Turn up Mont du Boulevard by The Old Court House
Inn. Dating from 1450 and once the tallest building in the island,
this was where privateers' bounty was distributed between King,
Master and crew. Jersey merchants made their fortunes from cod fishing,
smuggling and privateering from the 16th to the late 19th centuries.
Climb the winding hill (Le Mont es Tours becomes
La Route de Haut) until the T-junction with Route de Noirmont. The
wall alongside the potato-fields was built on the traditional 'perche
a pied' system, a form of piecework, with sections a perch long
and a Jersey foot high, producing a lined effect along the length.
Turn left, then take the footpath to the left immediately
after the next crossroads. The track leads through the woods and
around the coast to Noirmont Point. This Fife or Seigneur's estate
was retained by the Duke of Normandy for himself, and is now the
Island's Memorial to those who gave their lives in two world wars.
The views from Noirmont Point over St Aubin's Bay
are superb, to St Helier, Elizabeth castle (1597) and the white
dome of Fort Regent (1814). On a very clear day the coast of Brittany
can be seen on the horizon, beyond the dangerous Sillettes reef
just a mile to the south. Notice also the strong currents that rush
past the Napoleonic Tower below.
The German bunkers are maintained by the Channel
Islands Occupation Society. In two years, over half a million tons
of concrete were laid around the island's coasts in the form of
bunkers, sea walls and underground ammunition stores.
Return along the road to the first cross-path and
turn left. Follow this track around the bay keeping the sea on the
left. The little island in the bay is called Janvrin's Tomb, where
in 1721 the master of a ship suspected of carrying plague was buried.
The tower on top is from 1808.
The Old Portelet Inn offers an opportunity for a
well-earned drink and a bite to eat - both the real ales and the
food here have an excellent reputation. The building itself dates
back to the early 17th century.
Keeping the pub to the right, continue along the
lane past the stables, and turn right at the next junction (La Rue
Voisin), then right again at the T-junction and sharp left down
the hill past the quaint granite cottages.
The Smugglers Inn is at the bottom of the hill -
a well-kept pub with great character, a wide selection of real ales
and good food. Take care - the ghost of the Woman in Black still
haunts the house and makes an occasional appearance!
Walk down to the sea wall around Ouaisne Bay. The
sand dunes and marsh are home to the Dartford Warbler and the Agile
Frog. Walk now past the round tower (1787), either along the wall
and over the headland or across the beach towards St Brelade. Locate
the L'Horizon Hotel and turn inland just before it. Cross the main
road into Mont Gras d'Eau. The bay has a microclimate of its own
with many palm trees, and agapanthus growing on the hill-side half-way
up.
Turn right at the top of the hill, then left down
Mont Nicolle, named after one of Jersey's famous merchant families.
Pass the fine granite house on the corner and under the bridge.
The steps just after the bridge lead up to the Corbiere Walk, the
former railway line to the lighthouse on the southwest point of
the island. Descend to St Aubin and the end of the walk.
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