Guernsey Walker
Walk W4. St Saviours Reservoir walk (1)
Time: 1 hr 30 mins (or 40 mins for the circuit of the reservoir only)
A map of the walk can be found here.
St Saviours Reservoir bears a pretty fair resemblance to a proper (if small) inland lake, and the path which runs close to most of it's shoreline is our best and most picturesque inland path.
Of course you can if you wish, park in one of the little car parks at either end of the dam, and just circuit the reservoir. However my walk starts at a fairly unfrequented headland between Perelle and Vazon bays, passes up the valley towards the dam through a couple of water lanes, circuits the reservoir then returns at a slightly higher level. This walk is one of two that take in the whole of the reservoir path, the other being W7.
Parking is in the rather rough car park at the end of Route de la Marette, north of Fort Richmond. Bus routes are 7 and 7A. You would need to get off the bus in Rue de la Maladerie to join the walk at the crossroads mentioned in the next sentence.
From the car park walk back down Route de la Marette, and when you get to the crossroads (with Rue de la Maladerie) go straight over. Arrive at a T junction with houses named 'Lulworth' on your left, and 'La Croix' on your right (note these names for your return route). Turn right along the road past 'La Croix', then after 100 metres or so, turn left into Rue du Camp du Douit.
After 50 metres we pick up a douit (stream), initially on the right of the road, which we now follow for a while. At a cross roads continue straight up along the stream, now walking along a metalled path (the photo above looks back down this path). At the next road the stream goes underground. Keep straight over (Ruette de la Terre Norgiot).
At the first right hand bend we get our last glimpse of the stream, and then our lane starts to wind uphill. Just past the point where it straightens out again slightly, take the left turn (Rue des Annevilles) to pass under some mature pine trees, and past 'La Jaoniere'. After a further 100 metres you arrive at the little car park at the west end of the dam (signed: 'Reservoir Walk') (25 minutes).
Go through the car park and through a kissing gate, to take the path heading along the west bank of the reservoir. This loops around the west arm of the reservoir, passing over a wooden footbridge where a stream enters this arm. After this loop there is a short section through more pine trees before the path bends right again above the west bank of the central arm, then arrives at a metalled road (Rue du Moulin).
It is necessary to turn left along this road for 100 metres. Note there is a parking space here with room for three or four carefully parked cars. Where the road bends to the left, go left through a kissing gate to find a path heading north along the east bank of the central arm.
Pass two stones commemorating the 10th anniversary in 2004 of the twinning of St Saviour's Parish with Montebourg, and the opening of this walk in 2002.
When you arrive at a five barred gate, with a view down to the dam, you are standing on the remains of a road that was drowned when the reservoir was filled some 60 or more years ago. Turn up right along the remains of this road to reach a metalled public road where we turn left (Le Neuf Chemin). Unfortunately the remainder of this circuit, except the section across the dam itself, now has to be on tarmac.
Pass a concrete parapet which guards the end of the east arm, then continue along the road, which starts to head further away from the reservoir.
After passing the garden of the house on your left ('The Lodge'), arrive at the little car park at the east end of the dam. Walk across the dam, which offers quite extensive views over the reservoir to the left (St Saviours Church on the skyline) and down to Perelle on your right. Pass through the west car park, from where we retrace our outward route back past 'La Jaoniere', and turn right at the T junction.
Of course you could if you wish retrace the outward route all the way back. However I propose a worthwhile variation. At the first left bend, in front of 'Terre Norgiot Cottage', turn right along the short section of tarmac to pick up a slightly raised path (initially very grassy) running to the right of a sort of field cum work area. (There sometimes seems to be a barking dog here but, apart from the noise, this has never given us a problem).
This path soon runs downhill, becoming tarmac at the bottom, and then joins a road (Rue a l'Or. You could have continued straight down after passing 'The Lodge' to arrive here without walking across the dam, but that would have been a pity). Turn left along Rue a l'Or, then at a junction keep left, then in a further few paces reach a fork in the road where we keep right into Rue du Mont Saint.
Continue along Rue de la Mont Saint, ignoring turnings off to left and right, until you arrive back at 'La Croix'. Turn right between 'La Croix' and 'Lulworth' to follow your outward route back to the bus stop or car park. (1 hr 30 mins).
A winter panorama from the north-east bank of the reservoir can be accessed from this link.
(Revised August 2009)