The Devil's Hole - Devil's Hole, Jersey, Channel Islands
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 49° 15.090 W 002° 10.403
30U E 560155 N 5455743
The Devil’s Hole is a natural crater in the solid cliff measuring about 100ft across and plunging 200ft down. It is on the north coast of the island of Jersey.
Waymark Code: WMM2Y0
Location: Jersey
Date Posted: 07/11/2014
Views: 10
In the 19th Century it was possible to descend to the base of the crater, but these days the crater is fenced off and it's only possible to walk to the edge of the crater at the top of the cliff.
There is a viewing platform with an interpretation board telling the story of the crater and the name.
Devil's Hole - A History
On a stormy night in October 1851 a French cutter
'La Josephine' struck rocks off the north coast of
Jersey and was wrecked with the loss of one of
her crew, Constant Petibon who was the son of
the owner of the vessel.
The remaining crew were eventually rescued
by Jerseyman Nicholas Arthur who was later
commended by the French Government for
his bravery. The broken figurehead of their
vessel was washed up through the hole in the
Le Creux de Vis rocks which later became known
as the Devil's Hole.
A local sculptor, Captain John Giffard, decided
to add arms and legs to the figurehead giving it
the appearance of the Devil. His sculpture was erected by the hole which
made the site a popular visitor attraction. This is one suggestion as to how
the site got its name. Another is that the previous name 'Le Creux de Vis' was
corrupted by English speaking visitors, who pronounced 'de Vis' as 'Devil'.
The original wooden statue of the Devil has been replaced by a
succession of various Devils and moved position from in the hole itself
to looking down into the hole, to within the German WWII sentry
enclosure and finally to the pond at the top where the most recent
Devil can be seen today.
The site also has geological significance as it was interestingly formed
when rock behind the cliff slumped to form a shaft which has been
systematically eroded and eventually connected to the sea
through the erosion of caves in the cliff on the seaward
side. It is believed that the Devil's Hole was once a
much smaller blowhole and this may be another
reason why the site is associated with the Devil, as
waves pushing through the hole caused the air to
become pressurised creating an eerie roar as it is
expelled. This can still be heard today with the
right swell and tidal conditions. In time Devil's
Hole will likely change again as a consequence
of continual wave action and erosion into an
arch formation before eventually becoming
an isolated stack.
The National Trust for Jersey acquired the site
of the Devil's Hole in 2006 as a gift from the
Clarke family as part of its Coastline Campaign.
In 2009, assisted by the Royal Monmouthshire
Royal Engineers (Militia), the site was refurbished
to improve the access, safety and beauty of
the site.
Access to the site is by a footpath leading from a public car park behind the Priory Inn on La Grande Rue, in the Parish of St. Mary. There is also a bus stop sited next to the start of the path there. (Liberty Bus Route 27).