Wednesday 22 May 2013

Egypte, Ayton, Lair and Les Rouaux

Let's have a look down our own "Egypt" - starting from the end of this road (Streetview)...


I see no desert or pyramids, but hey.
The footpath is actually a track, navigable by a robust vehicle, all the way down to the memorial that we'll see in a moment. From a bend in the track, before we've dropped too far in altitude, we get a glimpse along the coast eastwards to Vicard Pt. (Bing sat view)

On the inland side of the next run of track, an old ruin. Hard to not try to imagine who lived here, when, for how long, how they lived, etc. What would they make of their old fireplace now? :)
Before heading down the final straight(ish)...
.. another path heads up to the east and it's quite a trek to Bouley Bay.
Bluebells by the stream.
.. and we finally reach an old cottage and war memorial at Petit Port.
The view.
Dedicated to the British and French commandos who landed here in Christmas 1943 for a  reconnaissance raid called Operation Hardtack 28. Commanding officer Captain Philip A Ayton was seriously wounded by stepping on a landmine as the group returned to the beach. Sadly he died the following day.

More recently, a bench dedicated to the Special Boat Service.
An old cottage now called Wolf's Lair, maintained by the Jersey Canoe Club.
Wonderfully peaceful place for a camp fire.
Looking east.
The path down to the beach is part path, part stream. Tricky!
Leaving Petit Port behind, it's now just standard cliff path (looking back, trying to make use of the yellow gorse in the shot)...
.. with an old section too close to the edge, now cordoned off and re-routed.
This coastline is "Les Rouaux", and we're heading west towards Belle Hougue Pt.
They hover in one place so well that it's not too hard to take a snap.
At this time of year the grass isn't too trampled, so it's like a nice green carpet sometimes - and the bracken hasn't taken over the slopes yet. It gives the north coast a quite different feel to what you see later in the season, so it's well worth a hike on a nice day.

From here you can keep to the footpath to Bonne Nuit, or one long straight climb takes you back up to a corner of La Rue d'Égypte (Streetview).

15 comments:

A visitor from Ireland said...

Lovely stuff. Jersey is looking fabulous at the moment. You're showing us parts of the island that I never knew or heard about. I think it's time for me to book a flight and spend a few days trekking. It would be so much easier for me if only they'd restore the direct flights from Waterford airport

crapaudmatic said...

Thanks! If you like that scenery you'd have a blast exploring the entire north coast cliff path. It's a wonderful way to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life - you don't even hear any distant rumble of traffic - total peace and quiet with just the waves and birds for company. Bliss!

James said...

A great set of photos. Not been down there for a while. I remember the gate to Wolf's Lair having another name engraved on the back, but can't remember what it is. Did you happen to notice what it was?

crapaudmatic said...

Thanks James, no, sorry I didn't notice anything on the back of the gate. I'll have to go again now!! :)

James said...

No need, just found a video online that shows that it is "La Baule" that is engraved on the back of the gate. Not sure why? Weird!

crapaudmatic said...

Thanks, that saved me a trip. However beautiful it is, I can only face going all the way down there once every few years :)

Things From Dreams said...

Very nice photos. It looks like a really beautiful place!

Anonymous said...

I was just down here last week and took a photo of the back of the gate (good timing, eh?).

I don't know the translation for La Baule but Wikipedia describes it as a "home to French high society's seaside residences." Maybe the little cove there reminded the fence-builder of Brittany?

Great photos, too!

crapaudmatic said...

Quite some way away, too.

Thanks Tom. BTW, is there any way I can contact you, in my anon way, these days? Without logins, registering anywhere, etc?

Rod Bryans said...

Tom you've done some sterling work here showing some of the detail of the Island and some neglected areas. Well done. rod.

crapaudmatic said...

You see Tom, even Rod has to comment here to praise your photos :)

Anonymous said...

Ahahaha!

Rod is actually pretty switched on and takes lots of great photos. I met him a while back when I spotted him snapping photos of a GF painting in town. Everyone else was just walking past, oblivious to the artwork. I thought I'd finally met the elusive Crapaudmatic in person...

crapaudmatic said...

tee hee :)

ormer said...

I was wondering how to post a little youtube video about last years Liberation Day.

ta

crapaudmatic said...

Hi Ormer, there must be guides somewhere on how to do it. Once you've got a YouTube identity, there should be an Upload button for you to use..... good luck!