Caves and other features

On the coast

Caves

Plemont

Caves are to be found in the cliffs all along Jersey's north coast, and also near La Corbiere in the south-west. Some are easily accessible whereas others are difficult to locate and reach

The section of north coast to the west of Greve de Lecq has some of the most interesting rock formations

Most islanders know about the caves at Plémont, because they are large and easily accessible from the sandy beach. Many might mention the cave at Devil's Hole, or the somewhat lesser known Wolf Caves.

One thing all of these have in common is that there is a major climb down the cliffside to reach them. Plemont has bridges and steps to cross from one rocky outcrop to another, and when Devil's Hole and Wolf Caves were in their heyday as visitor attractions access involved negotiating less-than-ideal flights of steps cut into the cliffside and crossing backwards and forwards to lessen the steepness not only of the descent but the climb back to the cliff top at the end of the visit.

There are many other caves, some of them very substantial hollows in the granite rock of Jersey's north coast, but few islanders will ever visit them because they either involve scrambling over slippery rocks at low tide, or in some cases can only be accessed by boat at any state of the tide.

Geologist John Renouf, an expert on caves in Jersey, has identified details of erosion, faults, dykes and general geography and geology; and provided descriptions of caves including: the Pinnacle, Grosnez, La Pont de la Moie, La Cotte à La Chèvre, Plémont and Grève au Lançon, Creux Gros and Creux Gabourel, the area around Grève de Lecq, Le Rouge Nez, L'Ane, Crabbé and L'Ile Agois, Le Mourier, Wolf Caves, Belle Hougue Point, Vicard Point, Rozel, L'Ile Percée, La Cotte de St Brelade, Fiquet bay, and Smugglers' Caves at La Rosiere (also known as Pirate's Cave); he has also described sea stacks, including the Witches' Rock at Le Hocq.

Information on Jersey's caves and other sites of geological interest can be found in the Jersey Geology Trail website

There is a particularly fine cave at Greve de Lecq, which is actually a passage underneath the cliff, and many years ago was a major tourist attraction, with walkways and ladders to gain access.

Some of the most interesting rock formations, and also the most difficult to get to, are on the north coast in the Vingtaine of Vinchelez, St Ouen. Here are to be found Grand Becquet and Petit Becquet, the natural rock arch at Petit Becquet, and Cave es Fraudeurs.

Our picture gallery shows a number of the most popular caves and also the scarcely accessible ones which were the favourites of photographer Albert Smith in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Gallery

Grand Becquet: Zone photograph by Chris Brookes

Click on any image to see a larger version

An LL postcard of Pirates' Cave, Corbiere
Pirates' Cave, Corbiere
Also known as Smugglers Cave
A path was constructed round to the cave in Victorian times
View of La Chene from Cotte a la Chevre in 1904
Cotte a La Chevre, a cave on the north coast well above current sea level
Cotte a La Chevre, an important archaeological site
Cotte a La Chevre
Cotte a La Chevre
Flints found at Cotte a La Chevre
Carrying ladies through deep pools to reach Plémont's cave
Plémont
Plémont
Needle Rock at Plémont
Plémont
Plémont
Boys inside the main cave at Plémont
Inside Devil's Hole in 1902
The tide breaks through the cave opening at Devil's Hole
Precarious steps down to Devil's Hole, or Creux de Vis
The descent to Wolf Cave
Inside Wolf Cave
Cave des Reuses, near Devil's Hole
An unknown cave photographed by Albert Smith
An Albert Smith photograph at the rocky beach at Crabbé in 1895
One of the Crabbé caves
Three caves side by side at Crabbé
Creux Gabourel, East of Plémont
Creux Gabourel
Creux Gros, between Plémont and Creux Gabourel
The Dolphin Rock at Douet de la Mer, between Greve de Lecq and Creux Gabourel
Douet de la Mer
Douet de la Mer
The cave at Greve de Lecq, only accessible by clambering over wet rocks at low tide
Grotte de la Prise Foule
Grotte es Fraudeurs
Grotte es Fraudeurs
Ile Agois, just an island off the north coast
The cave at Ile Agois
The interior of the cave at La Cotte de St Brelade where prehistoric remains have been discovered
Les Reuses
Needle rock at Plemont
The natural rock arch at Petit Becquet in St Ouen
Petit Becquet Bridge
The bridge used to be a popular place to visit but today scarcely anybody would know how to find it - picture by Percival Dunham
Pinnacle rock at Les Reuses
Pirates' Cave at La Corbiere
Creux Gabourel
Le Grand Becquet
Le Mourier
Greve de Lecq Cave
La Cave es Frauders (Smugglers Cave), La Rosiere
Pirate's Cave at La Rosiere
The 'Venus bath' at Wolf Cave
Belle Hougue II
Belle Hougue II
Belle Hougue II
Amsty's Cove - we are not sure of the location of this cove, but think it may be close to La Corbière
An early photographic plate of an unidentified cave in Jersey
Creux Terrible pictured in 1868 by Henry Mullins
Visiting a cave in 1900
Edwardian visitors to the caves at Greve de Lecq
'To the caves': But which caves? We think this sign may have been either at Plemont or La Corbiere
Smuggler's Cave, La Rosiere: 1880s photograph by Philip Godfray
Pirate's Cave at La Rosiere: 1880s photograph by Philip Godfray
La Rosiere - a picture in the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum collection
Smuggler's Cave 1925
Plemont
It was a long climb down to the cave at Greve de Lecq for ladies in long skirts