L’Ancresse
L’Ancresse is a wide bay and large common at the very north of the island. The bay is split into L’Ancresse and Pembroke beaches, which merge into one another and provide one of the longest unbroken stretches of sand to be found on the island.
The beach is clean and the sea is very shallow. At the eastern end of the bay there’s a shooting range that flies red flags to warn when the shooting is taking place.
In book 1, Dead in the Water, Remus Carey takes his wife Odette to the beach when he wants to spy on Marc Renouf, who is there with his wife, Sophie, and their daughter. Remus and Odette lay on the concrete slab at the western end of the bay.
The good sight lines across the bay and out to sea mean that it has long been of interest to those planning the island’s defence, and so it is well served by distinctive granite Napoleonic towers, which sit on the common at the back of the bay.
The common has several neolithic remains, including burial chambers, and is also the site of one of the island’s golf courses.
As one of the largest green spaces on the island, it’s no surprise that Renouf chose the edge of the common as the location on which he would build the dream home to which he would retire one day.
L’Ancresse in context
L’Ancresse in brief
L’Ancresse, in Vale Parish, is something of a northern playground for the island. The bay there is sandy and shallow and the tide goes out a long way so there’s plenty of space for a large number of people to enjoy it in the summer and at weekends. Behind the bay there’s also a common with good, fairly level walking options, and a golf course.
Marc Renouf chose the edge of L’Ancresse Common as the location for his self-built second home.
See also...
Third largest Channel Island
Historic earth circle
Common and bay at the north of the island
High western parish
Long, deep bay in the south east of the island
FREE Guernsey newsletter
Don't miss our weekly update on Guernsey's fascinating history. We promise never to sell your data to anyone else, and there's a super-easy unsubscribe link on the bottom of each email so you can leave whenever you want.