YOU just never tire of the view.
To the south, La Rocco Tower and Corbière Lighthouse. To the north, L’Etacq. Anywhere in between, the whole panorama of La Mielle de Morville, sand dunes,
St Ouen’s Pond and, the other side, the ever-changing expanse of St Ouen’s Bay.
You can stand on the roof terrace of Kempt Tower and just inhale everything that makes St Ouen’s Bay the special place it is.
The distant dots of surfers in the water, the marsh harriers circling overhead, cyclists and motorcyclists enjoying the long, flat stretch of road, and dogs enjoying their walk on the beach.
Jersey Heritage converted Kempt Tower into a self-catering holiday let in 2014. While the Island busied itself with the first weekend of the Island Games, my husband and I got to stay in a Martello tower for a weekend – just two of us plus our dog, Zippy, on his first sleepover.
For two people it’s a perfect romantic retreat. It is quiet, isolated, secluded. And, if it is not stating the obvious, it is a matter of footsteps from the beach.
Zippy made himself at home, he loved the walks, being treated to several rambles around La Mielle de Morville, where he was excited by the sight and smell of rabbits, and he loved the beach, even going paddling and jumping mini-waves.
Kempt Tower was built in 1834 and is one of the largest Martello towers in the Island. Although there were only ‘two plus dog’, it can sleep 12. Its outer façade belies its interior and it is almost Tardis-like in its deception of inside space. Certainly, all our adult children were impressed when they dropped by for Sunday breakfast.
Restored last year, Kempt Tower offers a well thought out mix of brick, granite and modern wood. In a circular open plan living space, four double beds have single bunks above them, as well as a large comfortable sofa. There is the option to switch on the TV on the wall (Jersey Heritage had to seek planning permission for the TV aerial last year), but we pride ourselves in not resorting to that when we are on holiday.
‘Downstairs’ (really it is the ground floor) is a dining room, a solid wood table which seats 12, a well-fitted kitchen, and a spacious area with showers and toilets.
Upstairs, the pièce de resistance, the roof terrace, where we spent many a happy hour watching the world go by, reading, or just chatting.
The world slowed down, there was no wi-fi to plug into (wonderful), phones were left at the tower when we went out for a walk, and it was just a fantastic escape for 48 hours. Our plan was to park up the car for 48 hours (or ‘four high tides’ as I liked to think of it) and not go back home for anything or nip to a shop. We had all our supplies with us, though we could have easily walked to any one of the cafés and restaurants along the bay.
I can just imagine what fun it would be if you were, say, two families renting it out as holiday accommodation. The excitement for children to stay in a tower, the beauty of staying so close to the beach, yet with the option to jump in a car and explore the whole island.
Once inside the tower, you can’t hear the planes taking off, and you become oblivious to the world outside. It made for a very quiet, peaceful sleep.
For Zippy, it was safe. With the front door closed, he could wander anywhere he liked, including up to the roof terrace, where he could doze under a bench for shade.
Another perfect place to snooze at the end of the day was the large comfy settee, and we couldn’t help but speculate that it would be just as much fun to stay here in the winter, curling up in front of the wood-burning stove.
It would feel like the perfect place to snuggle up, after long walks on a cold breezy beach.
For us, we were lucky. There was hardly a breath of wind all weekend. Monday morning dawned and the fresh cool air was promising a hot day to come. We got in one last long walk on the beach, at a time when only one or two diehard surfers were out and the cafés weren’t yet open for breakfast.
As we packed up to leave, a bank of sea fog rolled in, as if to draw the curtains on the view. Fortunately for us, we can return to St Ouen’s Bay any time, but to stay a couple of nights right in the heart of such a special part of the Island was a real treat that we felt privileged to experience.
