One of our favourite walks on Guernsey’s North coast is easy to follow with lots of options of which route to take, and can be as long or as short as you like. Taking in beautiful scenery, along with German structures from WWII, a Loophole Tower, beaches, rocks to climb and and a fort, it is fun for kids of all ages.
Location
The walk starts at Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay which is situated in the parish of Vale, on the northern tip of the island. There is ample room for parking behind the beach, to the left and the right of the Beach House Cafe. It is also easily accessible by bus, with 3 bus routes servicing the area.
A point to note, I still find it confusing that there are 2 names for the beach, it appears that the left half is Pembroke Beach and the right is L’Ancresse Beach, however, there is no distinction between the 2! For more info about the beach, including lots of photos of high and low tide CLICK HERE.
The Footpath
When you look to the right of the beach you will see a Loophole Tower, a Fort and some German fortifications in the distance. The footpath that leads directly from the right hand car park will lead you to them.
The footpath is very defined and easy to follow, with benches dotted along the route, giving you the chance to take in the stunning views. When you get beyond the beach, the path forks in a few directions. We generally chose to stay close to the sea.
After around 5 minutes walk (at quite a leisurely pace), you will come to some large rocks and an old stone building with an iron door (which my girls think is a jail!). We always stay here for a while to take in the amazing views in all directions. On the higher ground to the right you will see Loophole Tower No.5.
Geocaching
Follow the path past a rocky bay on your left and if you are into Geocaching, you’re getting close to a Geocache.
If you haven’t heard of Geocaching, it’s a real-life treasure hunt. Our kids absolutely love it and it can give a purpose when going on a walk. You use the Geocache app on your phone to indicate where Geaocaches (containers) have been hidden. The app uses a specific set of GPS coordinates to guide you to the Geocache.
The Geocache app is free to download and there are over 300 Geocaches in Guernsey to find.
A lot of the containers contain little toys that can be taken as long as you replace them with something else. We always carry a bag of ‘swaps’ with us (a great way to use party bag items/ cracker toys etc).
Once you’ve made some swaps and signed the notebook (with the date and your name), you hide the Geocache back where you found it.
Rock Climbing Required
Carry on the footpath and you’ll come to another headland with lots to explore…rocks to climb, German structures and more beautiful scenery. Note that this section has a large rock formation that needs to be climbed in order to pick up the footpath on the other side.
The footpath will take you to Fort Le Marchant, depending on how long you stop along the route, it took us about 40 minutes to get to this point.
Fort le Marchant
Fort Le Marchant is a great place for kids to explore…safe rocks to climb (as in rocks not on the side of a cliff!), windows looking out to sea, a gaol and small stone passages, to name just a few.
Rifle Range: On approaching the fort you will see 5 large numbered boards outside because it is a rifle range. Look for the colour of the flag that is flying, red flag indicates the range is in use!
For a full review of Fort le Marchant CLICK HERE.
Time
The beauty of this walk is that you can turn back at any time or choose a shorter footpath. Aside from the rocks that needed climbing on the route we took, it is buggy friendly and safe for little explorers as you can stay inland.
If you have reluctant walkers, Geocaching can make all the difference, everyone likes to find treasure!
Address
Start at Pembroke Beach, Vale, Guernsey
Bus Routes
12, 91, 92
Dogs on Pembroke and L'Ancresse Beach
Dogs are allowed on the footpath year-round, however, they are banned on the beach between 1st May and 30th September.
