Inside La Rocco Tower

The wonderful old La Rocco Tower, the iconic centerpiece of St.Ouen's Bay - in the St.Brelade's section of the bay by the looks of the map in the phone book. One Sunday some weeks ago it was one of the properties featured on the heritage sites open day...

Have you ever seen so many people clambering over the reef here?

Looking back - an idea how far out it is. It's only a matter of walking for two or three minutes.

Up on the battery, evidence of work going on...

.. looking up, new stonework looks very fresh alongside the old.

At last, a chance (for my roving reporter - thanks mate!) to get inside...

A tight spiral of steps on the right as you walk in...

.. the fireplace is a bit farther along, on the side in a L'Etacq direction.

Looking down from the stairs, apparently "Say cheese!" wasn't a particularly well received line :)

At the top of the steps, the top interior level.

You would have to bring your own ladder to get through up to the roof level. It looks like the Germans reinforced it somewhat.

Looking up...

.. and an empty level after the crowds had left - the fireplace is on the opposite side on this floor, in a Corbiere direction.

Many thanks to my roving reporter, it gives me a really good idea what it's like in there, after years of wondering!

Misc again

I was waiting for the local blogs to go quiet now that one of the main players is off for his traditional Christmas break in a plush all-inclusive resort (free meals, heating, healthcare, gym, etc). But it's still lively enough, so there's no point sitting on this pile of Misc any longer...

Looking down to White Rock, on the north coast...

.. small bay to the east (with no easy means of access found so far)...

.. and the posh house on the headland overlooking Rozel.

Zooming in to the old jetty at the quarry at Ronez Point.

They say that you just don't see white dog poo any more (it was even mentioned on QI the other week). So I had to take a snap when I found some, just to prove that it's still out there somewhere :)

Les Ecrehos...

.. first the French put this windfarm in a Carteret direction from us - located at Sortosville-en-Beaumont (here from above on Bing Maps) (Streetview from here) ...

... then I recently noticed a new lot from La Rocque. They are lined up with the light on the end of St.C's breakwater from the carpark by the slipway and white martello, which is in a Surville direction and works out to be this lot just off the D67 south of Baudreville (Bing map from above) - and here they are on Streetview.

Find all Normandy wind farms with www.normandie-actu.fr/carte

Down on the beach at St.Ouen, one of my roving reporters visited La Rocco Tower on the Open Day (more later)...

.. and it's goodbye to the RNLI beachguards for another year.

The aftermath of a stormy night - the annual autumn harvest of seaweed washed up onto what is normally pristine golden sand.

One of the Open Day properties, the Square Fort...

.. looking in from the doorway. The access to the roof terrace wasn't allowed... spoilsports!

Historic Jersey Airport restored to its old glory without the ugly control tower bits that were bolted on top...

.. closer.

Portelet Common

Thankfully for most of the walk the eyesore flats are hidden behind greenery.

.. right a bit, taking in more of Portelet Bay looking east towards Noirmont.

An old German feature on the headland...

.. a searchlight position.

Looking back from Le Fret Point towards St.Brelade's Bay...

.. closer.

To the other end of the common, and we're overlooking the Ouaisne half of St.Brelade's Bay...

.. ample parking...

.. and a 1780s Jersey Round Tower still has its uses.