Guernsey Walker
Walk R5. Icart Point to Petit Bot and back
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
A map of the walk can be found here.
This is a pleasant walk along the top of the cliffs which is fairly level most of the way, though there is one little valley to cross which involves steps on either side. We then descend to sea level at Petit Bot, before walking back up through Petit Bot Valley, then curving back along a few lanes to regain our outward cliff path not far from the start.
Park in the public car park at Icart Point. There is a tea room here in season, and public toilets. There is no bus to this point, but you can take route 6 or 6A as far as Icart Corner, and will then have a walk of around 10 minutes along Icart Road to get to this car park.
From the car park turn right (west) along the cliff path. After a little under 10 minutes you reach a junction with the path descending to Le Jaonnet Bay. This is a pleasant sandy bay (except at high tides when the sand gets covered) which is worth a separate excursion in its own right. Take your own picnic though, because there are no facilities at the bay, and note there is a short ladder at the bottom to get to the bay itself.
Our walk continues along the right hand fork. You can look down on your left to see the steps running down a fairly narrow shoulder to Le Jaonnet with the ladder at the bottom.
After you cross a little valley you will reach a clump of pine trees on the right, at which point you are above Petit Bot. There is a seat just off the main path on the left. Otherwise the path bends to the right and descends. At a junction turn left and keep going down, and when you reach the road turn left to the bay. (35 mins).
Petit Bot is a popular bathing bay, being one of the few cliff bays with car access. It does though have rather crumbly cliffs (note the warning notices). There is a tea room here, and public toilets (open in season). You may care to note the mill race just across the road above the tea room garden (though there is no sign of a water wheel).
Leave the bay by ascending the same road. Opposite the point where your outward path met the road you can find a path running alongside the stream. This gets you off the road for 50 metres or so, but soon ends. When it reaches a hump don't bother to try going over it. Turn right back onto the road, and in a few further paces turn left onto the wide track signed "Strictly No Vehicles" (Forval Lane).
Keep straight on up. Ignore a left turn (the notice saying "private keep out" refers to the land, not the path), and ignore a second left turn. After a steeper section you reach a fork in the path, and turn right to reach a metalled lane. Keep straight along the lane. After a while it winds a little and descends. After passing La Vielle Ferme bend left with the road, then almost immediately turn right along La Hurette Lane (Les Hurettes in Perry's).
At a T junction turn right along La Rue des Pages (Les Pages in Perry's). After a few minutes ignore a right turn, and continue straight ahead up the hill bending to the left. After the bend turn right into La Rue de la Fallaize. This bends slightly right and then straightens. Look here for a track going back on the left towards a greenhouse. This track is shown in Perry's, and is opposite a bungalow called Beau Vallon, though you will have to look back over your right shoulder to see this name on a granite block, because it faces in the direction you are walking.
Walk down the track past a house on your left, and when it reaches the green house turn right to follow alongside it. After the greenhouse the track becomes fainter as it runs along the right hand side of a couple of fields. You can see across to Icart on your left (but keep straight on along the track). When the track seems to be reaching an impenetrable hedge in front of you, turn right through a gap onto a short bit of path which almost immediately reaches the cliff path of your outward route.
Turn left along the cliff path, and in a few paces you will see that you are back above Le Jaonnet. It just remains to follow the path back to the car park. (1 hr. 30 mins.)