< The German tower at L'Angle from Mont Herault>

The German tower at L'Angle from Mont Herault.

Walk R10. Portelet to Mont Herault and back

Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.

A map of the walk can be found here.

This walk could equally well be described as "circuit of Pleinmont". There are many good walking paths around Pleinmont, and I've tried to include as many of the best as is possible in a single walk. As with walk R2, I've chosen to do this walk in an anti-clockwise direction, partly because of the lack of parking at Mont Herault, but also because I believe this is the better way round.

Park in the public car park at Portelet, in front of and beyond the Imperial Hotel, or take bus route 7 or 7A to the same place. Apart from the facilities offered by the hotel, the car park has a refreshment kiosk (open in season) and public toilets.

Continue along the road past the kiosk, and follow it around above Portelet Bay with its little fishermen's harbour. The large white house set back on the left above the grassy slope (Trinity House Cottages), was used by Trinity House until Les Hanois Lighthouse was automated a few years back. After this, and just before you get to the barrier across the road turn left up the path by the granite block "National Trust of Guernsey" to ascend through the trees.

At a fork you can go either way. If you go straight on you will soon come to a little terraced platform with a stone picnic table. If you go left the path zigzags up, then you can choose to traverse to the right at either of two levels. The lower path also joins with the little terrace with the picnic table. From here, you continue uphill on a broad path which reaches a metalled lane. Just before the lane, the upper traversing path joins from the left.

Turn right down the lane, then almost immediately left onto another path (Granite block: Guernsey National Trust). Alternatively you can make a short optional detour to a view point by going a few paces further down the lane, then taking a path on the right above the pine trees. Take a left turn to head out along a little ridge to the view point, which is quite sheer down its front.

Then return to the National Trust path. This follows along the top of the cliff, with views to your right over Rocquaine Bay, across to Lihou Island, and closer ahead down to Fort Pezeries.

When you reach a junction, turn sharp right and continue downhill (this path can be muddy after rain). Ignore a turn off on the left. Just before you reach a metalled lane, turn left onto a path. (You could have got here from the viewpoint if you'd wished, by walking down the metalled lane to find this junction of paths just to the left of the hairpin bend).

The path descends into a dip (there are a few steps). Keep straight on, rising a little. You emerge from the trees and descend to Le Table des Pions. "Pions" were the ordinary officials who in earlier times supported the officers on the annual island inspections (Chevauchees), and Le Table was their resting place for a meal break. (It's said that the "officers" took their break in Fort Pezeries).

It's worth making an optional detour here to have a quick look at Fort Pezeries over on your right, which has some information boards. Otherwise keep straight on along the path through the gap in the rocks. (Note that the edge of the path as you approach the gap has become undercut on the right. Keep to the left of the line of stones).

A few paces after the gap you have a choice of three possible routes. For the main (and recommended) route, turn left up the good path which runs up the shallow valley, keep right at a junction to continue up steps, and reach the top at a T junction. Turn right here (Signed on a granite block: La Creux Mahie) to reach a little car park. Cross the car park and follow the path that runs to the left of the concrete bunker, to reach a seat where the path bends to the left.

The second option is to ascend a narrow and steep path that you can see at half left, going straight up to the top of a shoulder. This option is not recommended as it gets muddy and slippery if wet. At the shoulder it bends left to join the first route at the seat.

However for the more agile who want a more direct way than option 1, a better way than option 2  - provided you don't mind the use of hands and a bit of exposure - is to go straight up the little rocky arête you can see ahead. Start from the floor of stone slabs at it's foot and go straight up the crest. (Don't trip over a bramble which tries to survive in a notch part of the way up.). About half way up the cliff the rock ends and you can follow a faint rather loose track around a couple of little rocky outcrops, which gets more marked when it meets the top of the option 2 path, and then reaches the same seat at the main path.

Whichever way you reach this seat, you now have a great view over Les Hanois reef with the lighthouse topped by its helipad. This is the start of Guernsey's rocky west coast, which has seen many wrecks in it's time, despite the lighthouse. The most recent was a brand new hull which broke its tow in January 2003 on its way to being fitted out, and was washed up at Perelle. It drew sightseers for a few days, but was fortunately refloated.

From the seat continue south along the cliff path. The WWII German tower on your left is open to the public at certain times. After you pass the radio mast you will reach another car park, just beyond which is the remains of a watch house which was the basis for the "haunted house" mentioned by Victor Hugo in "Les Travailleurs de la Mer".

Soon after this you pass a German gun emplacement and bunker, which is being restored by a group of enthusiasts, and in which they have placed an old gun. Just after the German occupation nobody could get rid of all the German equipment quickly enough, most of which was cut up for scrap, or just dumped. Now of course, those who are interested in occupation history wish it had been kept! All these bunkers were built during WWII by the German Organisation Todt, which imported significant numbers of slave / prisoner of war labourers from the European mainland for that purpose. Definitely not the happiest period of European history.

Continue along the path which reaches another little car park. This point is not the most southerly part of Guernsey, nor the most westerly, but it is perhaps the south-west tip of the island. Cross the car park to find the continuation of the path, now heading east along the beginning of the south coast cliffs. The large German direction and range finding tower at L'Angle comes into view, and you can see the Mont Herault Watch House on the horizon ahead. After passing the German tower the path runs to the left of a wire fence with the deep and narrow gash of La Congrelle (the conger) on your right. Cross another headland and then dip down to cross a little valley.

After you emerge from the valley the path reaches a track at a corner. Our walk will continue along the left hand branch of this track. However the watch house can be seen straight ahead, and is worth a quick visit. Then retrace your steps to this spot and continue along the track. This crosses agricultural land, with open views in each direction. In a little while it bends to the left, then right again and reaches a metalled lane at a bend (Rue de la Trigale). Continue straight on (half right) to reach a T junction.

At the T junction turn left (Signed on a granite block: Rocquaine Bay). Follow the road downhill, ignoring a turning off on the left. After the houses on your left (La Seigneurie) take a left fork (Rue du Banquet). This road rises and bends to the left. After the bend, and before you reach a clump of pine trees, take a path on your right. This path is signed "To Portelet Bay" on a granite block near the top of the path, though this is faint and difficult to see.

The path descends through the trees (can be muddy when wet) and the Trinity House building comes into view below. When you reach the side of the building the metalled lane on the right returns to the car park and bus stop. (1 hour 30 mins).

Three circular panoramas with views associated with this walk can be accessed from this link.

(Revised March 2010)