Jersey's Maritime Landscape
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Unlock the Island with Jersey Heritage audio tours The Paternosters G 01 the world to be built from reinforced Local legend tells how a boat struck concrete rather than traditional stone the reef known as Les Pierres de Lecq blockwork and its light could be seen (or the Paternosters) and a number of for up to 18 miles. children were drowned. The story says their ghostly cries can occasionally be St Brelade H 05 heard over the sound of the sea and Customs records from 1810 show that so it became customary for sailors to the bay was popular with smugglers. say a prayer (or pater noster) on Large cargoes of brandy and gin were passing this reef. taken on at St Brelade’s Bay to be landed secretly on the English coast. La Corbière F 05 La Corbière, which means ‘gathering St Brelade’s Church G 05 Jersey’s spiritual Jersey’s military place of the crows’ has a fearsome During the 17th and 18th centuries, reputation amongst sailors due to its the crews of the Jersey fishing fleet landscape landscape Immerse Download the FREE audio tour Immerse Download the FREE audio tour rocky outcrops. One of the earliest would attend communion at yourself in from www.jerseyheritage.org yourself in from www.jerseyheritage.org the history the history recorded incidents was of a large St Brelade’s Church in the western corner and stories and stories Spanish ship wrecked off La Corbière of the bay before sailing 3,000 miles of Jersey of Jersey in 1495 leaving the beaches strewn across the Atlantic Ocean to fish for with barrels of sweet wine. cod off Newfoundland. At the height Supported by Supported by of the cod fishing industry in the Tourism Development Fund Tourism Development Fund Corbière Lighthouse F 05 1770s, it is thought that between The lighthouse was not actually 60 and 70 Jersey vessels, manned completed until 1874 following years by up to 2,000 Jersey men and boys of petitions and representations by (10% of the entire population), were Jersey’s Spiritual Landscape the public, fishermen and other involved in the trade. interested parties. Designed by the Jersey’s spiritual past told by the spirit of the Dean of St Aubin J 05 Jersey’s maritime harbours engineer Sir John Coode, Jersey. Audio tour and map and standing 500 yards from the The harbour dates back to 1680 when shore, it was the first lighthouse in the then Governor Sir Thomas Morgan ordered a stone pier built at St Aubin’s Jersey’s Military Landscape Fort. Until this time, even though Hear the spymaster’s tale about Jersey’s military history. landscape St Aubin was the island’s main port, Audio tour and map ships were loaded and unloaded by Immerse Download the FREE audio tour carts at low tide. yourself in from www.jerseyheritage.org Elizabeth Castle After the creation of this harbour, the history An entertaining tale about the castle and its inhabitants merchants began to make cellars and stories to store their goods and the King’s Audio tour only Scales, which were used to weigh all of Jersey cargo being landed, were housed in the Old Court House (once the tallest Mont Orgueil Castle building in the Island). The Old Court Jersey’s iconic castle brought to life with tales of kings, House was also where the bounty knights and legends. Audio tour only seized by the privateers licensed to seek and destroy enemy merchant Supported by ships was shared out between the ship’s master, his crew and the Crown. Download for FREE at www.jerseyheritage.org Tourism Development Fund Jersey’s coastline is dotted with harbours and havens. Explore these maritime landscapes and learn about the Island’s once thriving shipbuilding industry and the fortunes that were made from smuggling, 3shing and overseas trade. St Helier Harbour L 06 changing from a working environment Before 1700 St Helier had no decent to a leisure one as the shipbuilding harbour although a map of 1545 does industry declined. show two stone piers in the area under Le Mont de la Ville, near where There were a dozen shipyards along South Pier is today. the beach; along the promenade is the site of Francis Allix’s shipyard, La Folie L 05 preserved as memorial to Jersey’s The modern harbour dates back to the maritime heritage. construction of the stone fronted quay at La Folie in the early 1700s. Because Rope Walk L 05 it was open to the south-westerly Behind the shipyards were a number gales, which are thought to have of rope-makers and rope walks and destroyed previous landing facilities if you walk up Green Street you will in the area, many people regarded it find place names like Rope Walk and only to the local fishermen. Six hundred resumed in the bay although today The Black Dog of Bouley Bay as a foolish project – a folly – from La Corderie which hint at this area’s troops led by Baron de Rullecourt they are farmed rather than fished - In local folklore, a large black dog where the area gets its name. industrial past. landed safely and marched on St Helier you may notice rows of oyster bags with saucer shaped eyes is said to in the early hours of morning, surprising on tables when the tide is low. have roamed Bouley Bay at night, Elizabeth Harbour L 05 La Rocque P 06 the Island’s Lieutenant-Governor and terrifying the local residents. St Catherine’s P 03 Later additions to Jersey’s main La Rocque Harbour, at the south-eastern forcing him to surrender. Despite the One version of the legend is that harbour include the Elizabeth Harbour, corner of the Island, has been home to surrender, the French were intercepted The breakwater was intended to be the story was put about by smugglers the tanker berth adjacent to the fuel local fishermen since the Middle Ages. in the Royal Square by a defence force the northerly arm of a new deepwater who were using the bay to land farm at the southernmost edge of They traditionally fished Les Minquiers, under the command of Major Peirson harbour, which would offer a refuge contraband goods and wanted to the port, the Elizabeth and St Helier the group of small islets and reefs that and were defeated in what became to British ships patrolling the French do so without being disturbed. Marinas and La Collette yacht basin. lie nine miles to the south of Jersey. known as the Battle of Jersey. coast and help counter the threat of a French invasion. The project was Havre des Pas L 05 On the 6th of January 1781, La Rocque Seymour Tower P 06 finally abandoned in 1855 when it This is a former Victorian seaside resort was chosen as the unlikely landing As a result of the Battle of Jersey the was decided that the bay was not in the area known as La Greve d’Azette. place for a French invasion of the bolstering of Jersey’s coastal defences deep enough to accommodate the The sea water bathing pool that now Island. A treacherous Jerseyman led was deemed a priority and the following new design of steam ship. dominates Havre des Pas is an early the French boats though the safe year, Seymour Tower was built, standing Bouley Bay M 02 example of the maritime landscape channel between the rocks known a mile offshore to the east of La Rocque. Until the arrival of the Germans in Gorey P 04 1940, few fortifications were built Head north along the Royal Bay of on the northern coast where the Grouville and you come to Gorey, the steep cliffs provided a natural centre of the oyster fisheries for most defence. However, the geography of the 1800s. of the area also prevented large scale development. One such At its height, the industry employed anchorage is at Bouley Bay, one of some 2,000 men as well as hundreds the largest bays on the north coast. of women and girls who sorted and Grève de Lecq G 01 packed the oysters ready for export. In the 17th and 18th centuries, A favoured landing point for Unfortunately the industry collapsed several large fishing boats were kept smugglers. For centuries, fishermen in the 1860s because of over-fishing. in the bay and these were hauled launched their boats from the beach Nowadays Gorey is largely a leisure above the high water mark using at Grève de Lecq until a foundation port, offering shelter to visiting French capstans. It was also home to a small stone for a pier was laid in 1872. yachts and providing a convenient shipbuilding industry. The existing Unfortunately the pier was damaged base from which local boat-owners pier dates back to 1827, when it was by a huge storm in 1879 and within can explore Les Écréhous. In the last built to provide shelter to around a week a large central section had 30 years, the oyster industry has 30 oyster boats. collapsed into the sea. Ronez Sorel La Houle Grosnez La Grève au Lançon Le Fosse (Plémont) Vicq Mourier Plémont Bay Creux Gros Grosnez Castle (ruins) To the Paternosters Belle Hougue WC ST. JOHN'S Wolf's Creux Gabourel BAY Caves Les Ruaux Frémont M BONNE NUIT Douet de la Mer ou 01 C105 Devil's Hole rie C100 WC r Giffard Va La Cr ête Fort B55 Portinfer lle Bay y C99 WC Rue Les Reuses Petit Port de Creux L Les la Poin GREVE DE a Les Landes te de Lasse R Les u Landes LECQ e La Crête Ville d Pallières e ST.