Guernsey Walker
Walk W7. St Saviours Reservoir walk (2)
Time: Option 1: 55 mins. Option 2: 1 hr 10 mins. Option 3: 1 hr 25 mins
(or 40 minutes for the circuit of the reservoir only)
A map of the walk can be found here.
This is an alternative walk to walk W4. Apart from the fact that it circuits in a clockwise direction (W4 is anticlockwise), it starts from the reservoir itself, then extends the short road section which intervenes between the east and west parts of the central arm path, by continuing up the valley beyond and to the south of the reservoir, optionally taking in St Saviours Church, before passing along mostly quiet lanes to re-join the reservoir path.
Parking is in the little car park at the east end of the dam. There is a small notice at the entrance indicating "Reservoir Walk", though this is only easy to see if you drive up the hill from the Mont Saint direction. If this small car park is full (likely at week ends) people tend to park in the wider section of the road above and on the same side as the car park. There is another small car park at the opposite end of the dam, though the lanes leading to it are a bit narrow.
The nearest buses to this point are routes 4, 5S and 5AS to Mont Saint, then you need to walk up Rue a L'Or. Alternatively these routes also pass La Route des Piques on the option 3 route, and Le Gron which is close to the option 3 route, and number 4 passes Sous L'Eglise on the option 2 route.
Leave the east car park by the road, turning right up the hill. In a few paces a pavement starts on the right hand side. Continue along, bending to the right downhill, then passing the concrete parapet which guards the end of the east arm of the reservoir, and from which there are views back down to the dam.
The road flattens out more or less then, at a left hand bend, turn right after the wooden fence through a wooden gate, then bear left down a wide track which is the remains of a tarmac road, the rest of which was submerged when the reservoir was first filled.
Reach a five barred gate on your right with a further view down to the dam, and turn left along a path. Almost immediately the path becomes less defined as it passes under some mature pine trees, then it continues through a dense patch of mostly fairly young deciduous trees.
Emerging from the trees, you soon reach 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, and where there is a seat and a further view over the reservoir. Continue along above the central arm of the reservoir.
Go through a kissing gate to reach a tarmac road (Rue du Moulin). If you are just doing the circuit of the reservoir, you turn right at this point, then after about 100 metres of road, turn right through the next kissing gate to rejoin the reservoir path.
However this walk is going to go straight across the road to continue up the path which continues up the valley. (Ruette de la Potère. Signed: No horse riding). (Note that after winter rains the far end of this path can get muddy). Reach another metalled road.
At this point there is a choice of routes. For option 1 (the shortest) turn right along this road. For option 2 (longer) and option 3 (longest), turn left. It may seem unnecessary to have three alternatives, but each option has characteristics that make it worthwhile.
The option 1 route (after turning right) continues straight along (Rue de L'Eglise). Half way up the hill keep straight on, ignoring a left turn. After the lane flattens out you get glimpses of the reservoir down on the right. If you turn around you can see the tower/spire of St Saviours Church. Pass La Roda Farm then reach a T junction, at which point we turn right and have rejoined the options 2 and 3 routes. Continue with the 8th paragraph below starting "All three options".
The options 2 and 3 routes continue past St Saviours Church and Place de Cour du Fief de Jean du Gaillard, and option 3 then extends further to pass Place de Cour du Fief de Longues (not that there is much to see here apart from a granite slab and a small plaque).
Turn left along the metalled lane for just 20 paces, then fork right up the path. At a metalled road go straight over, up a now grassy path, to reach St Saviours Church. At the church buildings turn right, then after 10 paces at the fork, the option 2 route takes the right fork, and the option 3 route takes the left fork.
Option 2 exits the church yard by the old fashioned lamp post. Just after the gateway you will find Place de Cour du Fief de Jean du Gaillard. Continue down the path (the cobbles may be slippery if wet). Reach a road and bus route (4, 5S and 5AS) , and continue right in front of Auberge du Val. On your right the field of Courtil de L'Eglise is public and has some seats and a picnic table. At the top of the hill the pavement ends (take care as this narrow road can be busy), then after about 100 metres pass "slow" painted in white on the road, after which turn right at a cross roads, where you have re-joined the option 3 route. Continue 4 paragraphs below starting "Options 2 and 3".
Option 3 exits the church yard by a continuation of the left hand path from the fork. Before doing this you may like to take a quick look at Place de Cour du Fief de Jean du Gaillard just through the gateway by the old fashioned lamp post. Then return to the fork in the path to take the left hand path, leaving the church yard and following the path down to a road (Rue de la Grange). Head up the road, then after 25 metres turn right (Les Rues).
(Option 3) At a T junction turn right (La Route des Piques. Bus routes 4, 5S and 5AS). Follow the road around to the right at a bend, continuing gently uphill on a pavement. Pass Les Piques Farm and "Wedding cakes by Graham" , just after which is a bus stop. Take the next turn on the right, where the main road goes off left. (At the time of writing, there is a bus timetable here on a board). Ignore a turn-off to the right and arrive at Place de Cour du Fief de Longues where there is a stone seat and a small plaque.
(Option 3) Immediately after the Place de Cour turn right at a T junction (Rue des Issues), then take the first left at the bottom of the dip in the road, and in front of "Maison d'Aval" (Rue Cevecq). At a sort of cross roads (the left branch is an unmetalled track) go straight on, then at a T junction (with a bungalow "Sayonaa" to your right) turn right (Rue du Belial). Then at the next cross roads we have joined the option 2 route. Go straight over.
Options 2 and 3. Continue down (Rue des Trepieds), going straight over at a further cross roads. There is a gentle zigzag then, 100 metres after a sharp right hand bend, we join up with the option 1 route, when a road comes in from the right.
All three options now continue down to a cross roads, of which the branch facing you is an un-metalled partly grassy track. Turn right up the hill, which soon starts to descend back into the reservoir valley. When the road bends to the right, go through the kissing gate at left to rejoin the reservoir path, now heading along the west side of the central arm. After a left hand bend in the path, the track coming down from the left between the two lots of kissing gates is the one from the cross-roads at the beginning of this paragraph. You could of course have come that way if you'd wished.
After the second kissing gate the path cuts back left around the west branch of the reservoir, passes over a stream entering that branch by means of a wooden foot bridge, and then heads back north to reach the west end of the dam. Cross the dam to regain the car parking.
A winter panorama from the north-east bank of the reservoir can be accessed from this link.
(July 2011)