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8/8/2019 Cycle in the Tracks of Steam
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/cycle-in-the-tracks-of-steam 1/8
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
8/8/2019 Cycle in the Tracks of Steam
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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
8/8/2019 Cycle in the Tracks of Steam
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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.
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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 !
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.