'''Alderney''' is one of the Channel Islands, administratively part of the Balliwick of Guernsey.

Cities

There are no cities on Alderney. The island itself is only 3 miles long by 1.5 wide.

The main concentration of houses and shops is in the centre of the Island. This area is sometimes erroneously called 'St Anne' (alternatively St Annes). In fact the correct name is simply 'Town'. The Parish of St Anne's includes the whole of the Island.

Although the Auregniais (Alderney Norman-French) language eventually died out in the early part of the 20th century, the signs leading to Town are bilingual, reading 'Town/La Ville', presumably to assist visiting French yachtsmen and day-trippers. Locals sometimes refer to it, tongue-in-cheek, as 'The City'.

The parish of St Anne is served by a magnificent, almost cathedral-like parish church in the centre of Town.

Other destinations

Understand

Alderney is the third largest of the Channel Islands, and the most northerly. It is often said that Alderney is the only Channel Island since it is the only one that is actually in the English Channel/La Manche. (Guernsey, Jersey and the smaller islands are actually in the Bay of St Malo)

Like the other islands Alderney is a self-governing Crown Dependency. It has its own parliament, the 10 member States of Aldeney which sits 10 times a year. Alderney is also part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey which in modern terms is effectively a customs union including Guernsey and Sark (but not Jersey). In addition, because of an agreement made between Alderney, the UK and Guernsey after the Second World War, Guernsey takes responsibility for providing a number of public services on Alderney (e.g. health, education, the airport etc). These 'transferred services' as they are known, are provided by Guernsey in return for the right to collect direct and indirect taxes in Alderney at the same rate as in Guernsey.

Due to its location in the English Channel and its proximity to the French port of Cherbourg, it has often been seen to be strategically important, despite the treacherous waters that surround it. In the 19th century, a large breakwater - the longest in the UK - was built at Braye in order to form a harbour sheltered from the Swinge tidal race. Although it was never completed, its spectacular remains form the modern harbour. During World War II the island was occupied by German forces, including the SS, and four forced labour camps were built. Although not an extermination camp in the same sense as e.g. Dachau and Buchenwald, very many forced labourers, particularly from Eastern Europe, were worked to death, and there is a memorial to them near to Saye (pronounced 'Soy') which is a must-see.

The uninhabited islet of Burhou, off the northwest end of the island, is an important nesting area for seabirds. The former farmer's cottage on Burhou can be rented from the Government, and is used for 'get away from it all' holidays by a number of Alderney residents.

To the south of the islands, separating Alderney from the Cherbourg peninsula, is the Alderney Race (Raz), notorious for is extremely strong currents and rough seas. Despite the hazards presented by Alderney's rocky coastline and the hazards of the Swinge and Race, Braye harbour is a popular destination for yachtsmen and in summer the harbour is full of boats of all kinds, from small RIBs to multimillion pound luxury yachts.

Talk

Get in

  • By air
  • There are scheduled direct flights to Alderney from Southampton, Bournemouth, Jersey and Guernsey airports. These are operated by Aurigny Air [http://www.aurigny.com] and Blue Islands[http://www.blueislands.com].

  • By sea
  • Manche-Iles Express[http://www.manche-iles-express.com] operate summer ferry services from Dielette in France and Guernsey to Alderney.

    Get around

    Alderney is a small island and in good weather there's really nowhere that isn't within walking distance. Bicycles may also be hired.

    During the summer there is a regular bus service round the island and even a railway[http://www.alderneyrailway.com] service between Braye and the north of the island.

    See

    Itineraries

    Do

    Eat

    There is a nice range of restuarants, from cafes to smart top notch food.

    There are no "chains" of fast food, no McDonalds, no Burger King, Pizza Hut etc. Everything is locally owned.

    Drink

    Sleep

  • Belle Vue Hotel. 44(0)1481 822844. ttp://bellevue.alderney.com. Simply the best..!
  • Braye Beach Hotel. 44(0)1481 824300 . ttp://www.brayebeach.com. Without doubt the most luxurious hotel in Alderney
  • The Victoria Hotel. 44(0)1481 822754 . ttp://victoriahotelalderney.com. A small family-run hotel set in the conservation area

    Stay safe

    Alderney is probably one of the safest destinations you can visit. Crime is rare and what crime there is, is fairly minor in nature. People generally leave doors unlocked, and often leave vehicles unsecured with the keys in the ignition. However, don't emulate the locals in this regard. If you have a hire car and it is 'borrowed', you will find you won't be insured when it is discovered in a damaged state on one of the unmade roads having been used to get to a German bunker for an after-hours party. This happens to at least one unlucky local every year. Every Summer the police remind people to lock cars and remove their keys for this reason.

    Public order offences are not as rare as the locals would have you believe. Unlike the UK, which has liberalised its drinking laws, Alderney observes strict licensing hours, which although they used to be the longest in the British Isles, are now probably the shortest. In the winter, no alcohol may be served after midnight, and all premises must close by 12.30. In the summer, these hours are extended by half-an-hour.

    Again unlike the UK, which following Ireland, Guernsey and many other countries has banned smoking in public from the 1st July 2007, Alderney's government has found itself unable to do so in the weight of opposition, and at the time of writing, with the exceptions of the Belle Vue Hotel(entirely non-smoking as of 01.07.07 and part of the Moorings) smoking is not permitted. If you are from a non-smoking-in-public country, you may be amazed at how noxious the interior of some Alderney pubs is. There is also the Braye Beach Hotel which is non-smoking throughout.

    Get out