Torteval, Guernsey


Torteval is the smallest of the ten parishes of Guernsey, one of the western parishes. Its name comes from the Guernésiais words for "twisting valley". The parish is split in two by the parish of St. Pierre du Bois, with the part in the east known as Torteval. The detached peninsula to the west is named Pleinmont-Torteval. It includes the westernmost point in Guernsey, and a nature reserve. The reserve, designed for birds in the 1970s, was to be redeveloped for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
In Guernésiais, people from Torteval were nicknamed "ânes à pid dé ch'fa", or "donkeys with horse's hooves".
In the centre of the parish is a church designed by John Wilson and built in 1818, with the oldest bell in the Channel Islands, dating from 1432. The church is built on the site of an earlier church, consecrated on 4 November 1140, that had fallen into disrepair. The current church has the tallest steeple in Guernsey, which is intended to be used as a sea mark. It was proposed in 1849 to install a light on the steeple, but after inspection by Trinity House it was found unsuitable.
The postal code for street addresses in this parish begins with GY8.
The parish produces a regular magazine called Les Tortévalais.

Features

The features of the parish include:
The parish of Torteval hosts:
  • The Torteval Douzaine
  • Torteval scarecrow festival
  • TV relay tower
  • Hotels and restaurants
  • Countryside walks

Politics

Torteval comprises part of the West administrative division with Forest, St. Saviour's and St. Pierre-du-Bois
In the 2016 Guernsey general election there was a 3,188 or 74% turnout to elect five Deputies. Those elected being Al Brouard, Andrea Dudley-Owen, Emilie Yerby, David De Lisle and Shane Langlois.