When people think of a trip to the Channel Islands, they usually consider either cosmopolitan Jersey or the more underdeveloped Guernsey and its outlying, car-free islands of Herm and Sark, depending upon how quiet they like it.
Alderney, the most northern of the Channel Islands, is often overlooked. This means fewer tourists on its glorious, sandy beaches and flower-strewn cliff paths. Inhabitants of the other islands lampoon Alderney as “2,000 drunkards clinging to a rock”. Perhaps this betrays a little bit of envy: the licensing laws are different from those on the other islands and there always seems to be a pub or off-licence open somewhere.
Alderney’s shops are all independent – you won’t find national supermarket chains, so there are lots of specialist stores, especially for food.
The island’s food festival runs from July 1st until July 6th, with plenty of events aimed at celebrating local produce, as well as the best cooks on the island and beyond. In the evenings, the Braye Beach Hotel is running a nightly film and two-course meal for £20 in its private cinema.
Can I fly there?
Yes, but it’s a bit of a mission. You’ll have to clamber aboard a little Dornier propeller plane at Southampton airport, so bring your sense of adventure.
You’ll get to know a local or two, and you’ll inevitably bump into them again during your stay, as the island is just three miles long and one and a half wide.
If you want fast food, swimming pools or major attractions, then Alderney won’t appeal. But if you’re on the hunt for a slower pace on an island you can walk around in four hours, where you can get within touching distance of blonde hedgehogs or elegant northern gannets, then Alderney is worth considering.
It’s a getaway that takes you out of modern life, but not from people – that chap you said hello to on the plane may well become your friend for life, or at least the remainder of your stay.
How laid back is it?
Well, it’s certainly not Oxford Circus. Go to the visitor information office at 51 Victoria Street in the capital – and only town – St Anne. Here you can pick up walking maps for the 50 miles of paths that criss-cross the island, or details of the half-day or full-day cycle routes. You can hire a bicycle at either Cycle and Surf in town or down at the harbour at Auto-Motion
If you’d prefer a car, then Braye Hire Cars can meet you at the airport. It’s an old fleet but with a 35mph speed limit and no traffic lights, you won’t notice the difference.
While the Victorians left their mark on the island, building 18 forts and batteries along the coast, this wasn’t quite enough to satisfy the Germans. When they came in 1940, they spent five years mixing concrete to build bunkers and watchtowers. So if you’re a fort enthusiast, Alderney won’t disappoint.
Swing by the Alderney Society Museum – a treasure trove of memorabilia, including displays on the evacuation of Alderney’s entire population at the start of the Second World War and the process of removing 30,000 mines before they could return in December 1945 (Alderney celebrates Dec 15 each year as Homecoming Day).
It’s reasonably hipster-free Fear not – if you see a bearded local then he’s probably not a hipster, but a member of the Alderney Wildlife Trust (alderneywildlife.org), which you’ll find a few doors down from the visitor centre.
For a modest charge, you can take a boat trip to the rocky outcrops of Les Etacs and Ortacs where you’ll witness the powerful sight of up to 8,000 pairs of nesting gannets. This is the ultimate sensory experience; their wings beating above you, their cries alternating in a cacophony of sound – and the undeniable smell of guano mingling with the salty sea air.
The tour pauses off the little island of Burhou, where you can watch puffins bobbing about on the water or diving for sand eels. If you are lucky you can sometimes spot seals and dolphins playing in the sea.
On land you can book an evening bat and hedgehog hunt. Equipped with bat detectors, which pick up the high frequency of echolocation, you can tune into the bats flying around St Anne’s graveyard at night, while torches will pick up the unique blonde spines of the island’s hedgehogs.
A distinctly British sense of fun Alderney Week (from Aug 3rd, http://www.visitalderney.com/event/alderney-week-2019) is a madcap festival with man-powered flying machines, bunker parties and raft races. This year is the 70th anniversary.
Reading list
Author Rachel Abbott owns a fort on the island and part of her crime thriller Sleep Tight is set on Alderney. Elisabeth Beresford, creator of the Wombles, lived on the island for 30 years.
Fun facts
Alderney is home to the rare blonde hedgehog, which can be seen on night trips. Les Etacs and Ortac are home to major colonies of the northern gannet.
Best place to stay
If you’re looking for somewhere to lay your head, you can’t beat the location of the Braye Beach Hotel right on the sands of an attractive northern bay, a 15-minute walk from the town centre. Take a room with a view and a Juliet balcony to make the most of the sea air.
For self-catering there’s Les Pourciaux Cottage (from £850 a week, lespourciauxalderney.co.uk), with views of Ile de Fort Raz and Longis Bay.
Supper
Before turning in, head to Cantina Number 6 (6 Braye Street) – a beachside restaurant in Braye with a floral terrace that serves excellent homemade pizzas and grilled fish. Or try the seafood paella at The Georgian House in Victoria Street (georgianalderney.com) – you can also stay in boutique rooms.
Title Image Credit: Richard (Image Cropped)