A paradise paradox

Not a lot has changed in this north-east area of the island over the past half-century, the most significant being the opening of Beaucette Marina, around the corner from Miellette, in 1969.

The other side of Miellette is Hougue Noirmont, which for more than 30 years has been the home of Guernsey Sea Farms.

The Hougue Noirmont quarry, all three-and-a-half acres of it, was cleared for use in late 1972.

The fresh water was drained and the coastal area was cleared of rubbish and weeds.

It was refilled with saltwater and the specialist hatchery and nursery for shellfish, including oysters, was born.

Not much more than a stone's long throw away from Hougue Noirmont is Houmet Paradis, accessible by foot during low spring tides.

Given its name, I find the four-acre islet once quarried by Mowlem something of a paradox.

When separated by the tide, it is a vital element in an idyllic picture.

Visit it and, apart from the solitude of it, Paradis is a disappointment to someone with no great appreciation of flora, fauna or bird life. It smells and is not a place to picnic.

That said, it's comforting to know it's there, untainted by the modern world. It's a nature reserve and should always remain so.

Presumably, it was for that very reason four years ago Paradis was bought by an anonymous Guernsey-based consortium of businessmen for £125,000 and its custodian, the National Trust of Guernsey, breathed easily again.

The freehold of the island had attracted unprecedented interest for an auction, with more than 300 enquiries worldwide.

The Martel Maides sale was even previewed by the Daily Telegraph. Potential owners enquired as to the possibility of jetties, dwellings, opening a casino and even a mini castle.

To the relief of every islander, the island with zero rateable value remained in the safe hands of the trust.

The late Roland Ogier, then president of the trust, was ecstatic.

'We will do the best we can to look after it and it is the intention to encourage people to understand and appreciate a wild area like this.

'It's a lot more than a rock out to sea and it is an important part of our heritage.'

Yvonne Ozanne, author of Love Apple Island – A Life on the Islands of Guernsey, was equally happy with the auction result.

As she wrote at the time: 'The tiny isles, such as Houmet Paradis, are part of our lives. I remember a man who used to sleep overnight there, just for the joy of it.

'In the morning he woke to a clear dawn, gently lighting the islands, with the sound of the sea and the seabirds in his ears. The ferns and bracken smell like aniseed and pine, paradise indeed.'

I'm not sure I would agree about the smell, Yvonne. My nasal experience reminds me that it was once used for fish-curing.

Never mind, it is a special place.

Bird lover Nigel Jee also slept easier following the auction.

'The islets around Bordeaux are so vital,' he said.

Paradis provides undisturbed roosting places for seabirds and waders and is a breeding site for terns, oystercatchers and gulls, as well as being richer in flora than any other of Guernsey's tidal islands, including Lihou.

Homtolle has a larger colony of common terns, while Houmet Benest, closest to Bordeaux harbour, is rich in flora.

South of Paradis and connecting with Bordeaux is the little stretch of pebble known as Petils Bay.

Offshore, you will see a couple of dozen pleasure or small fishing boats moored, while on spring high tides the spot is handy for fishing from the vantage points provided by the rock armouring.