Don’t blame us for Fairy Ring damage – mountain bike group

A photograph posted on social media recently showing the condition of the historic location at Les Pezeries drew almost 400 responses.

Some pointed fingers at cyclists, which Guernsey Mountain Bike Association committee member Mark Smith said was unjust.

‘I don’t dispute that a cycle track can be seen in the photo, but that could be an adult or a child,’ he said.

‘Historically, there has always been erosion there. It’s been very wet of late, it’s exposed to the elements and there is a lot of rabbit activity down there too.’

The GMBA does not promote cycling where it is not allowed and not everybody who has a mountain bike is a member of the association.

‘Our members enjoy being out in the environment and they want to protect it,’ said Mr Smith.

Following the post, he emailed members to say that he was sure none of them would be stupid enough to ride on the Fairy Ring. Part of the group’s mission is to work with landowners and managers to create dedicated mountain bike trails to keep riders away from sensitive areas.

One respondent said the amount of rain seen of late was the biggest cause of the problem.

Torteval constable Becky Link said she had drawn the matter to the States’ attention after receiving a complaint from a parishioner.

The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has responsibility for the site. Head of heritage services Helen Glencross said the Fairy Ring never looked its best at this time of the year.

‘It’s very wet at the moment and just walking on it can cause further damage,’ she said.

‘One of the problems is that we are no longer allowed to take vehicles there, which has impacted on our management of the site.’

The department is looking at ways of getting around this, including taking materials there by boat, but it is not an easy issue to resolve.

Repairs were carried out in 2009 and in 2012. Mrs Glencross said they were keen to make improvements there as soon as possible, hopefully in the spring when the grass seed would germinate.

‘But there will have to be trade-offs,’ she said.

Allowing constant access would make it very difficult to repair as the soil needs building up and reseeding and, if we do that, it will have to be fenced off for a while.

‘At the moment we would just encourage everybody to be respectful when using the site.’

History is not entirely clear

THE history of La Table des Pions – The Fairy Ring – at Les Pezeries, Torteval, is not entirely clear.

According to Marie de Garis’s 1975 book, Folklore of Guernsey, it was where the foot attendants of La Chevauchee de St Michel sat down and were regaled with food and wine.

It was also the reputed spot where a coven of witches would be feasted by Satan at certain periods.

La Chevauchee was a parade that took place every two years to check that the Chemin du Roi, or path of the King, was kept clear so dignitaries were free to travel around the island unobstructed.

The parade dates from the 1700s and La Table des Pions is thought to have been created at about that time.

It was used as a dugout picnic bench of sorts by island officials when inspecting roads and coastal defences up until 1837.