Land donations open up more of cliffs to walkers
ISLANDERS can now enjoy two more ‘outstanding locations’ along the south coast as land has been bequeathed to the National Trust of Guernsey.
Vice president Sara Lampitt said the land at La Prevote and Les Tielles is remote, with no housing or traffic noise.
Mike Brown, the trust’s lands manager, said it was particularly pleased to have the La Prevote donation because it adjoins land it owns already, thus expanding the area for walkers to enjoy.
‘The little-known headland at La Prevote is a hidden gem of the south coast. Its narrow approach road and small car park ensures that it will remain a quiet haven for wildlife and those who love the rugged beauty of our cliffs,’ he said.
The trust hopes to work with the Biodiversity Partnership and Pollinator Project to remove non-indigenous invasive species in the area, such as the sour fig, and promote growth of native plants which will benefit island fauna.
The area is distinguished by La Prevote Tower, known as the Big E due to the silhouette produced when light from the rising sun shines on the fortification. Mr Brown said the tower is owned and maintained by the States and is in need of maintenance.
The area at Les Tielles will give walkers a ‘close to the edge of the world’ feeling, according to Ms Lampitt.
‘I wouldn’t go on a windy day. Well, I would, but I would crawl,’ she said.
Mr Brown said few islanders are aware of the amount of land the trust owns.
‘We are the third largest land owners on island, the only parish we don’t have any land in is St Andrew’s,’ he said.
‘But we haven’t bought any of our land. It has all been donated to us,’ he said.
The largest island land owner is the States, followed by La Societe Guernesiaise.
Mr Brown said a lot of the donations the trust receives are from non-residents who have relatives living in the island. When the family tie is lost, they donate the land to the trust. ‘It’s a very nice gesture,’ he said.
Ms Lampitt believed the days of property being donated were gone, but thought people would continue to donate land because the trust then protects and maintains it for islanders to enjoy.
‘They’re not building land any more,’ she said.
The two new areas will be included in the trust’s current mapping project.
‘Through Digimap we have acquired access to software that means we can mark out our land on a map. As we receive more land, we can continue to update it.’ said Mr Brown.
Ms Lampitt said the routes volunteers in the project walk can then be laid over the site map, highlighting the paths that exist on National Trust land. A map of paths can then be created to help islanders and visitors alike choose new and scenic walks that are the right length and difficulty for them.
‘The National Trust of Guernsey is the people’s preservation trust – it’s their land,’ she said.
