This Is Jersey

JERSEY is not exclusively a granite island, but the masses of this hard crystalline rock dominate the north and south-west portions of our coastline.

As well as forming our most rugged cliffs, granite helps to defend us against the might of the Atlantic.

As if following nature’s lead, Jerseymen discovered long ago that granite was a first-rate material for building everything from fortresses to farmhouses and from walls to pavements. Thus, although rocks ranging from shale to volcanic conglomerate are widespread in the Island, it is the fine-grained pink granite - much of it from the quarries once to be found in the Mont Mado area of St John - that is most readily associated with Jersey architecture.

There is grey granite, too, though geologists may tell you that this should really be called diorite. It is, however, no match for the more mellow, colourful stone, which seems to exude welcoming warmth. Mont Mado pink, in both its bright and its paler, greyer forms, has been used widely for official buildings and even monuments, but it is at its best in domestic buildings. In particular, it helps traditional Jersey farmhouses built before or just after the turn of the 18th century to take on an organic quality, as if they had grown out of the landscape without the help of human hands.

When labour was cheap and it was difficult to import other building materials, fine pink granite was even used to build purely functional buildings such as stables and pigsties. Large pieces were also hollowed out to make troughs and the segments making up the circular channels of apple crushers.

When this was a routine practice, labour and time were both cheap. In its rough-hewn form, granite also contributes to the special character of the Island through its use in the miles of walling which line roads and lanes. In many places the pink of the raw stone is enhanced by the even brighter oranges and greens of the lichens which grow profusely thanks to our clean air.

In a far more formal setting, rosy granite forms the pavement of the Royal Square. Thousands of pairs of feet travel across the square every day, but how many Islanders recognise its stone as part of their heritage?

And how many pause to consider the courage of the wartime stonemason who, right under the noses of the Island’s German occupiers, added a V for victory sign as he repaired the paving stones of the square?

This article first appeared in the Jersey Evening Post as part of the Pride in Jersey series, marking the Island’s 1204-2004 celebrations.