< Grande Havre at low tide from Chouet headland>

Grande Havre at low tide from Chouet headland.

Walk R17.   Grande Havre to L'Ancresse and back

Time: 1 hr. 50 mins. or 1 hr. 10 mins.

A map of the walk can be found here.

This walk starts from Grande Havre, then passes Ladies bay to arrive at the popular bays of Pembroke and L'Ancresse, before heading back through quiet lanes and footpaths.

To provide continuity with walk R.16 cars can be parked at Rousse between the Martello tower and the pier. Or, for a shorter walk which avoids having to retrace your steps at the end back around the bay, you could park at the Sandy Hook Refreshment Kiosk near the Vale Church and adjacent to the pumping station at the outlet of Vale Pond.

From Rousse take the path past the refreshment kiosk (open in season) and then the track to the left of the public toilets, soon passing the Peninsular Hotel on your right then, after regaining the cycle path, Houmet Tavern and a little further on still, the British Legion Northern Branch.

The coast road bends away from the coast, but the path we are on continues to contour around the bay. After a while leave the cycle path, keeping left in order to continue around close to the edge of the shoreline, and soon reach the refreshment kiosk at Sandy Hook. The Vale Pond is over the road behind the wall.

From the kiosk continue left along the path to reach the little fishermen's harbour at Les Amarreurs, also a popular place for swimming, and where there are public toilets. From here descend to Ladies Bay and walk along the sand. Or you can continue along the path along the top of the dunes. Watch out for stray golf balls here though, since this path runs alongside a fairway of L'Ancresse golf course.

Leave the beach up the slipway at the far end, where there is a refreshment kiosk and public toilets (both closed out of season), and further over to the left is Chouet Tearoom. At this point I propose to omit the circuit of the Chouet headland, since it is currently the site of Mont Cuet refuse landfill site. If you insist on doing the complete coastline, a good path does make the complete circuit of this headland, starting in front of the Tea Room. I sometimes walk (or more usually cycle) along it, though generally choose a day when there is at least a bit of breeze blowing from between a westerly to northerly direction. You would also have to make a detour if the pistol shooting range was in use (indicated by red flags and notices).

However this walk is going to omit the headland, and I offer two options. The first and best is to go left along the road (Mon Cuet Road) from the kiosk, then after a hundred metres or so turn right into a metalled lane (Les Hures) which runs initially uphill, then descends to pass the end of the golf driving range to arrive at Pembroke Bay. Les Hures does though run quite close to the tip.

The second option avoids this, but you do have to negotiate the golf course. From the kiosk turn left along the road, then almost immediately turn right onto a track. This bends to the right then back to the left, and soon goes half-right where it becomes more grassy and then narrows to a path over grass. At this point you are walking alongside the fairway of the first hole of the golf course and the path approaches towards the first tee. Continue on past the tee and the buildings of the Royal Guernsey Golf Club to reach the concrete sea wall at Pembroke.

Whichever way you have arrived here, you can if you wish make an optional detour around to Fort Pembroke on the headland at the west of the bay. Otherwise continue across the sandy beach or along the sea wall. Pass a beach kiosk and the Mirage Beach Café (both closed out of season) and some public toilets.

This concrete sea wall is part of the defences that were erected during the German occupation in WW II. Some of the concrete is starting to crack and move now, particularly in the centre of the bay, which bears the brunt of northerly waves.

Leave the beach up the slipway at the L'Ancresse end of the bay, where there is a refreshment kiosk and public toilets (both closed out of season). Just left of the slipway pick up a metalled road running across L'Ancresse Common away from the shore. When this reaches the main road go straight over (Rue du Marais).

At a junction keep straight on, bending around to the left. A pavement starts at a left hand bend, then ends after a few paces, at which point we turn right (La Vielle Marais). Keep straight on, ignoring a left turn. When you reach a sharp right hand bend, take the narrow footpath running straight on between a hedge on its left and a house (Le Chardronnet) on its right (Le Hurel). Keep straight on along the footpath.

Reach a gravely drive then cross a metalled lane to continue along a narrow metalled footpath which runs alongside a douit (stream) (Le Douit Lane). Reach a metalled lane and turn right to gain the main road. Cross the road and turn left along the grassy verge to reach the car park of the Vale Church.

You can if you wish turn right to walk up to the Church, from where you can continue down to reach the refreshment kiosk at Sandy Hook. Alternatively continue straight ahead on the right of the low granite wall, then turn right down the road (L'Abbaye) to reach the same place.

If you parked here, my timing for the walk is 1 hr. 10 mins. If you parked at Rousse you will need to retrace your steps back around the bay to your car. (1 hr. 50 mins).