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INTRODUCTION

‘Morceaux de France tombés à la mer et ramassés par l’Angleterre.’ ‘Pieces of France fallen into the sea and picked up by England.’

Victor Hugo

Small and often very busy, but also beautiful and abounding in interest, the Channel Islands are an intriguing walking destination. The self-governing ‘bailiwicks’ of Guernsey and Jersey owe their allegiance to the Crown and seem outwardly British, but are in fact an ancient remnant of the Duchy of Normandy, with Norman–French place-names very much in evidence. For British visitors, it is like being at home and abroad at the same time. French visitors, however, find it a quintessentially British experience!

Walkers will find magnificent cliff and coastal paths, golden sandy beaches, wooded valleys and quiet country lanes. Flowers will be noticed everywhere and there is a rich birdlife. There are castles, churches, ancient monuments and fortifications to visit, as well as a host of other attractions. There are efficient and frequent bus services, and easy onward links by air and sea between the islands. This guidebook describes 24 one-day walking routes, covering a total distance around 225km (140 miles), plus a long-distance coastal walk around the island of Guernsey, almost 65km (40 miles). There is also a note about the Channel Island Way, a long-distance island-hopping route embracing the entire archipelago, covering 178km (110 miles) (see Appendix A).

Location

The Channel Islands lie south of Britain, but not everyone immediately appreciates how close they are to France. The islands fit snugly into a box bounded by lines of longitude 2°W and 3°W, and lines of latitude 49°N and 50°N. This puts them well and truly in the Golfe de St Malo off the Normandy coast of France, The French refer to them as Les Îles Anglo-Normandes, and that is the clue to their curious place in geography and history. They are the only remnants of the Duchy of Normandy to remain loyal to the Crown.

Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands after Jersey, with an area of only 63km2 (24½ square miles). The smaller neighbouring islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm together add less than 15km2 (6 square miles) of land area. No point on Guernsey is more than 3km (2 miles) from the sea, yet it can take weeks to explore the place thoroughly.

Geology

In Britain virtually every major geological period is represented. Channel Islands geology is more closely related to structures in France. Rocks are either very ancient or relatively recent, with hundreds of millions of years missing from the middle of the geological timescale. Fossils are virtually absent and the amount of sedimentary rock is quite limited. Most of the area is made up of ancient sediments and igneous rocks which have been heated, warped, crushed, deformed, melted and metamorphosed. Further intrusions of igneous rocks cause further confusion for the beginner, but there is a basic succession that can be presented in a simplified form.

The most ancient bedrocks in the Channel Islands are metamorphic and metasedimentary rocks known as ‘Pentevrian’ – a term used in neighbouring France. Ancient gneisses, often containing xenoliths of other long-lost strata, feature in this early series. Dating rocks of this type is possible only by examining radio-isotopes in their mineral structure, which suggest dates of formation ranging from 2500 to 1000 million years ago. The oldest rocks occur in southern Guernsey, western Alderney and possibly on Sark.

Rugged cliff scenery is enjoyed from the path all the way round Icart Point (Walk 4)

The ‘Brioverian’ sedimentary series dates from 900 to 700 million years ago. This is represented by a broad band of mudstones, siltstones and conglomerates across Jersey. In Guernsey, however, only a small area in the west contains these rocks, albeit in an altered state. One of the problems of dealing with these sediments is that even while they were being formed, they were being deformed by earthquakes, heat and pressure. Fossil remains are few, and in fact are represented only by a few worm burrows.

Following on from the formation of the Brioverian sediments, a series of igneous intrusions were squeezed into the bedrock around 650 to 500 million years ago. Interestingly, both granites and gabbros were intruded, along with intermediate rock types. A host of minor sills, dykes and pipes were injected to further complicate matters. These tough, speckled, igneous rocks have been quarried all over the Channel Islands for local building and export.

Events during the next 500 million years are conjectural, and based on geological happenings elsewhere in Britain and France. Rocks from this span of time are absent, although they are known from the surrounding sea bed. On dry land, sediments date only from the past couple of million years, and as this was a time of ice ages, indications are that the climate varied from sub-tropical to sub-arctic. Sea levels fluctuated so that both raised beaches and sunken forests and peat bogs can be discerned. For much of the time, the Channel Islands were part of one land mass with Britain and France, but rising sea levels formed the English Channel and, one by one, each of the Channel Islands. Guernsey became an island around 14,000 years ago, while Jersey became an island around 7000 years ago.

Exhibits relating to the geology of Guernsey can be studied at the Guernsey Museum. The British Geological Survey publishes detailed geological maps of the Channel Islands and there are a number of publications dealing with the subject.

Turbulent history

Little is known of the customs and traditions of nomadic Palaeolithic Man, but he hunted mammoth and woolly rhinoceros when Guernsey was still part of the European mainland 200,000 years ago. Neolithic and Bronze Age people made many magnificent monuments which are dotted around the Channel Islands. Henges, mounds, tombs and mysterious menhirs were raised by peoples whose origins are unclear and whose language is unknown. What is certain is that they had a reverence for their dead and were obviously living in well-ordered communities able to turn their hands to the construction of such mighty structures. The Romans knew of these islands, although whether they wholly colonised them or simply had an occupying presence and trading links is a matter of debate.

Ancient burial chambers, such as Le Déhus Dolmen, are sometimes big enough to stand up inside (Walk 13)

St Sampson brought the Christian message to Guernsey in the 6th century. The basic parish structure of the Channel Islands, and most of the parish churches, date from around this period. No doubt the position of the Channel Islands made it a favourite spot for plundering by all and sundry on the open sea. The Norsemen were regular raiders in the 9th century, and by the 10th century the islands were well established in the territory of Normandy. It was from Normandy that Duke William I, ‘The Longsword’, claimed the islands as his own in the year 933, and they have been part of the Duchy of Normandy ever since.

Duke William II, ‘The Conqueror’, defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. When King John lost Normandy to France in 1204, the Channel Islands remained loyal and were granted special privileges and a measure of self-government that continues to this day. However, the islands were repeatedly attacked, invaded and partially occupied by French forces throughout the Hundred Years War. During the most turbulent times of strife, the Pope himself intervened and decreed in 1483 that the Channel Islands should be neutral in those conflicts. The islanders were able to turn the situation to their advantage, trading with both sides! Church control passed from the French Diocese of Coutances to the English Diocese of Winchester in 1568.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the islands were divided against themselves, with Guernsey for Parliament and Jersey for the Crown. The French invaded the islands for the last time in 1781; stout defensive structures were raised against any further threats, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars, and in fact well into the 19th century. Queen Victoria visited the Channel Islands three times to inspect military developments.

During the First World War the Channel Islands escaped virtually unscathed, although the local militia forces were disbanded, and many of those who joined the regular army were slaughtered elsewhere in Europe. In the Second World War, after the fall of France to the German army, the Channel Islands were declared indefensible and were demilitarised. Many islanders evacuated to England, particularly from Alderney, but others stayed behind and suffered for five years under the German Occupation. Massive fortifications made the Channel Islands the most heavily defended part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.

There were only token raids and reconnaissances by British forces, and the Channel Islands were completely by-passed during the D-Day landings in nearby Normandy. VE Day in Europe was 8th May 1945, but the Channel Islands were not liberated until 9th May, as it was unclear whether the German garrison would surrender without a fight. The Channel Islands Occupation Society, www.ciosguernsey.org.gg, publishes a number of books and journals about the war years, including an annual review. Various military structures from the Occupation have been preserved as visitor attractions.

The German Occupation is covered in considerable depth at museums and visitor attractions

The modern development of the Channel Islands has been in two directions. As a holiday destination it caters for a multitude of tastes, with an emphasis on sun, sea, fun, family, good food and the outdoors. In the financial services sector the low rate of taxation has brought in billions of pounds of investment and attracted a population of millionaires. The Channel Islands retain some quirky laws and customs, enjoy a low crime rate, issue their own currency and postage stamps and enjoy a unique history and heritage that is well interpreted at a number of interesting visitor sites.

The best place to start enquiring into history is the Guernsey Museum, Candie Gardens, St Peter Port, GY1 1UG, tel 01481 726518, www.museums.gov.gg. This is also the place to enquire about La Société Guernesiaise, tel 01481 725093, www.societe.org.gg, and the Guernsey Museums and Galleries service. A ‘Discovery Pass’ can be purchased, allowing entry to all the sites managed by the service. There are numerous publications available examining all aspects of Channel Islands history. Detail is often intense, and any historical building or site mentioned in this guidebook probably has one or more books dedicated entirely to it.

Another organisation involved with heritage matters is the National Trust of Guernsey, 26 Cornet Street, St Peter Port, GY1 1LF, tel 01481 728451, www.nationaltrust.gg. The Trust owns land and properties around Guernsey, several of which are visited on walks throughout this guide. Some properties are leased to tenants and cannot be visited, while others may have limited opening times. The National Trust of Guernsey has reciprocal agreements with the National Trust for Jersey, National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and National Trust for Scotland, allowing members free entry to properties that normally levy a charge.

Government

The Channel Islands form a quirky little archipelago, with startling divisions among themselves. They are neither colonies nor dependencies; they are not part of the United Kingdom or the European Union. They have been described as ‘Peculiars of the Crown’, meaning that they are practically the property of the Crown, and they owe their allegiance to the Crown, but not to Parliament.

There are actually two self-governing ‘bailiwicks’ whose law-making processes are quite separate from those of the United Kingdom’s Parliament. Furthermore, the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s affairs are quite separate from the Bailiwick of Jersey. A thorough investigation of Channel Islands government is an absorbing study, which anyone with political inclinations might like to investigate while walking around the islands. The Bailiwick of Guernsey embraces Alderney and Sark, but those islands have their own governments. For further information check the States of Guernsey government website, www.gov.gg, the States of Alderney government website, www.alderney.gov.gg and the Chief Pleas of Sark website, www.gov.sark.gg. Sark was the last feudal state in Europe, but embraced democracy by holding its first general elections in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom, but owes its allegiance to the British Crown

Wildlife

Plants

The Channel Islands are noted for their flowers, and it is possible to find wild flowers in bloom at any time of the year. The southerly, maritime disposition of the islands and their range of habitats, from fertile soil to barren rocks, ensure that a wide variety of species can thrive. Even attempting to shortlist them is a pointless exercise, with hundreds of species growing around the islands. Bear in mind that the sea is also a bountiful source of plants, with the tiny Lihou Island surrounded by 130 species of seaweed. Add to this the plants that are cultivated in greenhouses and gardens and the study of Guernsey’s floral tributes becomes a vast undertaking!

Even walkers who have no great interest in flora cannot fail to be amazed at the sight of rampant flowers growing around the rugged coast and hedgerows of Guernsey. Add abundant swathes of sea campion and red campion, blazes of gorse and broom and nodding ox-eye daisies, and the result is a riot of colour. The sight of fleshy-leaved mesembryanthemum colonising entire cliffs is impressive and unusual. A comprehensive field guide to wild flowers is an essential companion on any walk, but make sure that it encompasses not only a good range of British plants but also plants from the Mediterranean, which are at their northernmost limits around Guernsey. La Société Guernesiaise, www.societe.org.gg, gathers plenty of information about Guernsey’s botany.

Fleshy-leaved mesembryanthemum is common and was once used to camouflage concrete bunkers

Animals

Mammoth, woolly rhinoceros and deer are known to have flourished on the Channel Islands, but today the islands are devoid of large wild mammals. Rabbits do well almost everywhere, but little else is likely to be seen except for evidence of moles and small rodents. Look to the sea for other species, such as dolphins. Local differences occur between the islands, such as the fact that toads are found on Jersey, but not Guernsey, although green lizards live on both islands. Insect life is abundant and varied, with a range of colourful butterflies.

The birdlife is amazingly rich, with a range of residents and a host of migratory species. While the landmass is rather small to support many raptors, there are owls, kestrels and sparrowhawks. The coastal margins abound in interest, attracting a range of waders that probe the beaches and rock pools for food. The cliffs and pebbly beaches provide safe nesting places for a variety of gulls and terns. At the right time of year puffins can be seen on some of the smaller islands and stacks, while a large population of gannets can be seen near Alderney. There are small areas of heathland where the rare Dartford warbler may be seen or heard, and there are a few areas of dense woodland, marsh and grassland which attract particular species. The range of bird habitats is under pressure from human development and recreation on such tiny islands but, even so, there is plenty to see.

Listing a couple of hundred species of birds is a pointless exercise, and so much depends on the time of year and prevailing conditions. A good field guide to birds is useful, and there are titles which are specific to the Channel Islands. The Guernsey Museum has exhibits relating to the natural history of the island. La Société Guernesiaise, www.societe.org.gg, collects information for the annual Guernsey Bird Report, or see www.guernseybirds.org.gg for information. Similar organisations include the Alderney Society, www.alderneysociety.org, and La Société Sercquaise, www.socsercq.sark.gg.

Protected areas

There is no national park on Guernsey, but there are several small nature reserves, ranging from marshland to woodland. The National Trust of Guernsey has already been mentioned, which is dedicated to preserving areas of land around the island. There are also large and very important marine reserves, some of which are particularly difficult to access. These include an area around Lihou and an area stretching west of Alderney.

The National Trust of Guernsey is a major landowner, maintaining some interesting short walks

Getting to Guernsey

The popular little aircraft ‘Joey’ flew for the last time in 2015

A map of transport routes makes Guernsey look like the centre of the universe, with ferries and flights converging on the island from all points of the compass. Bear in mind that there are seasonal variations, with more services available in the summer months than in the winter. See Appendix C for a list of contacts that may be useful in planning your trip.

Who can go?

People who hold British or European Union passports or identity cards do not need visas to visit Guernsey. All air travellers must produce some form of photo-ID or they may be denied boarding. People who have obtained a visa to visit Britain can also visit Guernsey during the period for which their visa is valid. Dogs and other pets can be brought from Britain to Guernsey, subject to any conditions that might be imposed by ferry or flight operators. Usual practice applies to walking dogs in the countryside. Keep them under control, especially near livestock. Dogs may be barred from beaches during the summer months and anti-fouling laws are in place everywhere.

Flights

Direct flights to Guernsey operate from over a dozen British airports, as well as a couple of airports in France and Switzerland. Scheduled and charter flights are available. Scheduled flights are mostly operated by Aurigny, www.aurigny.com, Flybe, www.flybe.com, and Blue Islands, www.blueislands.com. Aurigny and Blue Islands also operate inter-island flights. Summer charter flights are offered by Guernsey Travel, www.guernseytravel.com. This is not an exhaustive list and choices are quite bewildering, so it takes time to sift and sort between the operators, schedules and prices, but with patience some extraordinarily good deals can be sourced.

Ferries

Ferries serve Guernsey from Britain and France. Ferries from Britain are operated by Condor, www.condorferries.co.uk, sailing from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth. Passengers can choose between fast and slow ships, with links to and from Jersey. Condor also serves Guernsey from St Malo in France. Other ferry services from France are operated by Manche Îles Express, www.manche-iles-express.com, sailing from Diélette, also offering links with Jersey and Alderney, as well as sailing between Jersey and Sark.

Tour operators

Package holidays to the Channel Islands can be arranged for any period from a weekend upwards, freeing you from the hassle of trying to co-ordinate ferries, flights, accommodation and meals. Prices are quite competitive and there are seasonal variations, so it pays to shop around for the best deals.

Castle Cornet has witnessed centuries of change at St Peter Port

When to go

Guernsey is suitable as a year-round destination and generally enjoys slightly milder weather than the south of England, but the weather is still highly variable and impossible to forecast accurately. Winters are mild, but there may be frosts and, very occasionally, snow. Very bad weather at any time of year can upset ferry schedules, while fog affects flights. The peak summer period can be very hot and busy, which may not suit those looking for peace and quiet. The shoulder seasons, spring and autumn, are generally ideal for walking, with bright, clear days and temperatures that are neither too high nor too low. In fact, these are the times of year that the Guernsey Walking Weeks are arranged, featuring plenty of guided walks led by local experts.

Accommodation

Guernsey offers every type of accommodation to suit every pocket, but over the past few years prices have risen as hotels have moved up-market. Choose an accommodation base carefully, thinking primarily about how you intend to organise your walks. If you are hiring a car, then any base anywhere on the island will be fine. If you intend using the bus services to travel to and from walks, then the best base would be somewhere central in St Peter Port, handy for the bus station. An annual accommodation guide is produced, which can be obtained by post from Visit Guernsey, or browsed online at www.visitguernsey.com.

Walking and cycling are popular, especially on the coast where there may be shared use paths

Health and safety

There are no nasty diseases on Guernsey or, at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Domestic water supplies are fed from either reservoirs or underground sources, but there has been no desalination plant in operation for decades. Treated water is perfectly drinkable, but some people don’t like the taste and prefer to buy bottled water, which is quite expensive. There are no snakes and no stinging insects worse than wasps and honey-bees.

In case of a medical emergency, dial 999 (or the European emergency number 112) for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency there are chemists, doctors, dentists and a hospital. At the time of writing (and this may change) there is no reciprocal health agreement between Guernsey and the United Kingdom, nor is there any point in carrying the European Health Insurance Card. If emergency treatment is required it will be provided, but in order to avoid charges it is necessary to carry appropriate insurance.

Food and drink

Guernsey has long prided itself on being intensively agricultural, although this is waning and farmers face an uncertain future. In the past, people would think of ‘Guernsey tomatoes’, when the island was famous for its tomato greenhouses, but production has become uneconomic and many greenhouses now lie derelict or have been demolished. Some greenhouses are now purely involved in the production of flowers. At one time, Guernsey was the world’s leading producer of marmalade!

The name ‘Guernsey’ also conjures images of contented brown-and-white cows giving rich, creamy milk for butter and ice-cream. Guernsey cows have a long pedigree, having apparently lived on the island for over 1000 years and have always been immensely important. Guernsey herds are admired and renowned and have been exported world-wide. They even have their own website, www.guernseycattle.com.

Naturally, Guernsey offers good seafood, but one of the greatest delicacies is unlikely to be savoured by visitors. The ‘ormer’, or abalone, is a marine mollusc that can only be gathered at certain times and there are plenty of restrictions in place to conserve the species. As a result it tends to be eaten primarily by Guernsey folk, with nothing left over for commercial restaurants.

One of the most notable staple Guernsey foodstuffs is a moist fruit loaf known as ‘Guernsey Gâche’, whose flavour allows it to be eaten with a range of sweet and savoury food. Of course, it goes very well spread with rich Guernsey butter and eaten with a slice of Guernsey cheese. When fresh fruit and vegetables are required, visitors are often surprised to find these for sale from unmanned stalls beside roads all over the island. The idea is to help yourself to home-grown produce and leave payment in an honesty box, although judging by some of the notices attached to the stalls, some people simply steal from them, raising a question mark over how long this mode of selling can endure.

Of course, Guernsey also imports plenty of food and drink, both British and international goods, from simple, low-priced products to expensive quality items. On the whole, expect things to cost a little more than in Britain, and bear in mind that most supermarkets and shops are in St Peter Port, and not every village has a shop. On the other hand, pubs, restaurants, cafés and snack kiosks are regularly encountered while walking round Guernsey, and places offering refreshments are mentioned in the route descriptions. Food offered ranges from basic snacks to haute cuisine, and as it is easy to get from place to place for food and drink, you need only be guided by your palate and spending limits.

Parlez-vous Franglais?

For centuries the language commonly spoken around the Channel Islands was a Norman–French ‘patois’ which had distinct forms from island to island. The Guernsey form is known as Guernésiaise, or even Dgèrnésiais and, while it is rarely heard, it is still spoken and some people are keen to preserve it. Sometimes it is referred to as ‘Guernsey French’, but a French person would struggle to understand it. It also goes by the name of ‘Guernsey Norman French’. The Alderney form of Aurignaise has perished and the Sark form of Sercquaise is spoken only by a handful of people.

Guernsey cows feed on lush grass and give rich and creamy milk for butter and ice cream

Visiting walkers may hear nothing of the language, but will be very aware of the roots of the language preserved in place-names all over the islands. Motorists on Guernsey struggling to find a place to park will often be confronted by signs warning ‘ces premises sont terre à l’amende’, followed by a threat of a fine levied by the Royal Court. If you are lucky, the notice may also state ‘no parking’ in English.

Visitors with a good knowledge of French will probably pronounce the place-names with a French accent, but in fact the ‘correct’ pronunciation would be different. In all other respects, English is spoken, written and understood everywhere, but there are also sizeable resident, working and visiting nationals from many other countries. It is increasingly common to hear several languages spoken on the streets. If assistance is needed with the pronunciation of a place-name, the best person to ask is a Guernsey person!

Money

The States of Guernsey issue their own banknotes and coins, which are inextricably linked to Sterling and come in exactly the same denominations. However, Guernsey £1 and £2 coins are rare, while Guernsey £1 notes are common. Bank of England Sterling notes and coins can be spent in Guernsey, and currency issued by the States of Jersey is also accepted. In theory Sterling banknotes from Scotland and Northern Ireland are accepted, but this depends on whether the person to whom they are being offered is familiar with them. Some businesses will accept Euros, but the rate of exchange may be poor.

Change given at the close of a transaction may be a mixture of Guernsey and British currency. Remember that Guernsey currency is not legal tender in Britain, although British banks will change notes at face value. It is common for visitors approaching the end of a holiday in Guernsey to request British currency only in their change. Your last few Guernsey coins can be dropped in a charity box on departure, or saved as mementos of your visit.

Guernsey specialises in financial services, and banks from all over the world are represented on the streets of St Peter Port. ATMs are common and a wide variety of credit and debit cards are accepted by businesses. There is no VAT added to purchases and the island enjoys a low rate of tax. There is an advantage in purchasing some high-value items on the island, but the cost of transporting goods to Guernsey can make some of the benefits marginal.

Communications

If taking a mobile phone to Guernsey, check in advance about roaming charges, or you might find yourself paying a high price for calls. The local provider is Sure, www.sure.com. There is generally good mobile coverage around the islands. Telephone kiosks are located in many urban and rural locations, where emergency calls (999 or 112) are free. There is free Wi-Fi at the tourist information centre in St Peter Port and some accommodation providers also offer this as a service to their guests.

Royal Mail postage stamps from Britain are not valid in Guernsey. Any attempt to use them will result in delayed delivery and an excess charge for the recipient. Guernsey Post stamps must be used, and if you are posting to Britain, Europe or any other destination, make this clear when you buy stamps as there are different rates. There are 10 post offices around Guernsey, and one each on Alderney, Sark and Herm. Walkers with an interest in philately can make arrangements to collect Guernsey stamps and first-day covers on a regular basis, see www.guernseypost.com.

Telephone and postal services on Guernsey are different from those operating in the United Kingdom

Looking along the southernmost coast of Guernsey to Pointe de la Moye (Walk 5)