Grouville
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Grouville is one of the twelve
parishes of Jersey The parishes of Jersey ( Jerriais: ) are the civil and religious administrative districts of Jersey in the Channel Islands. Jersey has a unitary system of governance and all the powers and administration of the parishes are governed by laws en ...
in the
Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. The parish is around east of St Helier. The parish covers a surface area of 4,354
vergée A vergée (, alternative spellings vergie, vrégie) is a unit of land area, a quarter of the old French ''arpent''. The term derives from Latin ''virga'' (rod). Compare French ''verge'' (yard). In the Channel Islands, it is a standard measure ...
s (7.8 km²). The parish includes the south-east portion of the main island of the
Bailiwick of Jersey A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on the ...
, as well as the
Minquiers The Minquiers (''Les Minquiers''; in Jèrriais: ''Les Mîntchièrs'' ; known as "the Minkies" in local English) are a group of islands and rocks, about south of Jersey. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey. They are administratively part of ...
islets several miles to the south, and is dominated by the broad sweep of the Royal Bay of Grouville. It borders St. Clement, St. Saviour and St. Martin.


History

The parish of Grouville shares, with the neighbouring parish of St. Martin, a dedication to St.
Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
. The ecclesiastical parish and
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
are dedicated to "St. Martin de Grouville" to distinguish them from the parish of St. Martin (historically ' St. Martin le Vieux'). The Church of
St Peter la Rocque St Peter La Rocque is an Anglican church in the Parish of Grouville, in Jersey. It was built in 1852 to serve the fishing community which flourished at La Rocque, which was seen as necessary by the Rector of Grouville, Abraham Le Sueur. The locat ...
was built in the 19th century. The name 'Grouville' may derive from: * the small community established in what is now the parish by St Gerou (also known as Gervold or Geraldius), an ecclesiastical troubleshooter in the employ of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
in the 9th century AD; *''Gros Villa'' (great farm) *Geirr, the
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
leader after whom the Island may be named. the name Groult or Gueroult is often found today in Normandy and is believed to derive from the ancient probably Norman name Gueroalt (Geirroalt) The Royal Bay of Grouville gained its royal epithet when it impressed Queen
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
during her visit in 1846. The bay is popular with tourists for its broad sandy beach and shallow, warm water. It is also the main
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...
producing area of Jersey, and was also formerly noted for the production of vraic (
seaweed fertiliser Seaweed fertiliser (or fertilizer) is organic fertilizer made from seaweed that is used in agriculture to increase soil fertility and plant growth. The use of seaweed fertilizer dates back to antiquity and has a broad array of benefits for soils. ...
). The cottage industry formerly practised by Grouvillais of burning vraic gave rise to the traditional nickname of ''les Enfuntchis'' (the smoky ones, or the dim ones, in
Jèrriais (french: Jersiais, also known as the Jersey Language, Jersey French and Jersey Norman French in English) is a Romance language and the traditional language of the Jersey people. It is a form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, an island i ...
) shared by the Grouvillais and their neighbours in St. Clement. Inland, the parish is also home to Jersey's most noted archaeological site at
La Hougue Bie La Hougue Bie is a historic site, with museum, in the Jersey parish of Grouville. La Hougue Bie is depicted on the 2010 issue Jersey pound, Jersey 1 pound note. Toponymy ''Hougue'' is a Jèrriais/Cotentin variant form of the more common Norm ...
, now a museum run by the
Jersey Heritage Trust Jersey Heritage is an independent Charitable trust, trust in Jersey which is responsible for the island's major historic sites, museums, and public archives. It holds collections of artefacts, works of art, documents, specimens, and informati ...
. A prehistoric artificial mound covers a
passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...
aligned for the
equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...
. A mediaeval
chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
, Notre Dame de la Clarté, built on the Neolithic mound was converted in the 18th century to a
folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...
-like
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
residence, the Prince's Tower (demolished in the 1920s). During the
German occupation of the Channel Islands The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two island countries and British ...
in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the German forces and imported labourers constructed bunkers in and alongside the ancient mound, now also transformed for museum interpretation. La Rocque was the site of the landing of the French forces on 6 January 1781. The skirmish at La Platte Rocque was ancillary to the
Battle of Jersey The Battle of Jersey took place on 6 January 1781 when French forces during the American Revolutionary War unsuccessfully invaded the British-ruled island of Jersey to remove the threat it posed to French and American shipping. Jersey provided ...
.


Governance

The parish is a first-level
administrative division Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of the Bailiwick of Jersey, a British Crown dependency. The highest official in the parish is the of Grouville. The incumbent office holder is John Le Maistre, who has held the office since 2013. The parish administration is headquartered at the Parish Hall next to the parish church. At present, the parish forms one electoral district for
States Assembly The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
elections and elects one Deputy, as well as eight Senators in an islandwide constituency. The current Deputy for Grouville is Carolyn Labey. Under the proposed electoral reform, it will form part of the North East electoral district consisting of St. Martin and Grouville, which will collectively elect three representatives (the least of any constituency) alongside the parishes' . Grouville is divided for administrative purposes into vingtaines as follows: *La
Vingtaine des Marais La Vingtaine des Marais (Jèrriais: Vîngtaine des Mathais) is one of the four vingtaines of the Parish of Grouville in the Channel Islands, Channel Island of Jersey. See also *Vingtaine de la Rue *Vingtaine de Longueville *Vingtaine de la Rocque ...
*La
Vingtaine de la Rue Vingtaine de la Rue is one of the four vingtaines of Grouville Parish on the Channel Islands, Channel Island of Jersey. References

Vingtaines of Jersey, la Rue Grouville {{Jersey-geo-stub ...
*La
Vingtaine de Longueville Vingtaine de Longueville is one of the four vingtaines of the parish of Grouville on the Channel Island of Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; J ...
*La
Vingtaine de la Rocque Vingtaine de la Rocque is one of the four vingtaines of Grouville Parish on the Channel Island of Jersey. It includes the uninhabited Minquiers. Transport The Jersey Eastern Railway opened a station, at La Rocque, on 7 August 1873. The station ...


Geography

The main part of the parish is in the south-east of the island of Jersey, part of the Channel Islands archipelago. It borders St. Clement, St. Saviour and St. Martin. The parish hall is located around east of the Royal Square in St Helier. The parish is dominated by the sweeping Royal Bay of Grouville (part of which is often called Gorey Bay), stretching from Mont Orgeuil Castle in St. Martin, which dominates the skyline to the north, out to the sea in the south at La Rocque. It is the third smallest parish, only measuring 8 square kilometres (4560 vergées). The
Minquiers The Minquiers (''Les Minquiers''; in Jèrriais: ''Les Mîntchièrs'' ; known as "the Minkies" in local English) are a group of islands and rocks, about south of Jersey. They form part of the Bailiwick of Jersey. They are administratively part of ...
are also part of the parish of Grouville. The parish is quite urbanised, with 22% of the parish built-up, but is also quite an agricultural parish. Its mix of land uses can be compared closely to that of
St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...
. The parish population is mostly located along the coastal part to the east of La Grande Route des Sablons along the coast, with the 'village centre' of the parish located at Ville-ès-Renauds, which has a number of shops and the parish school. Further inland, the parish rises up to the Mont de Grouville. The parish church and hall are located further inland at the foot of the hill along the main road to St. Helier. The parish also includes the more residential 'village' part of
Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''. As a growi ...
, with the more touristic 'pier' part in St. Martin.


Demography


Culture and community

The parish is makes up the majority of the catchment area for its namesake primary school, however which also takes students from a small part of St. Martin. Grouville Primary School is a feeder school for Le Rocquier. The parish features a large golf course, known as the Royal Jersey Golf Course, however lacks any other significant sporting facilities.


Economy

In modern times, Grouville has been a popular holiday destination, and features a number of hotels. These include the Beausite Hotel, which is a later 20th century structure but incorporates a small structure dating back to 1636 which now serves as the hotel's bar.


Landmarks

The Royal Jersey Golf Club is located on Grouville Common. It was founded in 1878 and granted its
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
by Queen
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. The Pembroke Hotel, near the 16th tee, was a former clubhouse, once called the 'Golf Inn'. During the Occupation, the course was turned into a mine field. There are two German gun emplacements along the opening hole. The club's most famous player is
Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...
; he won the
Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
a record six times. Within the Royal Bay, there are a number of
Martello tower Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up ...
s, built during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, including the offshore Seymour and Icho towers. Queen's Valley () is located in the north of the parish, very partly shared with St Saviour. In 1987, it was described as "left unspoiled, with just one very minor road traversing it". There were once three water mills along its length, recorded as early 1274. Both
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
and
George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wro ...
have written about the valley. In 1976, the Jersey water company proposed to flood the valley to increase water storage capacity. This was met with protests; three campaign groups - Concern, Friends of Queen's Valley and Save our Valley - were supported by thousands of islanders opposing the flooding, with alternative suggestions such as capping the population at 80,000, installing water meters and desalination. TV presenter David Bellamy led a protest walk attended by 2,000 islanders. However in 1986, in the tenth States debate on the matter, the States agreed to flood the valley in the face of possible water shortages, were new capacity not provided. The
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
opened in November 1991 and has a capacity of 1,193 megalitres (enough to supply the whole island for 48 days). It is two reservoirs and there is a public footpath encircling both reservoirs, with natural flora and fauna.


Twin towns

Grouville is twinned with: *
Port-Bail Portbail (; sometimes spelled Port-Bail) is a former commune in the Manche department in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Port-Bail-sur-Mer.Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...


Notable people

*
John George Bourinot (elder) John Bourinot (March 15, 1814 – January 19, 1884) was a French-speaking Jersey-born Canadian merchant and politician, a member of the first Senate of Canada. Born in Grouville, Jersey, in the Channel Islands, he was educated in Jersey an ...
(1814-1884), politician * Lucy Nettie Fletcher (1886-1918), nurse * Ruby Ray (1881–after 1973), stage actress *
Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...
(1870-1937), golfer


References


External links

* {{Parishes of Jersey