Breakwater Café

At St Catherine's. They serve huge cones of delicious ice cream.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

St Catherine's Slipway

Slipway below St Catherine's breakwater.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Looking out towards France

Looking out from the foreshore at St Catherine's the coast of France is visible on the horizon. In between can just be seen Les Écréhous , a groups of islands and rocks situated six miles off Jersey and eight miles off France. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey and are administratively part of the Parish of St Martin. All but the three largest are submerged at high tide. There are no permanent residents on the islands and there is no fresh water there. Due to erosion, they are now much smaller than they may have been within historic times. Maîtr'Île is the largest of the islets and measures approximately 300 metres in length. There are a small number of fishermen's huts, some used as holiday residences, on the largest islets, and one official building, a customs house, on La Marmotchié.

For more information see Les Écréhous: a Toponymy.

A contribution to the Looking Out theme at City Daily Photo

St Catherine's Weather Vane

At St Catherine's sailing club.

A contribution to the City Daily Photo Blogs October 1st theme - details.

Fliquet Bay

To the North of St Catherine's breakwater.

A contribution to Scenic Weekends

St Catherine's Breakwater

St. Catherine's Breakwater is all that exists of a projected "refuge" harbour for the Royal Navy. It was intended to be used as a forward base in the event of a blockade of the French coast. The harbour was designed during the period of Anglo-French rivalry during the 1840s, and work began on the North breakwater in 1847. It was finished in 1855, by which time Britain and France were fighting as allies against the Russians, and the planned Southern breakwater was never completed.

The breakwater provides shelter from south-westerly to north winds. The bottom of the harbour is mud and sand, and there is a landing slip at the base of the breakwater. It is now used mainly by leisure craft as a quiet anchorage. Fishermen use the long breakwater for catching conger eels, mackerel and bass.

See Ports and Harbours of the UK for more information.

Fliquet Bay

To the North of St Catherine's breakwater.

For Water World Wednesday.

Turbot Farm

Jersey Turbot Farm is located in a former World War II German gun emplacement and bunker at St Catherine's. It houses about 6,500 turbot at any one time, ranging from tiny 50p-sized fish to four-year-old turbot weighing several pounds. The fish are reared in tanks within the bunker tunnel, being fed on totally organic fish food. Once they are three and a half years old and weigh about two and a half pounds - the most popular size - they are sold to members the public, who give Jersey Turbot at least 24 hours notice to give them a chance to prepare the fish for collection. The family-run business was started in 2000 by former deep sea fisherman Dave Cowburn.

For ABC Wednesday.

Fliquet Bay

The bay is overlooked by an 18th century Martello tower.

For ABC Wednesday.

Yacht Park

Across the road from St Catherine's Sailing Club which is Jersey's largest dinghy sailing club and the most southerly sailing club in Britain.
Club website.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday

Looking towards France

Just North of St Catherine's the French coast can be glimpsed on the far horizon.

For Skywatch Friday.

Sailing Clubhouse

St Catherine's Sailing Club which is Jersey's largest dinghy sailing club and the most southerly sailing club in Britain.

See the Club website.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

A view towards France

Looking out from the foreshore at St Catherine's the coast of France is visible on the horizon. In between can just be seen Les Écréhous , a groups of islands and rocks situated six miles off Jersey and eight miles off France. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey and are administratively part of the Parish of St Martin. All but the three largest are submerged at high tide. There are no permanent residents on the islands and there is no fresh water there. Due to erosion, they are now much smaller than they may have been within historic times. Maîtr'Île is the largest of the islets and measures approximately 300 metres in length. There are a small number of fishermen's huts, some used as holiday residences, on the largest islets, and one official building, a customs house, on La Marmotchié.

For more information see Les Écréhous: a Toponymy.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

St Catherine's Breakwater

St Catherine's Breakwater, strictly called Verclut Breakwater, but invariably known as the former by islanders, was built in the middle of the 19th century as the northern arm of what was to be a massive naval station. It would have been the largest harbour on the south side of the Channel after Le Havre.

More information can be found on The Island Wiki.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Les Écréhous

Viewed with a long lens from St Catherine's. Les Écréhous are a group of islands and rocks situated six miles off Jersey and eight miles off France. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey and are administratively part of the Parish of St Martin. All but the three largest are submerged at high tide. There are no permanent residents on the islands and there is no fresh water there. Due to erosion, they are now much smaller than they may have been within historic times. Maîtr'Île is the largest of the islets and measures approximately 300 metres in length. There are a small number of fishermen's huts, some used as holiday residences, on the largest islets, and one official building, a customs house, on La Marmotchié.

Telephone kiosk at St Catherine's

Since 2000 almost all variations of telephone kiosks have been replaced by the present Jersey Telecom Limited standard kiosk. It is an anodized aluminium design finished in all yellow. Manufactured by Prosider S.P.A. of Ravenna, Italy, it is slightly wider than previous designs, this being to enable easier access by wheelchair users. To further facilitate this access the kiosk is installed on a flat stainless steel plate with anti-slip patterning.
Information culled from "A History of the Telephone Kiosk in Jersey" by Graeme Marett [PDF file].

To the right of the kiosk is a plaque commemorating Jane Luscombe's round the island swim in 1976.

For Mellow Yellow Monday

Jane Luscombe's Swim

Plaque at the end of St Catherine's breakwater commemorating the feat of Miss Jane Luscombe, aged 15 years of "Croix au Maitre" who swam around the island of Jersey on 5th August 1976. She left St Catherine's at 4.35 am and arrived back at 5.40pm.

A contribution to signs, signs.

For more "J's visit ABC Wednesday.