Little Sark
Encyclopedia
Little Sark is a peninsula forming the southern section of the Channel Island
of Sark
. The island of Brecqhou
on the west of Sark, would have been a peninsula like this within recorded history. There is a hamlet
here, and also a guesthouse and cafe at La Sablonnerie.
close to Sark's west coast).
Several small islets lie close to the shore of Little Sark. These include Moie de la Fontaine and Moie de la Bretagne on the west coast, Petite Baveuse, Moie du Port Gorey Seceuil and Bretagne Uset along the south coast, and Brenière on the east coast. Several tiny islets also lie in Baleine Bay, which stretches along much of the east coast of Little Sark and also the southeast coast of great Sark, and L'Etac de Sark and les Demies lie to the southeast of Little Sark.
The west coast of Little Sark is rocky, but there are two notable beaches to the north and east. The beach of Pot Bay stretches along the east coast from north of Brenière to Avocat Point, but this is a minor attraction compared to La Grande Grève, Sark's largest and most popular beach, which lies along the north coast of Little Sark and is normally accessible via steps cut in La Coupée (a landslip has temporarily closed the steps down to the shore). There are also popular swimming spots at the Venus Pool and Adonis Pool. The former (or Venus's Bath, as it is also known), named as such by Victorian artist William Toplis lies close to the southeasternmost point of Little Sark. Protected and overhung by granite cliffs, it is largely free from prevailing winds and is a fine swimming spot. Completely covered by the sea at high tide, a low tide a circular pool originally some eighteen feet (six metres) deep (recent rockfalls have decreased its depth substantially) is separated from the sea. A smaller pool, Cupid's Bath, is also found nearby. The Adonis Pool is a similar tidal pool, though deeper, larger and less easily accessible than Venus Pool, is located close to the southwesternmost tip of Little Sark. The Adonis Pool enjoys longer periods of sunshine then the Venus Pool but is separated from the mainland at anything approaching half tide (the pool is covered by the sea at high tide) by a deep and fast flowing race of water where visitors require experience or careful instruction to cross to the Adonis rock safely.
Though the west coast is rocky, it is noted for its fine scenery. La Fontaine Bay, named for a small spring located nearby, is particularly well known for its views. The ruggedness of the coast means there are no excellent anchorages around Little Sark, though Port Gorey, the larger off two inlets in the south coast, was formerly used as a harbour.
Typically for Sark, Little Sark is penetrated at sea level by a number of caves and interconnecting inlets, including the extensive and dramatic, though surprisingly hidden cave system known as La Louge, which forms a pattern in and around the southern headland in roughly the shape of a double cross. A small bathing pool known as Teddy's Bath sits slightly higher in the cliff side near one arm of La Louge.
joining Great Sark and Little Sark in the Channel Islands at 49°25.25′N 2°21.97′W. The land on both sides of this causeway have been eroded away by the sea, and all that now connects Little Sark to the rest of the island is a narrow ridge a mere three metres (nine feet) wide and 90 metres (300 ft) in length, with a drop of close to 80 metres (260 ft) on either side.
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, access to Little Sark was extremely difficult or, at best, unnerving. La Coupée was traversed by a narrow dirt track, and children are reputed to have had to crawl across it on their hands and knees to prevent being blown over the edge by the wind. According to a description in 1875, "People have thrown themselves flat on their face, from terror and nervousness on reaching the Coupée; others have lost courage half way across, and have hidden themselves behind the heads of the rocks that crop up in the middle of the Coupée until some passer by came and led them along; others have been unable to get across without shutting their eyes and being led between two persons." On 4 September 1802, Elie Guille of the Clos-à-Jaon was carrying sheaves of corn across La Coupée for the payment of tithe
s. He was blown over the East side and killed. After that the Seigneurs farmed out the collection of tithes in Little Sark to an individual in Little Sark who could settle the dues in cash. There were for a long time arguments between the inhabitants and the Seigneur over whose responsibility it was to maintain the path across La Coupée. In 1811 a landslip reduced the width of the path to no more than 3 feet. Finally in 1812 an act of agreement was signed between the parties to ensure every male inhabitant subject to the ordinary repairs of the road would give two day's corvée
to the La Coupée road and in return the Seigneur would guarantee to provide all remaining expenses. Following another landslip in 1862 on the Little Sark side a retaining wall was constructed so as to provide a foundation for a roadway 8-10 feet wide. However the narrowness of the path and the vertiginous drop were not the only things that made many wary of crossing La Coupée, especially at night, as the locality was reputed to be haunted. Strange moaning sounds or unearthly shrieks have been reported; however, these have been explained away as being due to the actions of wave and tide in La Caverne des Lamentes in the bay. The black dog
called the Tchico was also reputed to haunt La Coupée as it ran the roads of Sark. Sibyl Hathaway, Dame of Sark, recorded that some of the Islanders believed that the reason why her donkey would not cross La Coupée was because of sensitivity to the presence of the Tchico.
Protective railing
s were added to La Coupée in 1900. There is currently a narrow concrete road covering the entirety of the isthmus, built in 1945 by German
prisoners of war
under the direction of the Royal Engineers
.
The isthmus is flanked by two bays: La Grand Grêve to the west (right as seen from Great Sark) and Convanche Bay, part of Baleine Bay, to the east. The drop to Convanche Bay is steep, but that to La Grand Grêve is more gradual and steps have been cut into the rock, leading down to what is Sark's most extensive and popular beach
, the native Norman dialect
of the island. The peninsula is sparsely populated, with most of the houses close to La Sablonnerie, the peninsula's only hotel, to the south of the centre of the peninsula. There are the remains of fortifications to the north, close to La Coupée, and an old mill to the west of La Sablonnerie.
Little Sark contains five of Sark's Tenements.The La Sablonnerie
hotel lies here.
, the Cornish immigrants doubling the population of the area.
Copper and silver were both mined at Le Pot, close to Pot Bay on the peninsula's east coast. It was here that silver was first discovered in 1833 by John Hunt, although there are earlier claims dating to 1817. Mining only took place for three years before Le Pot was abandoned due to flooding. The severe financial problems this caused almost resulted in the bankruptcy of the encumbent Seigneur, Ernest le Pelley
. The Le Pelleys were obliged to transfer the fief to the Collings family, of whom the current Seigneur is a descendent. Remains of this mine can still be seen.
As well as a source of galena
, the mine near Port Gorey returned both lead and silver. Discovered by chance during a rabbit hunt in 1836, industry around this mine led to the construction of a small gauge railway and the installation of steam pumps. The mine is believed to have had a length of 600 m and depth of 200 m. Close to the port there were four shafts leading to the galleries. Sark's Hope shaft was the westernmost, almost on the edge of the cliff. To the East was Le Pelley shaft, excavated down to 90 fathoms below sea level, then the Pump shaft and the easternmost shaft, the Prince's shaft.
Mining ceased in 1845 for reasons of economy and geology. Running costs were high, largely because of costs of shipping fuel for the steam pumps and shipping of ore, and ore-producing veins were narrow and of poor quality. The mines returned very little silver overall, and only one cargo of ore was ever shipped from Port Gorey. However the mines attracted visitors from Guernsey which encouraged the development of tourism infrastructure to cater for tourists who found the beauty of Sark's landscape a reason to continue visiting after the closure of the mines.
John Oxenham
's 1910 novel A Maid Of The Silver Sea uses the mines of Little Sark, as well as La Coupée, as its setting.
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
of Sark
Sark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
. The island of Brecqhou
Brecqhou
Brecqhou is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located just west of Sark and has a surface area of approximately...
on the west of Sark, would have been a peninsula like this within recorded history. There is a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
here, and also a guesthouse and cafe at La Sablonnerie.
Geography
Little Sark is roughly triangular in shape, some one kilometre in width in the south and one and a half kilometres in length from north to south. It is joined to the larger part of the island (Great Sark) by a narrow isthmus known as La Coupée, a high ridge 80 metres (262 ft) above the sea which is only some three metres in width. This is gradually being eroded and Little Sark will eventually become an island (a similar process is likely to have occurred with BrecqhouBrecqhou
Brecqhou is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located just west of Sark and has a surface area of approximately...
close to Sark's west coast).
Several small islets lie close to the shore of Little Sark. These include Moie de la Fontaine and Moie de la Bretagne on the west coast, Petite Baveuse, Moie du Port Gorey Seceuil and Bretagne Uset along the south coast, and Brenière on the east coast. Several tiny islets also lie in Baleine Bay, which stretches along much of the east coast of Little Sark and also the southeast coast of great Sark, and L'Etac de Sark and les Demies lie to the southeast of Little Sark.
The west coast of Little Sark is rocky, but there are two notable beaches to the north and east. The beach of Pot Bay stretches along the east coast from north of Brenière to Avocat Point, but this is a minor attraction compared to La Grande Grève, Sark's largest and most popular beach, which lies along the north coast of Little Sark and is normally accessible via steps cut in La Coupée (a landslip has temporarily closed the steps down to the shore). There are also popular swimming spots at the Venus Pool and Adonis Pool. The former (or Venus's Bath, as it is also known), named as such by Victorian artist William Toplis lies close to the southeasternmost point of Little Sark. Protected and overhung by granite cliffs, it is largely free from prevailing winds and is a fine swimming spot. Completely covered by the sea at high tide, a low tide a circular pool originally some eighteen feet (six metres) deep (recent rockfalls have decreased its depth substantially) is separated from the sea. A smaller pool, Cupid's Bath, is also found nearby. The Adonis Pool is a similar tidal pool, though deeper, larger and less easily accessible than Venus Pool, is located close to the southwesternmost tip of Little Sark. The Adonis Pool enjoys longer periods of sunshine then the Venus Pool but is separated from the mainland at anything approaching half tide (the pool is covered by the sea at high tide) by a deep and fast flowing race of water where visitors require experience or careful instruction to cross to the Adonis rock safely.
Though the west coast is rocky, it is noted for its fine scenery. La Fontaine Bay, named for a small spring located nearby, is particularly well known for its views. The ruggedness of the coast means there are no excellent anchorages around Little Sark, though Port Gorey, the larger off two inlets in the south coast, was formerly used as a harbour.
Typically for Sark, Little Sark is penetrated at sea level by a number of caves and interconnecting inlets, including the extensive and dramatic, though surprisingly hidden cave system known as La Louge, which forms a pattern in and around the southern headland in roughly the shape of a double cross. A small bathing pool known as Teddy's Bath sits slightly higher in the cliff side near one arm of La Louge.
La Coupée
La Coupée is an isthmusIsthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
joining Great Sark and Little Sark in the Channel Islands at 49°25.25′N 2°21.97′W. The land on both sides of this causeway have been eroded away by the sea, and all that now connects Little Sark to the rest of the island is a narrow ridge a mere three metres (nine feet) wide and 90 metres (300 ft) in length, with a drop of close to 80 metres (260 ft) on either side.
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, access to Little Sark was extremely difficult or, at best, unnerving. La Coupée was traversed by a narrow dirt track, and children are reputed to have had to crawl across it on their hands and knees to prevent being blown over the edge by the wind. According to a description in 1875, "People have thrown themselves flat on their face, from terror and nervousness on reaching the Coupée; others have lost courage half way across, and have hidden themselves behind the heads of the rocks that crop up in the middle of the Coupée until some passer by came and led them along; others have been unable to get across without shutting their eyes and being led between two persons." On 4 September 1802, Elie Guille of the Clos-à-Jaon was carrying sheaves of corn across La Coupée for the payment of tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s. He was blown over the East side and killed. After that the Seigneurs farmed out the collection of tithes in Little Sark to an individual in Little Sark who could settle the dues in cash. There were for a long time arguments between the inhabitants and the Seigneur over whose responsibility it was to maintain the path across La Coupée. In 1811 a landslip reduced the width of the path to no more than 3 feet. Finally in 1812 an act of agreement was signed between the parties to ensure every male inhabitant subject to the ordinary repairs of the road would give two day's corvée
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
to the La Coupée road and in return the Seigneur would guarantee to provide all remaining expenses. Following another landslip in 1862 on the Little Sark side a retaining wall was constructed so as to provide a foundation for a roadway 8-10 feet wide. However the narrowness of the path and the vertiginous drop were not the only things that made many wary of crossing La Coupée, especially at night, as the locality was reputed to be haunted. Strange moaning sounds or unearthly shrieks have been reported; however, these have been explained away as being due to the actions of wave and tide in La Caverne des Lamentes in the bay. The black dog
Black dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal...
called the Tchico was also reputed to haunt La Coupée as it ran the roads of Sark. Sibyl Hathaway, Dame of Sark, recorded that some of the Islanders believed that the reason why her donkey would not cross La Coupée was because of sensitivity to the presence of the Tchico.
Protective railing
Railing
Railing may refer to:* Guard rail, a structure blocking an area from access* Handrail, a structure designed to provide support, such as on a staircase* Insufflation , the act of inhaling a substance, generally a drug...
s were added to La Coupée in 1900. There is currently a narrow concrete road covering the entirety of the isthmus, built in 1945 by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
under the direction of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.
The isthmus is flanked by two bays: La Grand Grêve to the west (right as seen from Great Sark) and Convanche Bay, part of Baleine Bay, to the east. The drop to Convanche Bay is steep, but that to La Grand Grêve is more gradual and steps have been cut into the rock, leading down to what is Sark's most extensive and popular beach
Settlement
Because they were partially isolated from Great Sark, the inhabitants of Little Sark had their own distinct form of SercquiaisSercquiais
' also known as Sarkese or Sark-French is the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Sark. In the island it is sometimes known, slightly disparagingly, as the "patois", a French term meaning "regional language"....
, the native Norman dialect
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
of the island. The peninsula is sparsely populated, with most of the houses close to La Sablonnerie, the peninsula's only hotel, to the south of the centre of the peninsula. There are the remains of fortifications to the north, close to La Coupée, and an old mill to the west of La Sablonnerie.
Little Sark contains five of Sark's Tenements.The La Sablonnerie
La Sablonnerie
La Sablonnerie is a hotel and restaurant in Sark, in the Channel Islands. It is located in Little Sark, in an old 16th century farmhouse with gardens.Owned by Elizabeth Perree, the hotel contains 15 double rooms, 6 single rooms and one suite.The 2002 Good Hotel Guide describes the hotel as "Long,...
hotel lies here.
Mining
Little Sark was synonymous with silver mining for some of its history; La Clôture du Bas, the southern part of Little Sark, in particular had a number of mines. Mining mainly occurred between 1833 and 1845, and at its height the mines employed up to 80 workers from Sark and CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, the Cornish immigrants doubling the population of the area.
Copper and silver were both mined at Le Pot, close to Pot Bay on the peninsula's east coast. It was here that silver was first discovered in 1833 by John Hunt, although there are earlier claims dating to 1817. Mining only took place for three years before Le Pot was abandoned due to flooding. The severe financial problems this caused almost resulted in the bankruptcy of the encumbent Seigneur, Ernest le Pelley
Ernest le Pelley
Ernest le Pelley, 17th Seigneur of Sark was Seigneur of Sark from 1839 to 1849. In 1844, desperate for funds to continue the operation of the silver mine on the island, he obtained crown permission to mortgage the Fief of Sark for £4,000 to John Allaire, a local privateer. In 1845 the ceiling of...
. The Le Pelleys were obliged to transfer the fief to the Collings family, of whom the current Seigneur is a descendent. Remains of this mine can still be seen.
As well as a source of galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
, the mine near Port Gorey returned both lead and silver. Discovered by chance during a rabbit hunt in 1836, industry around this mine led to the construction of a small gauge railway and the installation of steam pumps. The mine is believed to have had a length of 600 m and depth of 200 m. Close to the port there were four shafts leading to the galleries. Sark's Hope shaft was the westernmost, almost on the edge of the cliff. To the East was Le Pelley shaft, excavated down to 90 fathoms below sea level, then the Pump shaft and the easternmost shaft, the Prince's shaft.
Mining ceased in 1845 for reasons of economy and geology. Running costs were high, largely because of costs of shipping fuel for the steam pumps and shipping of ore, and ore-producing veins were narrow and of poor quality. The mines returned very little silver overall, and only one cargo of ore was ever shipped from Port Gorey. However the mines attracted visitors from Guernsey which encouraged the development of tourism infrastructure to cater for tourists who found the beauty of Sark's landscape a reason to continue visiting after the closure of the mines.
John Oxenham
John Oxenham
William Arthur Dunkerley was a prolific English journalist, novelist and poet. He was born in Manchester, spent a short time after his marriage in America before moving to Ealing, west London, where he served as deacon and teacher at the Ealing Congregational Church from the 1880s, and he...
's 1910 novel A Maid Of The Silver Sea uses the mines of Little Sark, as well as La Coupée, as its setting.