Channel Islands - Photography

The Channel Islands - Les Iles de Franco Anglaises

Cover sailing trip — Route Sailing Trip 2010
Cherbourg

Sailing trip to the Channel Islands 2012
Cherbourg

In July 2010, in August 2012 and 2016 we sailed from the French port of Cherbourg to the 5 Channel Islands of Alderney, Jersey, Sark, Guernsey and Herm on the 2-masted schooner Zephyr.

The islands: varied, unique landscapes in a very small area

Busy, rich islands, and those where time has stood still, these are the British Channel Islands, each a world apart.

The third largest of the 5 Channel Islands with many gardens and forts to visit, bird islands and an airfield.
Steep cliffs alternate with beaches and dunes. The climate is mild and balanced due to the sea. Summers are usually warmer than elsewhere in the British Isles. The island has a rich flora, although it is more sparse than on the other Channel Islands, which are more sheltered in the Gulf of Saint-Malo. The most common bird species are alcids. The Blonde Hedgehog is a variety of the Western European Hedgehog, native only to Alderney.

The Zephyr at night on the quay — The Zephyr at Night on the Quay
Cherbourg-Octeville

from the jib over the ship to the moon — from jib to ship to moon
Omonville-la-Rogue

Les Etac Islands Panorama — Les Etac Bird Islands Panorama
St. Anne

Les Etac Bird Islands Gannet Colonies — Les Etac Bird-Islands Gannet Colonies
St. Anne

Old agricultural scrap — old agricultural junk
St. Anne

Road avenue on Alderney — Street Alley in Alderney
St. Anne

Alderney lighthouse — Alderney Lighthouse
St. Anne

Houses at the harbour — Houses on the Harbour
Newtown

Main street through St. Anne — Main Street through St Anne
St. Anne

Cemetery of Alderney — Alderney Cemetery
St. Anne

Telephone box and church — Phone box and church
St. Anne

Couple with dog in the evening on the quay — Couple with dog on the quay in the evening
Braye

It is the largest of the 5 Channel Islands with the capital St. Helier, many small bathing bays, gardens, agriculture and the famous Jersey cows.
Due to the mild climate caused by the Gulf Stream, there is an interesting mixture of Mediterranean vegetation (e.g. palms, dragon trees, camellias) and temperate vegetation (e.g. broom, conifers). There are also remnants of mixed forests in the valleys (e.g. St. Peter's Valley), where hiking trails have also been established. The cliffs in the north can be hiked along the "Cliffpathes".
The tidal difference is interesting, up to twelve metres, and the rocks or tidal flats exposed at low tide can be considerable, especially in the south of the island at La Corbiere lighthouse, which can only be reached dry-footed at low tide.

La Rocco Tower in the setting sun
La Pulente

old man with his dogs in a wheelchair
St. Helier

Church with tree and cemetery St. Brelade
St. Brelade

Faulkner Fisheries former bunker
La Porte

the cliffs at the ruins of Grosnez Castle
Plémont

St Helier Market Hall (Jersey)

It is the second largest of the Channel Islands. The island is a hilly country with cliffs, especially in the south. It is mainly used for cattle breeding and horticulture; an important destination for nature and bird lovers. In addition to the main island, the bailiwick also includes the islands of Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou and other small islets. Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream and the protected location in the Gulf of Saint-Malo, the climate is mild, almost Mediterranean. Temperatures below zero degrees are extremely rare. Therefore, fuchsias, Guernseyl lilies (the island's national flower), but also cypresses, banana trees and palm trees thrive.
One of the island's biggest attractions, apart from its busy (financial) hustle and bustle in the capital St. Peter Port, is Cornet Castle on the harbour with its midday cannon shot (The Noonday Gun).
But there are also many special gems in the island's interior, such as the little Chapel, the smallest church in the world, built entirely of coloured porcelain shards.
The Sausmarez Manor House with its sculpture garden is also a "must see" on Guernsey. Here, among many sculptures, some of them larger than life, you are transported to another world in the beautiful garden.

Anchor and water under the keel
Havelet Bay

The Jantje in front of Castle Cornet
Havelet Bay

View from the castle to St Peter Port
Castle Cornet

Church and The Alboin House
St. Peter Port

Street life in St. Peter Port
St. Peter Port

Leprechaun happy to see a caterpillar
Sousmarez Manor

Stone coast near Grandes Rocques
Grandes Rocques

View from the ship to St. Peter Port
Havelet Bay

Car models in the shop window
St Peter Port

Lighthouse at the harbour exit
St Peter Port

Exit from the harbour of St Peter Port
St Peter Port

the Caribbean Princess in front of St Peter Port
St Peter Port

Sark is the fourth largest of the Channel Islands. The island, populated by about 700 inhabitants, belongs to Guernsey. Sark is often referred to as the last bastion of feudalism, as a feudal system still exists here. Le Seigneur is the island's lord (feudal rent £1.5/year) and lives at the Seigneurie, which has beautiful gardens. There is no tarmac or lighting on the roads. Flying over the island is prohibited. Cars are not permitted, nor are tractors except for important business uses - they are not allowed to carry passengers, outside the steep Harbour Hill. Horse-drawn carts and bicycles are used as substitutes. Even the ambulance is pulled by a tractor.
Little Sark is a peninsula connected by La Coupe, a narrow rocky ridge with the Sablonnerie, a well-off hotel with a garden that invites you to rest.

The Zephyr at anchor in Dixcart Bay
Dixcart Bay

Panorama Window in the Rock
Window in the Rock

Cover picture La Seigneurie
La Seigneurie

Garden and wall with buildings La Seigneurie
La Seigneurie

Stone arch in the garden with buildings
La Seigneurie

Wall overgrown with flowers
La Seigneurie

romantic horse-drawn carriage on a narrow path
little Sark

Horse-drawn carriage with the Queen
Sark

Tower of the Seigneurie with hop blossoms
Sark

Walls of the Seigneurie and hydrangeas
Sark

Herm is the smallest inhabited of the Channel Islands and belongs to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The island, with a population of 60, is 2.4 kilometres long and less than 800 metres wide. The northern half has sandy beaches with Belvoir Bay and Shell Beach, while the southern half is rocky. The steep cliffs in the south reach a height of 70 metres.
As on the neighbouring island of Sark, cars are not allowed on the 2 km² island, nor are bicycles. However, the ban is circumvented by using tractors and lawnmowers.
The main source of income is tourism. Other income is generated by growing vegetables and occasionally issuing their own stamps.