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Green and pleasant land
Green and tranquil, they define our landscape as much as the coasts and the bays.
MOST people would say that the geography of Jersey is dominated to the exclusion of almost all else by coastal landforms. But that would be to ignore a group of major inland features which do very nearly as much to define the physical identity of the Island.
As well as being a place of bays, points and cliffs, Jersey has, for such a small surface area, more than its share of valleys.
It must be admitted that these are on a rather smaller scale than those of the awe-inspiring glaciated landscapes of Scotland or Wales, but what they lack in grandeur they make up for with dense summer greenery, stark winter woodlands and some of the least spoiled countryside the Island has to offer.
Moreover, each of our valleys has its own character. St Peter's Valley ÷ once noted for its many watermills ÷ is steep-sided and winds its way from north to south through much of the body of the Island.
Large parts of Waterworks Valley have been flooded to provide reserves of drinking water, but the resulting man-made lakes, which include Handois, Dannemarche and Millbrook reservoirs, are also important refuges for wildlife.
Something similar can be said for Val de la Mare and Queen's Valley, although both these areas are more open to the wind and weather and lack the rather claustrophobic atmosphere of Waterworks Valley.
On an almost miniature scale, Fern Valley and the deep valley running through Rozel Woods are among our treasures. Both are easily accessible to walkers, but both remain unspoilt, tranquil and rich in flora and fauna.
The valleys of the north are, meanwhile, special in their own separate ways.
The long hill leading down from St Mary to Greve de Lecq is flanked on the western side by one of the Island's largest areas of woodland ÷ most of which can be explored thanks to an extensive network of paths.
The eastern side is steeper, and from the tops of the c™tils it is possible to appreciate that in spite of our high population density and complex road network, there remain places which are essentially untamed.
A similar impression is given by the bare headlands which flank another of the Island's northern valleys, Mourier.
It is hard to credit that the small stream flowing down to the sea has, over aeons, had the power to cut so deeply into the rock strata, but the evidence that this is so is there for everyone to see.
It would be possible to carry on to describe the rest of our valleys ÷ the early season magnolias at Rozel, how the old railway followed a predictable track from St Aubin to the flatter land near Les Quennevais, and so on.
It is better to point out that far from being mere convenient routes for roads or repositories for water supplies, our valleys are a precious asset and attraction that can be enjoyed by anyone absolutely free of charge.
This article first appeared in the Jersey Evening Post as part of the Pride in Jersey series, marking the Island's 1204-2004 celebrations.
author - Rob Shipley
This article updated: 2003/11/10 14:01:19
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| ......Daily Ditons...... |
Mauvais garçon, bouon homme.
A ragged colt may make a good horse.
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