< The North Quay of St Sampsons Harbour and Vale Castle>

The North Quay of St Sampsons Harbour and Vale Castle

from near Mont Crevelt.

Walk R19.   St Sampsons Harbour to Belle Greve Bay and back

Time:  1 hour

A map of the walk can be found here.

This short walk is mostly through quite urban areas, but still is not without interest. Leaving the quite busy commercial areas surrounding St Sampsons Harbour, and passing the twelfth century St Sampsons Church, we rejoin the shoreline as far as the central point of Belle Greve Bay, before returning over Delancey Park.

The best car parking for this walk is alongside the outer marina east of the clock tower, or on the pier behind the clock tower.  Bus routes are 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 8 and 8A. Facilities on the Bridge are too numerous to mention individually. You should be able to get most things that you need. There are public toilets at the north end of the Bridge by the Guernsey Electricity showroom.

Starting from the clock tower, walk alongside the marina towards the harbour entrance. Because of the land reclamation in progress south of the harbour, it is no longer possible to walk along part of the coastline south of the harbour. We will have to make an inland detour to bypass this. You can if you wish make an optional detour here by continuing along, and then down the road on the left (past the rowing club) to walk as far as the remnant of the old harbour breakwater and/or up to the Martello tower on Mont Crevelt, where there are views over the surrounding area. Then you will need to return the same way.

We are going to avoid the busy Bulwer Avenue by turning right opposite the point where the outer marina ends and there is a disused weigh bridge (Church Road). In a few paces you will pass the ancient church of St Sampsons on your left. Still in regular use, this is worth a visit. Part of the churchyard adjoins the huge Longue Hougue quarry. Some forty or so years ago this was still a busy granite quarry, until part of the west face collapsed, taking part of this churchyard with it. Soon after this the quarry closed, and is now a Guernsey Water reservoir.

Continue along Church Road and then into Grande Maison Road. Pass Northern Motor Works on your right, and then take the next left turn into a busy commercial area (Longue Hougue Lane - care needed here because of lorries and fork lift trucks). In my childhood this was all fields, where it was possible to watch the farmer and his wife hand milking their cows, before delivering milk in Guernsey cans. My mother and grandmother placed jugs in our porch for our milk deliveries.

When you get to the crossroads at Bulwer Avenue, cross straight over (care needed at this busy road). Just before the road bends to the left, fork right along a grassy path. With some relief we finally reach the shoreline! There are fine views over Belle Greve Bay and around to St Peter Port. To the left are the black and white striped Vivian beacon and Brehon Tower in the near distance, with Herm, part of Sark, and Jethou behind.

The path continues along above the top of the beach, then passes in front of a WW II German bunker to regain the main road. We continue walking along a wide verge by the sea wall, which soon becomes grassy.

When you reach the slipway at Richmond Corner you have the choice of either walking along the beach or continuing along the sea wall. The rock in the centre of the bay, which for years has seemed to me to resemble the Nautilus in Disney's "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" is Flieroque, and the one to it's right with the post is Demi-flie.

After a small grassy mound on the coastal strip (recently partly cleared to reveal a WWII German bunker underneath), leave the beach where there is a little metalled car park, and a bus shelter. This is known as "the Halfway". The bus shelter used to have public toilets, but at the present time they are closed. Cross the road here where there is a little triangular traffic island with bushes (care needed). I find it easiest to cross to the right hand side of the traffic island (away from the filter in turn). If in doubt note that there is a pedestrian crossing a hundred metres or so further along towards Town (this is the crossing which is part of walk R20).

Head up the road which runs inland from the traffic island (Vale Road). Just after a bus stop, where the road starts to run uphill, and opposite two signs for traffic lights and a concealed exit, turn right (Delancey Lane - sign to Delancey Elim Church). Keep straight on and up a little hill to the right of Delancey School (do not take the sharp left bend up the other hill), to reach Delancey Park. When you reach the grass turn right to reach the site of an old battery where there is an information board, and which gives a bit of a viewpoint down to part of the way we've come.

From the battery continue over the grass parallel to the park road, passing to the left of a bowling green, and at the far end of the green turn left up some steps, where there is a further viewpoint on top of a German bunker. The base of the once fine nineteenth century memorial column to Admiral de Saumarez can be seen here. Admiral de Saumarez (1757-1836) served the Royal Navy with distinction from 1770 to 1821. The column was destroyed by the German occupying forces during WW II. Four bronze plaques from around its base can be seen today in Castle Cornet.

Head now to the right of the remains of the memorial and the children's play area, aiming for the far corner of the park, between a row of large houses on the left and the Roman Catholic church on the right. There is a little copse of young trees (mainly alders but also other types) through which a grassy path runs in the right direction. Leave the park at this corner, heading downhill (Rue des Monts) with the Roman Catholic church of Our Lady Star of the Sea on your right, and the school of St Mary and St Michael on your left.

At the bottom of the hill turn right at a T junction. Continue straight along (Brock Road), then at a cross roads turn left, with London House on your right. Pass the "Church on the Rock, Kings Centre" and reach St Sampsons Bridge. Turn right alongside the inner marina to regain the clock tower and the car parking. (1 hour).

(Revised August 2011)