Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton was speaking after officially opening a walk above the ruined mill in St Peter’s Valley acquired by the Crown in the 1980s in a land-swap with Jersey Water when the Queen’s Valley reservoir was being constructed.
Sir Stephen cut a ribbon to signal the opening of the footpath and later planted a weeping willow at the pond above the mill on a day when those involved in the project over several years gathered to celebrate what is hoped will by the first stage in the restoration of a historic site laid waste during the Occupation.
‘It was a great pleasure to be able to officially open and walk the reinstated path around Gigoulande Mill.
‘This is the latest stage to re-establish this iconic place in Jersey’s history and to give back to Islanders a living part of their culture and environment. In the 75th anniversary year since the Liberation, it is wonderful to make a key step on the ladder of returning the mill to its pre-Occupation glory,’ Sir Stephen said.
Gigoulande Mill, opposite Granite Products quarry in St Peter’s Valley, was one of nine Royal water mills where tenants of the Crown took their corn for grinding. The two other Royal mills in St Peter’s Valley were Gargate – which no longer exists – and Moulin de Quètivel which has been restored to its original condition by the National Trust for Jersey, which also renovated Tesson Mill at the bottom of the valley.
What makes Gigoulande of particular interest is that it was a double overshot watermill – its two milling wheels driven by water falling from above – and thought to be one of only four such mills in the British Isles.
Photographs taken before the Occupation show Gigoulande in working order with its adjoining cottages but the latter were destroyed entirely during the German Occupation when it is thought that they were razed to the ground because they had been used as a refuge by escaped slave workers.
Considerable work has taken place at the mill in order to stabilise the walls of the watermill which stand to first floor level, while there is good evidence of the wheel pits, the mill’s leat and the foundations of the associated cottages, stables and other outbuildings.
At the opening ceremony marking the completion of the walk, HM Receiver General Alan Blair paid tribute to the ‘herculean efforts’ of his predecessor David Pett who had masterminded the project before his retirement earlier in the autumn.
Mr Pett, in turn, thanked the Community Services team led by manager Andy Le Marrec, the chairman of Jersey Trees for Life Gerard Farnham and the Jersey Round Table. ‘This is a good stage we have got to and we can now see the end in sight,’ Mr Pett told those present.
