Island 520 - Hommetol/Omptolle, Guernsey

Hommetol/Omptolle/Homptole/Hommeril/Houmet Hommetol is a small uninhabited tidal island located 250 metres off the east coast of Guernsey at Miellette Bay.  It is covered in very springy grass with lots of small holes in it.  Sea campion, sea beet and thrift also grow on the island.  Sea birds breed on the island and therefore access to it is not allowed between 15th March and 15th July. The area around the island is apparently noted for the collection of ormers, which are a member of the abalone family.  I'm not sure how such a small island came to have some many different spellings of its name!

Omptolle from Petit Omptolle

Herm from Hommetol

Beaucette Marina from Hommetol

Sea beet on Hommetol

Notice restricting access to the island during the bird breeding season

Houmet Paradis from Hommetol

Island 519 - La Vieille, Guernsey

La Vieille is a very small uninhabited tidal island located 150 metres off the east coast of Guernsey at Petils Bay.  It has barely enough vegetation to count as an island.  Plants on the island include thrift and rock samphire.  The rocks are covered in golden, grey and green lichens.

Houmet Paradis from La Vieille

Houmet Benest from La Vieille

Petils Bay from La Vieille

Jethou and Herm from La Vieille

Island 518 - Houmet Benest/Houmet Benêt, Guernsey

Houmet Benest/Houmet Benêt is a small uninhabited tidal island located about 100 metres off the north east corner of Bordeaux Harbour on the east coast of Guernsey.  It is covered in grass, bracken, brambles, rock samphire, sea campion, thrift and gorse, but there are no trees.  When I visited in October 2024 I saw 4 wall butterflies, which is more than I have ever seen in one place before.  In the 18th century a gun battery was built on the island and a few remains of this can still be seen. I came across a stone with S4 carved on it.

Sea campion and gorse on Houmet Benest

Houmet Benest

La Vieille from Houmet Benest

Stone with S4 carved on it

Houmet Paradis from Houmet Benest

Hommet from Houmet Benest

Bordeaux Harbour from Houmet Benest

Island 517 - Hommet, Guernsey

Hommet is a very small tidal island located close to the north coast of Bordeaux Harbour on the east coast of Guernsey.  On most maps it is shown as a peninsula, but there is definitely an area of about 20 metres of sand and pebbles between the Hommet and mainland Guernsey, which covers at some high tides.  The island is covered in grass, thrift and brambles and there is one small tree growing on it.

Hommet from Bordeaux Harbour

Bordeaux Harbour from Hommet

Bordeaux Harbour from Hommet

Hommet Benest from Hommet

Herm and Jethou from Hommet