individuals or family groups. A ‘Puffin Pass’ can be topped up with multiple journeys, and the more journeys that are added, the cheaper each journey becomes.

Full details of all bus services on Guernsey, including timetables, an online Journey Planner, and fare information, are available at www.buses.gg. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01481 700456. Bus stops are available in both urban and rural locations. In rural locations, it is possible to stop a bus almost anywhere that’s safe for the driver to stop, but in urban locations, bus stops must be used. Live bus times can be checked on mobile devices.

Travel to Alderney, Sark and Herm

The small islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm are usually reached from Guernsey. Bumblebee Boat Cruises, www.bumblebee.gg, operate between Guernsey and Alderney, while Manche Îles Express, www.manche-iles-express.com, serves Alderney from Diélette in France, and serves Sark from Jersey. Flights between Guernsey and Alderney are operated by Aurigny, www.aurigny.com. Ferries from Guernsey to Sark are provided by the Isle of Sark Shipping Company, tel 01481 724059, www.sarkshippingcompany.com. Ferries from Guernsey to Herm are provided by Travel Trident, tel 01481 721379, www.traveltrident.com.

Alderney, Sark and Herm do not have bus services. There are tour buses and taxis on Alderney, while Sark has a limited tractor and trailer service, along with horse-drawn carriages. On Herm visitors are expected to walk everywhere, but the island is tiny and all who visit the place expect to walk.

Guernsey probably has one of the best bus networks in the world, and proves remarkably good value

Tourist information

The first point of contact for all tourism-related enquiries is Guernsey Information Centre, North Esplanade, St Peter Port, GY1 3AN, tel 01481 723552, email enquiries@visitguernsey.com, website www.visitguernsey.com.

The information centre can provide plenty of free printed materials, including accommodation brochures and leaflets about attractions, events and ‘what’s on’ guides. There are also books, maps and gifts on sale. The website includes plenty of information about walking opportunities, including the popular Guernsey Walking Weeks that are a feature of spring and autumn each year. These events offer visiting walkers the chance to explore the island in the company of Guernsey people, led by knowledgeable local guides.

There are also tourism bodies on the smaller islands. For Alderney, check with Visit Alderney, States of Alderney, PO Box 1001, Alderney, GY9 3AA, tel 01481 822333, www.visitalderney.com. For Sark check with Sark Tourism Office, The Avenue, Sark, GY10 1SA, tel 01481 832345, www.sark.co.uk. For Herm check with Administration Office, Herm, Guernsey, GY1 3HR, tel 01481 750000, www.herm.com.

Emergencies

The police, ambulance, fire and coastguard services are all alerted by dialling 999, free of charge, from any telephone. Alternatively, the European emergency number of 112 can be used.

The emergency services sometimes call on the assistance of the Channel Islands Air Search, a voluntary organisation that maintains a light aircraft, available on stand-by 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering an ‘eyes in the sky’ capability around the islands. See www.ci-airsearch.com.

Using this guide

The walks in this guidebook start with a town trail around St Peter Port, allowing visitors to become acquainted with some of the heritage features and services of the second largest town in the Channel Islands. Walks 2 to 14 are arranged clockwise round the coast of Guernsey, and most of them are circular, made up of a coastal stretch and an inland stretch. They are all fairly short and easy, with the most rugged being along the south coast. As all the walks are arranged side-by-side they can be linked to form longer walks. Walk 8 includes an optional extension that is entirely dependent on a favourable tide; therefore, it might not be possible to attempt while you are on the island. Walks 15 to 19 explore the inland parts of Guernsey, although as has already been observed, no part of the island is more than 3km (2 miles) from the sea.

Quiet reflection – an early morning scene on the harbour at St Peter Port

Some walkers visit Guernsey simply to walk all the way round the coast, and this is an admirable plan. Walk 20 explains in very brief detail how to do it, by referring readers back to Walks 2 to 14. Each of these walks includes a stretch of coast, but at the point where these routes head inland, it is possible to link directly with the next walk in the book and the next stretch of coast. An annual sponsored walk aims to cover the coast in one long day, while average walkers would take three days to walk round the island.

All the walking routes on Guernsey are accessible by bus services, and if any other bus services cross them, these are mentioned. Places offering food and drink are mentioned, but as opening times vary, it is wise to carry something to eat and drink. If there are any visitor attractions on the routes a brief description is given; if contact details are provided, opening times can be checked. Bear in mind that some attractions take an hour or two to explore properly, and this eats into the time spent walking. A very short walking route with two or three major attractions and a good restaurant can take all day to complete if walkers really want to make the most of these opportunities!

Walks 21 to 25 explore the small islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm, and so require onward travel from Guernsey to complete. These can be attempted as out-and-back day trips, using the earliest and latest transport links. It is better to spend a couple of days on both Alderney and Sark, so that the walking is not rushed, and the routes on those islands are presented with that in mind.

Channel Island Way walkers can follow rugged cliff-top paths round the island of Jersey

Walkers who have also obtained a copy of the Cicerone guidebook Walking on Jersey can combine coastal walks around Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm with a coastal walk around Jersey, thereby completing the ‘Channel Island Way’. The full distance is around 178km (110 miles) (see Appendix A).