Fort George Wall

History of La Vallette

Here are the remains of the lower curtain wall of the Town Point battery, and as you follow the path along, you will find the Postern gate through which the soldiers would march to reach the lower ramparts of the Clarence Battery.

Much damage was caused to Fort George by an air raid on 6th June 1944 by the US Air Force. The aim was to destroy a German radar station, but the citadel, barracks, sergeants' mess and officers' quarters were destroyed as well.

Plant Spotter

This area is often shady and damp. Plants like ferns and mosses thrive in these conditions. However, the path creates a small gap of light between the trees, and other plants crowd in too. See how many you can spot as you walk along the path towards the next stop. Take photos to help you identify what you find.

Moss wall

Let's just take a moment to truly appreciate this fantastic plant.

Mosses are non-flowering plants which date back 450 million years, to when the dinosaurs roamed the planet.

Unlike most other plants, mosses don't have roots — instead they have rhizoids, which are small hairlike structures. Their main function is anchoring the plant to rock, bark or soil.

So, without roots, some mosses suck nutrients up through the rhizoids or through their highly absorbent surfaces. They are often some of the first plants that colonise areas after damage such as forest fires. They provide valuable shelter for insects to live, lay their eggs and hunt for food. They help to soak up rainfall, maintain moisture in the soil below and keep conditions around them humid. This enables other plants around them to thrive.

Mosses grow in many different environments, from cold snowy mountains to baking hot deserts. Some mosses have even been known to survive temperature highs of 100°C when dried out, and lows of −272°C.

Some mosses have adapted to low light conditions and are found growing in caves. One of the most well-known cave mosses is Schistostega pennata, also known as dragon's gold, which shines an emerald green colour.

If you wish to find out more about mosses in Guernsey, La Société Guernesiaise have produced a booklet on the subject — Field Key to the Commonest and most Conspicuous Species of Channel Island Mosses and Liverworts.

Rocks and Geology

You will see a lovely wall on your left.  How many rock types can you identify? 

Rub your hands over each rock type to enjoy the textures and also to appreciate the skill of the stone masons.  If you have a pen and paper, have a go at making a texture rubbing. This really helps you to identify the differences between rock types.