St Peter’s Valley

The National Trust for Jersey owns several areas of mature woodland in St. Peter’s Valley, the largest of which is Le Don Gaudin, also known as Les Geonières. This woodland stretches from the millpond car park to the mill (Le Moulin de Quétivel) itself; a well-maintained footpath connects the two, and this offers a safe, attractive walk away from the main road.

Once the visitor has reached the mill, a longer walk is possible by crossing the road (Le Mont Fallu), at this point. A short walk up the driveway of the large house opposite leads into another large block of woodland owned by the Trust. Although often referred to as Le Côtil de Tesson in its entirety, this area of woodland actually consists of four adjacent properties, the others being Le Don Holmes, Le Côtil Echange and Le Don Powis. The path through this woodland leads to Le Moulin de Tesson, a large and impressive derelict watermill, which is about to undergo a renovation project.

History

Le Don Gaudin, which is 17 vergees in area, was donated to the National Trust for Jersey by Mr C.G. Gaudin in 1947. The woodland consists of a variety of large trees, mainly Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Beech and Sycamore, with smaller amounts of Ash and Wild Cherry, as well as other smaller trees and large shrubs including Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn and Elder.

Many of the oaks are quite large, and some of them have multiple stems, possibly evidence of past coppicing. The woodland formerly contained many Elms, but most of the larger specimens had died from Dutch elm disease by the early 1980’s.

The four areas making up Le Côtil de Tesson were donated to the Trust between 1953 and 1980, and occupy around 12.5 vergees in area. This woodland consists mainly of Oak, Sweet Chestnut and Sycamore, although other species, including a few planted conifers, are also present. A very large Ash grows alongside a short path linking the main woodland track to the road, and a few old pollard trees are also present. Parts of this woodland are more open than Don Gaudin, and there are some patches of Gorse.

Flora and Fauna

The woodland ground flora is best seen in spring, when the paths are fringed with Bluebell, Lesser Celandine, and, in parts of Le Côtil de Tesson, genuine Wild Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) or Lent Lilies. The curious Butcher’s Broom, with its evergreen leaves and single red berry, is abundant and remains conspicuous throughout the year. Several fern species including Polypody (Polypodium sp.) are present in these woodlands. A rich variety of fungi, including species uncommon on Jersey, can aslo be seen in autumn.

Most woodland insects are rarely noticed by the casual visitor, apart from perhaps butterflies like the Speckled Wood, but these are an essential part of the ecosystem, as they provide food for numerous birds and small mammals such as shrews and bats.

Insects, along with other invertebrates such as slugs, woodlice and earthworms, as well as fungi and bacteria, also play an important role in breaking down leaves and dead wood, thus enabling nutrients to be re-cycled through the ecosystem and made available for plant growth. A range of birds can be seen in the St. Peter’s Valley woodlands, including the Blue and Great Tit, Greater-spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Jay and Woodcock. A lucky visitor may also glimpse a Red Squirrel; the Valley is one of the Jersey strongholds for this species.

Site Management

Further research will be carried out on the history and past uses of the National Trust for Jersey’s St. Peter’s Valley woodlands, and a management plan is to be prepared. In the meantime, an important management objective is the control of sycamore, which in some areas is threatening to take over the woodland at the expense of more valuable trees such as oak. Large numbers of sycamore seedlings and saplings have accordingly been removed by Trust staff and volunteers, and some of the larger specimens will be selectively felled to reduce the amount of seed produced annually.

Natural regeneration of other tree species is the main method being employed to replace the sycamore, although there has also been some replanting, using a range of species including oak, ash, sweet chestnut and wild cherry. Trees other than sycamore are felled or cut back only if they represent a danger to visitors, and deadwood is retained on site to act as a valuable habitat for fungi and insects. Away from the paths, dead standing trees trunks, popular with woodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds are also kept.

Visitor Access and Facilities

Visitors to the woodlands can park either at Le Moulin de Quétivel car park or at the mill pond car park. Alternatively, bus route 8 between St. Helier and Plemont passes through St. Peter’s Valley.

The woodland paths are regularly maintained throughout the year, but visitors should exercise care as they may be muddy and slippery after wet weather.