La Vallette Underground Tunnels

History of La Vallette

This German tunnel complex is called a Hohlgangsanlage. The tunnels house a fascinating small museum that details the history of Guernsey during World War One and the occupation of Guernsey during the Second World War, as well as the island's own militia.

Literary Route

G.B. Edwards — The Book of Ebenezer Le Page

This area used to be used as an open-air theatre, with marquees erected here during the summer months. Ebenezer Le Page took his beau, Liza Quéripel, on their first outing here — although the date didn't go well…

I hadn't been waiting at the Weighbridge more than two minutes when she turned up. She was like a girl let out of school. I remember she was wearing a little sailor hat and a pink dress with puffed sleeves. She caught hold of me by the arm and said, "Oh, it's nice to be going out! Where are we going?" I said I thought we'd go to the Terres. "What's on there?" she said. "Singing and dancing on the stage," I said, "and Living Pictures." It was a big oblong tent in the gardens past Havelet, before you get to the tunnel. The Living Pictures was what I wanted to see. I hadn't seen any yet.

Ebenezer gets a little too preoccupied by the movie, and Liza doesn't like it — they have the first of many falling outs.

After World War One they met again, and all was forgiven:

Liza wanted to go back and along the Terres. I was wondering why she wanted to go over all the old ground again. On the way she was telling me about when she was a nurse in St Thomas' Hospital in London. …

"I am surprised you ever bother to come back to Guernsey at all," I said. "I am sure you could find somebody over there to keep you, if you wanted." It was when we was passing by the bathing places, I remember; and she stopped dead in her tracks and gripped me by both arms and turned me to face her in the wild way she had. She had a grip of steel. She said, "I swear every day and every hour I am away from Guernsey, my heart is bleeding secretly to be back. When I stand on the deck of the ship coming down the Russel and see Herm and Jethou and Sark behind, and the Brehon Tower, I know I am home!" I liked her then.