Grouville

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Grouville


Location of Grouville in Jersey	Coat of arms of Grouville

Island

Jersey, Channel Islands

Area

7.8 km²

Population

4702

- density

602.8/km²

View south across the Royal Bay of Grouville

Grouville is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is unique in that the ecclesiastical parish and the civil parish, though sharing the same boundaries, do not share the same dedication. The ecclesiastical parish, and parish church, is dedicated to "Saint Martin de Grouville" to distinguish it from the present day parish of Saint Martin (historically 'Saint Martin le Vieux'). However, the name 'Grouville' itself is believed to be derived from the small community established in what is now the parish by St Gerou (also known as Gervold or Geraldius), an ecclesiastical troubleshooter in the employ of Charlemagne in the 9th century AD. Alternatively, the name may be derived from 'Gros Villa' (great farm) or from Geirr, the Viking leader after whom the Island is thought to be named. The parish is in the south east of the island and is dominated by the broad sweep of the Royal Bay of Grouville. The parish covers a surface area of 4,354 vergées (7.8 sq. km.).

The Royal Bay of Grouville gained its royal epithet when it impressed Queen Victoria during her visit in 1846. The bay is popular with tourists for its broad sandy beach and shallow, warm water. It is also the main oyster producing area of Jersey, and was also formerly noted for the production of vraic. The cottage industry formerly practised by Grouvillais of burning vraic gave rise to the traditional nickname of les Enfuntchis (the smoky ones, or the dim ones, in Jèrriais) shared by the Grouvillais and their neighbours in St. Clement.

Inland, the parish is also home to Jersey's most noted archaeological site at La Hougue Bie, now a museum run by the Jersey Heritage Trust. A prehistoric artificial mound covers a passage grave aligned for the equinox. A mediaeval chapel, Notre Dame de la Clarté, built on the Neolithic mound was converted in the 18th century to a folly-like Gothic Revival residence, the Prince's Tower (demolished in the 1920s). During the Second World War, the occupying German forces constructed bunkers in and alongside the ancient mound, now also transformed for museum interpretation.