cycle in the tracks of steam

8/8/2019 Cycle in the Tracks of Steam

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Whilst every eort is taken to ensure the accuracy o the inormation in this booklet,

no liability can be accepted by the author or the publishers or any loss, damage or injury

caused by errors in, or omissions rom, the inormation given.

It is strongly recommended that riders wear a helmet

For urther inormation visit

www.jersey.com Jersey Tourism, Liberation Square, St Helier, Jersey JE1 1BB

Tel: +44 (0)1534 500777 Fax: +44 (0)1534 500808 E-mail: [email protected]

All inormation correct at time o print – June 2006

Cycle in thetracks o steam

www.jersey.com



This short cycle ride( 7.5 miles/12 kilometres )is suitable or nearly everyone.The gradient is almostentirely at and over 90%o the route is away rommotorised trafc. There isplenty to see, a number o places to stop or a cup o

tea and any amount o toilets!

Leave Liberation Square and, using the

crossing, head or the harbour. At the

quayside turn right and cycle west. Ride

parallel to the road or a short distance.

When the track rises slightly, turn let to

ollow Route 1A Tourist Route, this takes

us between the old harbour railings and

the Victoria Place apartments.

Beore turning right to cycle between the

two apartment blocks, notice the Needle

sculpture on the let. Unveiled in 2004,

to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, it is

made rom slate excavated in our dierent

quarries in the Lake District. The sculptor

Richard Perry, elt that these colours

reected perectly the changing colours

o our coastal waters.

Once again use the crossing to cross

the dual carriage way ahead. Cycle on

as the paving rises, but beware o a road

crossing coming shortly. Ater crossing this,

reewheel towards another sculpture, the

Freedom Tree, then ollow the tarmac as

it bends right. The Freedom Tree is another

work by Richard Perry. Created or the

60th anniversary o the Liberation, it was

unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen on May

9th 2006. Ater the upturned boat caé La

Fregate on the let and the playul ountains

on the right, turn let to ollow the parallel

white lines which mark the cycle track.

All o this route is shared with pedestrians

and ellow cyclists so please take extra care

where necessary.

Cycle Route

Main Road

‘B’ Road

‘C’ Road

Minor Road

Green Lane

F Kiosk

O Castle/House

Museum

Church

Fort

German Occ. Site

Jersey Tower

Toilets (disabled)

Cricket

Sports Field

Football

Bowls

Lighthouse

Water Skiing

Wind-surfng

Yachting

Key



The route we are taking ollows the track o the Jersey

Railway Company, which ran a service rom St Helier

to La Corbiere during the early part o the 20th century.In act our starting point, the Jersey Tourism visitor centre,

is housed in the old railway terminus. By the time we reach

the frst Jersey round tower, seen across the road on our

right, we have cycled 1.5 miles ( 2.4 kilometres ). Look out

or the parish boundary stone set into the sea wall, which

should appear in a ew yards.

Our parishes are oten divided by natural barriers such as

streams. Depending on recent rainall, you should see the

stream that divides St Helier rom St Lawrence heading out

to sea rom the outall pipe adjacent to the boundary stone.

Continue past the Coronation Park, which lies beyond

the carriageway to the right. The park was a git to the

island rom Florence Boot, Lady Trent, the wie o Jesse

Boot ounder o Boots the Chemist. Florence Boot was a

Jersey girl whose ather had a stationery shop in Queen

Street. They met and ell in love when Jesse Boot was

convalescing in Jersey, ollowing a nervous breakdown.



We soon fnd ourselves approaching the small village o St Aubin. Where the track divides

beside the granite church, take the let ork to cycle beside the sea wall or a short distance.

The route continues to bring us out in ront o St Brelade’s Parish Hall. The parish hall is

home to the St Brelade’s Honorary Police. Each o Jersey’s 12 parishes have an honorary

police orce, a situation that has existed since the 14th century and one that is still

important even today. The parish hall was once the Terminus Hotel with the railway station

standing just behind it. Unortunately, late one night in October 1936, the buildings were

ravaged by fre. The station and most o the rolling stock were destroyed. By this time the

motor car was gaining a oothold and it was decided not to re-establish the line. The rolling

stock was disposed o and the land on which the track ran was sold to the States o Jersey.

It is interesting to note that the line was reinstated by the Germans during the Occupation,

albeit in a much extended version which branched o at Pont Marquet to join a line that

ran south rom Ronez Quarries.

Cycle on towards a single storey building, the National Westminister Bank, on the let

o the hill immediately ahead. The red paving stones beside the road mark the hal

way point in our journey out to La Corbiere.

Using care, cross the road that runs beside the harbour.

Pass in ront o the bank and, where a steep hill comes

in rom the let, cycle straight up a tarmac slope which

has “Keep Clear” painted on it. Just beyond the tarmac

the orange gravel o the railway track soon comes into

view. Apart rom a ew road crossings, we stay on this

surace until we reach La Corbiere.

The track rises gently. When the railway engineers built

the line, they thought that the 1 in 40 gradient was quite

steep, though I doubt that this is a sentiment shared by

the cyclists o today !



As we leave St Aubin the frst o two road bridges comes into view. This imposing granite

arch is Seven Oaks Bridge which carries the road that runs rom St Aubin to St Brelade.

Ater a ew pedal strokes we reach the frst road crossing. Using great care, cross over.

A blue cycle route sign appears: Route 1 Les Quennevais and Corbiere. For the next 200

yards or so we can enjoy Pont Marquet Country Park. At the next road crossing, using care,

cross over to regain the gravel track. Here we may like to detour to the Lavender Farm.

To get to the Lavender Farm, turn let and continue along the road until we reach a

crossroads. Here turn let and in moments we discover the Lavender Farm on the right.

Use care when crossing in ront o the oncoming trafc.

Jersey Lavender is a amily owned and run business which was established in the 1980s.

In addition to lavender, the arm also grows rosemary, eucalyptus and cypress. The oils

distilled rom these crops are used in a range o perume products and toiletries which are

available in the arm shop or online. In addition, one can relax in the Lavender Caé and enjoy

a delicious selection o home made ood. The 9 acre site is open rom May until September,

10am until 5pm, every day apart rom Monday. Closed between September and May.

Entrance to the shop and caé is ree, a small admission charge is made to visit the gardens.



Continuing along the track, we shall shortly pass

under the second road bridge, Don Bridge, named

ater General Sir George Don, Lieutenant Governor o

Jersey. General Don was an extremely capable and well

liked man who, in addition to a number o other island

improvements, established an experimental arm in this

area in the early 1800s.

This stretch o our route is bordered by modern

housing on the let and Les Quennevais Sports Centre

on the right. A little urther on we pass Les Quennevais

School, a secondary school opened in 1966 and

catering or over 800 pupils rom this side o the island.

Look out or red squirrels here, they use the trees

bordering the track as an aerial highway between

their dreys. The track carries on between the driving

range and the course o La Moye Gol Club. The frst

gol course at La Moye was created by George Boomer,

the headmaster at the nearby La Moye School. Whilst

George Boomer is not especially amous, his son

Audrey Boomer was a golfng champion who, amongst

his achievements, numbered winning the French Open

fve times and representing Britain in two Ryder Cups.

George Boomer also taught golfng legends

( and Jerseymen ) Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

Ater leaving the gol course we cross two tarmac

lanes, the path descends as we approach another road

crossing. As usual, employ great care as this one is in

a bend. Pedal on and presently we reach another road.

The Poplars Tea Room is only a short distance away.

To get to the Poplars, turn let and cycle along the road

or about 300 yards, pass a junction on the right and

the Poplars is on the right in a slight bend. Careul

when crossing the oncoming trafc.



The Poplars Tea Room is situated in a property which has

been retained in the same amily or the past 300 years,

even the fg tree in the garden has been there or 100

years ! A popular spot or rereshments or over 20 years,

it is presently run by Sue Healy who recommends the

cream teas. Open rom 10am to 5pm every day but

Tuesday, closed between October and March.

I you’re not tempted by a cream tea, cross the road and

pedal on up the track. Where the track orks, take the right

hand ork signposted Corbiere. The let hand ork was a

spur line that ran to La Rosiere Quarry.

We shall see the remains o the granite wheel house on our

let in a moment. The railway was extended rom St Aubin

to the quarry in 1884. Most o the stone quarried here

went to be used in the Thames embankment. The track

runs parallel to the road on the let. The tall concrete tower

that we can see ahead on the let, as we approach La

Corbiere, is a German sighting tower built during the last

war. Each slit in the tower would control one artiller y piece

in a battery o guns on the headland. Until quite recently

the tower was used by Jersey Radio which controlled the

shipping movements around the island. Today, it is under

the control o the Jersey Heritage Trust who have turned

it into a very unusual holiday let. It is one o a number o

similar sites that the Trust oer the adventurous visitor.



As we draw near to the end o our trip, we see

the beautiul dressed granite açade o the oldCorbiere railway station on our let, together

with the Table des Marthes, a low, at rock

beside the track on our right. It is said that

this stone was once used or signing contracts

on and such contracts would be considered

especially binding. On a lighter note it was

also used by local schoolboys to play marbles!

The track fnishes quite abruptly ater a

let hand turn so be ready with your brakes.

At La Corbiere, depending on the state othe tide we can visit the amous lighthouse.

Designed by Sir John Coode and built by Imrie

Bell in 1873, it was the frst reinorced concrete

lighthouse built in the British Isles. From the

62 oot tower the light is visible or 18 miles.

The light was powered originally by parafn but

since 1965 it has run on e lectricity. The present

strength o the beam is 1000 watts, the light

and og horn are run automatically, there being

no permanent sta on site since the 70s. The

total cost o building the lighthouse, includingthe causeway and the lighthouse keepers’

cottages, was £8001.

Alternatively, we could admire the view rom

the Corbiere Phare public house and restaurant,

with a rereshing drink or delicious meal in ront

o us!

I you have enjoyed this ride,

don’t orget that Jersey has

a 96 mile cycle network,

including over 45 miles o

speed restricted Green Lanes.

These peaceul, scenic lanes

allow the cyclist to explore the

entire island at their leisure.

Why not buy a cycling map

or one o the cycling guides

available at the Jersey Tourism

visitor centre.

cycle in the tracks of steam

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