La Corbière (;

Jèrriais ( ; also known as the Jersey language, Jersey French and Jersey Norman French in English) is a Romance languages, Romance language and the traditional language of the Jersey people. It is a form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, an isla ...

: ''La Corbiéthe'') is the extreme south-western point of

Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...

in St. Brélade. The name means "a place where

crows The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. ...

gather", deriving from the word ''corbîn'' meaning ''crow''. However,

seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...

s have long since displaced the crows from their coastal nesting sites. The rocks and extreme tidal variation around this stretch of Jersey's coast have been treacherous for navigation and La Corbière has been the scene of many

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...

s, including that of the mail packet "Express" on 20 September 1859.

Monument

Sited on the headland overlooking the

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

is a

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

sculpted by Derek Tristram and erected in April 1997, to commemorate a rescue that took place. The accompanying plaque describes the event: :"During the morning of Monday April 17th 1995 whilst on passage from Jersey to Sark, the French catamaran "Saint-Malo" struck a rock known as La Frouquie, 900 metres north of La Corbière Lighthouse. Visibility was good at the time, but with a spring tide ebbing to the west and a westerly Force 5 wind, the sea conditions near Corbière were moderate to rough." :"Emergency services responded promptly and nearby ships gave assistance. All 307 passengers and crew were saved from the partially submerged vessel." :"This memorial is erected in thanksgiving and as a tribute to the rescue, which with the help of God and of many strong arms, ensured the safe return of all on board." La Corbière was formerly the western terminus of the Jersey Railway line from

Saint Helier St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; ) is the Capital city, capital of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. It is the most populous of the twelve parishes of Jersey, with a population of 35,822, over one-third of the island' ...

. The first through train ran from Saint Helier to La Corbière on 5 August 1885. The service was unable to compete against motor buses and the railway closed in 1935. The

States of Jersey The States Assembly (; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable (Jersey and Guernsey), Connétable of each of the Parishes of Jersey, twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of ...

purchased the railway track on 1 April 1937, and created a

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

now known as the Railway Walk, linking La Corbière and Saint Aubin for pedestrians and cyclists. During the German military occupation 1940-45, the Germans re-established light railways for the purpose of supplying coastal fortifications. A one-metre gauge line was laid down following the route of the former Jersey Railway from Saint Helier to La Corbière, with a branch line connecting the stone quarry at Ronez in Saint John. The German railway infrastructure was dismantled after the Liberation in 1945, but other German fortifications remain, besides the communications tower, and can be seen around the headland. The former railway platform can still be seen at the end of the Railway Walk at La Corbière and just opposite on the other side of the trail is La Table des Marthes, a

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

. The table-like stone was used historically as a meeting place for the witnessing of contracts and it is conjectured that the name is a corruption of ''la table des martyres'' ("martyr" being intended in its meaning of "witness"). Other theories have been put forward to explain the name and purpose of this stone.

Lighthouse

The lighthouse is situated on a rock that is a tidal island. A causeway links the lighthouse to shore at low tide. There is an alarm to warn visitors to clear the causeway as the tide rises; still, there have been casualties among the unwary or unlucky. A plaque adjacent to the causeway commemorates Peter Edwin Larbalestier, assistant keeper of the lighthouse, who was drowned on 28 May 1946, while trying to rescue a visitor cut off by the incoming tide. The lighthouse tower is 19 m (62 ft) high and the lamp stands 36 m (119 ft) above high water spring tides. It was lit on 24 April 1874, for the first time, and was the first lighthouse in the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

to be built of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

. The lighthouse was built to designs by Sir John Coode. The beam has a reach of , and was automated in 1976. The lighthouse at La Corbière is one of the most photographed landmarks in Jersey and is a popular tourist site for its panoramic views. In the evenings the surrounding area provides an ideal viewing point for sunsets. ;Numismatics The lighthouse at La Corbière features on the Jersey 5 pound note (see

Jersey pound The pound (, Jèrriais: ''Louis d'Jèrri''; abbreviation: JEP; sign: £) is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by t ...

) and the Jersey 20 pence piece (see coins of the Jersey pound)

Culture

The prominence of La Corbière, especially for travellers by sea for whom rounding the rocky waters around the headland often means the roughest part of the journey from

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

but also the consolation that the boat is entering the final straight towards the harbour of St. Helier, has led to several

proverb A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phrase ...

ial expressions in Jèrriais: * ''j'avons pâssé La Corbiéthe'' (we've passed La Corbière, i.e. the worst is over) * ''il a pâssé hardi dg'ieau l'tou d'La Corbiéthe'' (a lot of water has passed round La Corbière, i.e. that's water under the bridge)

MP2 tower

At the top of the headland is a range-finding tower that the German occupying forces built during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. At that time they camouflaged it with paint to give it an appearance similar to an 18th-century granite

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...

. The tower has 7 floors, including the top floor, which was an originally the flat roof. The top floor is now enclosed with a new roof and glazing. It provides a 360° view out over Jersey's south-west tip. In 1976 the States' Harbours and Ports Committee added a glassed-in control room where a duty officer could monitor the radio communications of vessels in the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

. This lasted until 2004. Since then, Jersey Heritage has turned it into a self-catering accommodation with full facilities that one may rent as holiday accommodation. This is the only German tower in the Channel Islands that is now a self-catering apartment.

References

;Notes * ''A Chronology of Jersey'', Mollet, Jersey 1954 * ''Dictionnaire Jersiais-Français'', Le Maistre, Jersey 1966

Gallery

File:LaCorbiere.jpg, ''La Corbière Lighthouse, with a storm approaching. File:La Corbière lighthouse, Jersey, low tide.jpg, The causeway to the lighthouse is uncovered at low tide File:MP2 Observation tower, La Corbiere - geograph.ci - 292.jpg, MP2 Observation tower, La Corbiere. Constructed during the

by the German occupying forces File:MP2 AKA Radio Tower, Jersey.JPG, MP2, AKA Radio Tower, at Corbière, Jersey File:Saint Malo Denkmal bei La Corbière (Jersey).JPG , Saint Malo sculpture

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Corbiere Geography of Jersey Buildings and structures in Saint Brélade Lighthouses completed in 1874 Towers in Jersey Lighthouses in Jersey