Société Jersiaise Scenic Lanes competition – supporting the Environment
2025 Winners Trinity, Rue de l’Épine
Every year the Société Jersiaise hold their annual Scenic Lanes competition in which every parish is asked to enter a lane. The purpose of the competition is to judge the overall ambiance, mix of trees and shrubs, unusual features, wildlife, wildflowers, and the sensitivity of the branchage, if appropriate, depending on the time of the year of the competition.
Congratulations this year to Trinity, the winners of the 2025 competition, for Rue de l’Épine!
Ten out of the twelve Parishes entered, (the only two not submitting were St Clement and St Brelade, which was last year’s winner), and the judges were treated to a beautiful Island tour of some of the most unique and attractive lanes.
The Connétable of Trinity, Philip Le Sueur recommended that the panel start at the bottom of the lane and walk up. There was a delightful ambience to this lane: stone walls, ferns, pennywort, and the stream running by. As we made our way up, we were welcomed by the natural and rustic feel.
There were four rangers in the group, two from the Environment Department, one from the National Trust for Jersey, and one from the Rotary Club de la Manche. They commented positively about the range of species in the hedges, trees and banks – and especially the magnificent oaks. They remarked that no pesticides had been used in the banks, which was an important factor – not just because of the aesthetic and chemical aspects, but because the damage caused to the banks treated with harsh substances eventually erode and fall away without the plant life to support them.
We were surrounded by birdsong and even spotted a chiffchaff and buzzards. There was a range of wildflowers including umbels, red campion, foxgloves, ferns, pennywort and green alkanet. Bees were buzzing, and also spotted was a speckled wood butterfly.
The Société would like to thank the parishes that entered, and the sponsorship received from the Rotary Club De La Manche, along with the support of the National Trust for Jersey, the Environment Department of the Government of Jersey, and U3A.
The people in the photo in front of Le Hocq Tower are (from left):
Kieran Luce, GoJ Environment Department,Richard Rive, GoJ Environment Department, Daniel Kean, National Trust for Jersey, Nick Baker, Rotary Club de la Manche, Nicolette Westwood, organiser Société Jersiaise, Stuart Fell, President Société Jersiaise, Anita Fell, University of the Third Age (U3A)
Photographs by Rebecca Bailhache CEO Société Jersiaise
