Bonne Nuit (Jersey)

Bonne Nuit (Jèrriais: "Bouonne Niet") is a small natural harbour in the Vingtaine du Nord, Saint John, Jersey, Channel Islands. Both "Bonne Nuit" in French and "Bouonne Niet" in Jèrriais mean "good night", referring to the shelter sailors could rely on by overnighting in the harbour. The bay nestles between the headlands of Frémont in the West and La Crête in the East.

History

The bay was used for smuggling in the 17th and 18th centuries. The threat of French invasion led to the building of a small fort at La Crête, overlooking both Bonne Nuit and the adjacent bay Le Havre Giffard, between 1816-1834. [ [http://www.gov.je/EconomicDevelopment/Harbours/Jersey+Marinas+and+Moorings/Other+Harbours+and+Anchorages/Bonne+Nuit.htm Other Harbours and Anchorages - Bonne Nuit ] ] La Crête Fort, the official summer residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey, is currently used by Jersey Heritage Trust as a holiday-let property.

The pier was constructed in 1872 [ [http://www.jersey-harbours.com/Bonne%20Nuit%20Bay.html Jersey Harbours ] ] by the States of Jersey for fishing boats, and also to serve the quarry of Mont Mado up above the bay.

Le Cheval Guillaume, a rock formation in the bay, was the focus of St John's Day (Midsummer) celebrations, as people would row round the rock for luck. According to legend, the rock is the petrified remains of a water sprite who took the form of a horse to abduct and drown a man called Guillaume in order to steal away his sweetheart Anne-Marie. [ "Jersey Witches, Ghosts and Traditions", Hillsdon, 1987 ISBN 071170371X ]

Several references and film scenes from the harbour were featured on "Bergerac", a BBC television show.

Geography

There is a small beach with pebbles. La Vallette (a National Trust for Jersey property, "Le Don Hudson" [ [http://www.nationaltrustjersey.org.je/walks/readwalk.asp?docID=95 National Trust for Jersey ] ] ) leads down La Falaise de la Vallette to the shore. "Le Don Best", another National Trust for Jersey property also looks down into the bay.

The cliffs around the harbour are the highest paragliding launch site in the island. Favourable winds owing to the bowl-shaped harbour create exceptional lift. [ [http://www.jhpc.jsyonline.com/parasites02.shtml Paragliding and Hang Gliding in JERSEY ] ]

Transportation

The bay is linked to Saint Helier by bus route 4. Car parking is limited. [ [http://www.thisisjersey.com/code/showarticle.pl?ArticleID=000120 This is Jersey - Out and About - Beaches - Bonne Nuit ] ]

External links

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/therock/ontheedge/beach_guide/bonne_nuit_bay.shtml
*http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/myisland/folklore/bonne_nuit.shtml (folklore)
*Aerial photographs of the bay [http://www.british-islands.com/diapo.php?ville=21]

References