Route Three
Jersey Wetlands Centre to Grosnez Castle
Distance = 6.1km / 3.8 miles
Approximate time = 25 minutes
Terrain = Flat leading into a long hill rising from 30ft to 285ft above sea level, then a stretch of flat road.
Directions
Keep going on Five Mile Road. Turn right onto Le Mont Pinel. Then take a quick left onto Route de L’etacq. Carry on Route de L’etacq. Then take a right then a quick left onto La rue de la Mare. Follow the road then turn left going towards Gronez point. You’re then finished.
History
Cycling along this route you will see L’Etacq, a rocky headland which looks like a haystack. It gets it’s name from the Norse language word ‘Stakkr’ which means haystack. The bay at the very end of St Ouen’s Bay is known as ‘Stinky Bay’ and there has been evidence of Neolithic people living in this area as well as unusual geology in Jersey.
Grosnez Castle gets its name from the Norse language as well and it was originally called ‘Gris Nez’ which means Grey Headland. The fact that there is Grosnez and L’Etacq getting their names from Norse language is proof that the Vikings came to Jersey and used the island landmarks as navigation aids whilst sailing the Channel. The Castle itself was built in the 13th Century and used as a fortification for the Jersey Militia but it did not have a water supply so was not a very good castle to be able to defend. It was probably defeated and broken in the l373 raid on Jersey by a famous French knight called Bertrand du Guesclin.
