Turn up Mont du Boulevard by The Old Court House Inn. Dating from 1450 and once the tallest building in the island, this was where privateers' bounty was distributed between King, Master and crew. Jersey merchants made their fortunes from cod fishing, smuggling and privateering from the 16th to the late 19th centuries.
Climb the winding hill (Le Mont es Tours becomes La Route de Haut) until the T-junction with Route de Noirmont. The wall alongside the potato-fields was built on the traditional 'perche a pied' system, a form of piecework, with sections a perch long and a Jersey foot high, producing a lined effect along the length.
Turn left, then take the footpath to the left immediately after the next crossroads. The track leads through the woods and around the coast to Noirmont Point. This Fife or Seigneur's estate was retained by the Duke of Normandy for himself, and is now the Island's Memorial to those who gave their lives in two world wars.
The views from Noirmont Point over St Aubin's Bay are superb, to St Helier, Elizabeth castle (1597) and the white dome of Fort Regent (1814). On a very clear day the coast of Brittany can be seen on the horizon, beyond the dangerous Sillettes reef just a mile to the south. Notice also the strong currents that rush past the Napoleonic Tower below.
The German bunkers are maintained by the Channel Islands Occupation Society. In two years, over half a million tons of concrete were laid around the island's coasts in the form of bunkers, sea walls and underground ammunition stores.
Return along the road to the first cross-path and turn left. Follow this track around the bay keeping the sea on the left. The little island in the bay is called Janvrin's Tomb, where in 1721 the master of a ship suspected of carrying plague was buried. The tower on top is from 1808.
The Old Portelet Inn offers an opportunity for a well-earned drink and a bite to eat - both the real ales and the food here have an excellent reputation. The building itself dates back to the early 17th century.
Keeping the pub to the right, continue along the lane past the stables, and turn right at the next junction (La Rue Voisin), then right again at the T-junction and sharp left down the hill past the quaint granite cottages.
The Smugglers Inn is at the bottom of the hill - a well-kept pub with great character, a wide selection of real ales and good food. Take care - the ghost of the Woman in Black still haunts the house and makes an occasional appearance!
Walk down to the sea wall around Ouaisne Bay. The sand dunes and marsh are home to the Dartford Warbler and the Agile Frog. Walk now past the round tower (1787), either along the wall and over the headland or across the beach towards St Brelade. Locate the L'Horizon Hotel and turn inland just before it. Cross the main road into Mont Gras d'Eau. The bay has a microclimate of its own with many palm trees, and agapanthus growing on the hill-side half-way up.
Turn right at the top of the hill, then left down Mont Nicolle, named after one of Jersey's famous merchant families. Pass the fine granite house on the corner and under the bridge. The steps just after the bridge lead up to the Corbiere Walk, the former railway line to the lighthouse on the southwest point of the island. Descend to St Aubin and the end of the walk.
TAKE ME BACK TO THE ROUTE LIST