Circular Walk - St. Clement's Country Trail

The camera-toting crapaud is pleased to bring you another walking suggestion, inland this time, on paths that look fairly new and are certainly ones I've never explored before.

Parking is free at the new road "Rue Hamel" past the new estate at Rue de Jambart, if you can get a space then seize the chance...

.. a short stroll eastwards along the main road, and what always seemed to be just a farm track is apparently an official road from long long ago, called Rue Graut.

Sign says don't trample the crops and all is well.

The path climbs so gradually that even at the top it was a surprise how much altitude we'd gained.

A tree-tunnel beckons...

.. then you eventually emerge...

.. at a clearing with a choice of proceeding ahead, or take a quick dead-end detour back southwards, but up to a field with a view...

.. the church between Christmassy trees - could be a good shot in mid-winter with snow in the equation :)

A nice view to the sea over the farm...

(this being the vantage point taken later in the walk)

.. Icho Tower in still waters.

Back to the original path, and it continues at the side of a field rather than a dedicated track. You may spot a path signpost over the hedge to the left and wonder if there's another path...

.. but no, at the end of the field we turn left, do a '180' and head back south again, then head along a straight up to the lane.

A view of Platte Rocque's Tower from the lane Rue Laurens.

From here you can cut the walk short and head back down the lane to the Church, or take a right along another field-side walk (and past a mobile phone mast if you're looking for a landmark) with Clos de Roncier in the near distance.

That little walk will take you to Rue du Pignon... head sea-wards down and take the first left into La Verte Rue, then after a brief look at St.Clement's Millennium Stone...

.. take the well signposted (!) footpath down to the church.

On the way back to the parking, you may spot an antiquity that is all too easy to have driven past thousands of times without ever noticing. Funny how much more you see on foot!

New Partners

"Partners" has reopened in the new building. Inside it's light and airy, with a lot more space...







.. and a view of the tennis players one side...








.. and the other side....






.. a nice view of the fairways.

I'm pleased to report that the staff are the same, and the food remains well up to par - just as delicious as it ever was.

Swapping Partners

Swapping one "Partners" restaurant for another, that is! The old one is about to face demolition for.... have a guess.... more housing!



The old... (on the map)...







.. with the new one behind, left.








Current entrance...







.. and interior.







The new building, from the lane...







.. and on the way back from the car park.







Should be nice to eat there with...







.. a good view of the greens and fairways...







.. as people clobber their little balls.

Changes

Just a few changes around the place that an observant visitor may notice if they haven't been here for a while.
Most of these are rushed snaps from a moving or slowed car, and the links to Google Maps are currently showing how the area used to look...

Benests of Millbrook (map) has had a bit of a make-over, windows frosted to spoil the view... I haven't dared go inside as I'd rather remember it as it was :)





.. down in the carpark.







Heading into town from Benests, these houses at Millbrook (map) are where the church used to be with the large Christ on a cross.






Farther along at St.Andrew's, the old pub (map) is for sale as a private dwelling...






.. where a friend of mine had his last drink as a free man before crossing the road to the church to do the deed :)








A bit farther along at First Tower, this bakery (map) has been closed for a while now.




On the other side of town, some elegant new houses (map) on the Route du Fort where the Laurels Hotel once was (still listed on many hotel websites like the Grange Court over the road which has been flats for ages now!).





More elegance where Toc H was (map), although Mum says "if you fell down those steps you'd be in the road under a car in no time!"






More flats (map) where St.Luke's parade of little shops was (site of old Eastern railway station).






Another piece of recent development by Plat Douet School (map).







.. and finally for now, the pigeon residence at Samares Manor with its new thatched roof (map).






And in other news, the field between La Moye Garage and another garage (map) that has since been redeveloped... yes... currently being cleared for yet another new housing estate. Blink for a moment in Jersey and new houses will appear, it seems.

Incinerator fallout zone

Here's where the incinerator is to be built...








.. immediate neighbours : a RAMSAR site and Havre des Pas


(and yes, maybe I could have had these views with a low tide walk)




Close-ups now, heading left to right...

1) Martello Tower from 1834 when the view was a bit more.. wet.





.. the prom along from La Collette to H d P...







'Nelson's Eye with Victoria College beyond.







.. and with JCG on the skyline too...

.. a gap in the buildings where a cafe and hotel have been demolished.





The walkway out to the pool... Mont Pinel and Douro Terrace up above.





The pool







Le Dicq







A private slipway.

I like the way it looks very rural inland, with acres of urban sprawl conveniently hidden.





Grande Charriere slipway (Rice Bowl)







Nicolle Tower on Mt Ube...






The lucky ****er who hugely rebuilt that place at Le Hocq certainly gets a great view.






Mt. Ube : by yet another pair of mobile masts, an 1896 lighthouse...







.. and its twin at Greve d'Azette.







Green Island