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| Use this slip to reach the harbour. |
La Rocque harbour is a place that can all too easily
get under the skin. The beach is clean, the sand soft and the sea clear
for swimming in. Rock pools abound, as does some of the best geological
examples of the island's origins. It is also a place of key historical
events.
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| Use this slip to reach the harbour. |
As the most south-easterly point in the island, La Rocque
is of strategic importance too. On the wall to your right there is a slate
placque to mark the landing site of invading French troops in 1781. This
invasion culminated in the Battle of Jersey fought in St. Helier's Royal
Square where the French were defeated by Major Pierson's troops. The French
had taken advantage of the apathy of Jersey's militia over the Christmas
period, but were ultimately outnumbered.
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| Site of German gun at the end of
the harbour wall. |
The vast reefs surrounding this part of the coast require
intimate knowledge to negotiate successfully, something locals believed
would protect them from invaders. Seymour Tower had not yet been built.
Later, under German Occupation the harbour was fortified
and protected. A gun was cetainly placed at the end of the harbour wall
with a wide view of Jersey's south coast and across the channel to Normandy.
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| Coarse granite veined with the inrusion
of another rock. |
As you progress along the harbour you will notice that
it winds between two rocky outcrops. Much of this granite is veined with
rocks of other colours and textures. Granites are plutonic rocks and were
formed between 550 and 420 million years ago.
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| Large quartz crystals in granite. |
Cracks in these rocks allowed others, such as the much
finer grained aplite and pegamtite to intrude, an effect much in evidence
at La Rocque. Much of the granite in the La Rocque area is of the coarse
veriety contaning crystals of quartz which gives it a sparking appearance.
The larger the mineral crystals in the rocks, the slower they cooled beneath
the earth's surface.
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| Ladder to the beach behind hte harbour
wall. |
It is possible to descend to the beach behind the harbour
wall using a ladder to the rear of one of the outcrops. This will probably
afford some of the best chances to see and feel the variety of rock in
the area. Some substantial rock pools also stand behind the harbour which
benifit from investigation at low tide. Small fish, crabs, and seaweeds
can be seen with ease.
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| Icho Tower. |
Towards the end of the harbour it is also possible to
see Icho Tower off-shore. This tower was built in the 19th century. Organised
walks are available to visit the tower, as well as its neighbour, Seymour
Tower, through Jersey Tourism.
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