West Park

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West Park

Bathing machines lined up on either side of the slipway

A 19th century albumen print

Another picture taken not long after showing the Triangle Park laid out in the 1880s

This picture of West Park, taken from Fort Regent with a telephoto lens, and looking in the opposite directions from the one above, probably dates to the mid-1870s. The Esplanade is complete, considerably foreshortened by the lens used, and the seawall past the Piquet House looks as if it has just been added, so this appears to have been preparatory work for the laying of the railway line. But the building to the right of the Piquet House looks like West Park Station, and the track appears to be in place along the Esplanade in the right foreground. It's not very clear, but it appears to curve inland after the station across what is now part of the Lower Park, and then back to the coast where the stretch of seawall ends. Victoria Avenue has not even been thought of at this stage, nor has the Grand Hotel. Jewell's Marine Hotel is still there on the right where the Grand would be built in 1890, and the Avenue was not constructed until 1897. What was first called Cheapside Station opened in 1872. It later became Westmount Station and then West Park Station. Why Cheapside? Because at the time the road we now know as Peirson Road was part of Cheapside, which stretched from the Parade to West Park Avenue and then all the way down to the coast. F C Clarke's shipyard, which had dominated the coastline at West Park, closed in 1867. There appears to be some sort of launching ramp half way along the new seawall and perhaps a small covered shipyard just beyond it

This 19th century map shows clearly how West Park made the western coastal boundary of the town of St Helier - it still does, although Mont a l'Abbe behind has been much developed

Click on any image to see a larger version

A sand castle competition
The beach in 1935 - the tide was in so no aircraft could land
Bathing huts on the beach
Before the Marine Lake was constructed
Building sand castles at West Park
Bathing huts next to the pool
A crowded beach in the early 1900s
DUKW on the slipway
PT for holidaymakers in 1938

Building castles in the sand was as popular in the 19th century as it is today, and the beach at West Park, below the Grand Hotel, was even more popular then, when this photographs of a sandcastle competition was taken. This was the first dry stretch of sand to the west of the town of St Helier, and residents and visitors staying in town hotels flocked there to relax in the sunshine, although there would have been no need to take sunscreen, because Victorian morals dictated that every inch of flesh should be covered and hats were worn by all

Donkey rides on the beach
Looking west along a crowded beach
Collecting vraic with a horse and cart, in front of bathing machines
1957
High tide at West Park
Beach tents at West Park
Bathing machines
Sitting down on the promenade opposite West Park Pavilion to write postcards in 1978
1945
1960s

Smartly dressed for a beach outing

Picture by Percival Dunham
Deckchairs
Children's corner
Sand castle competition early 20th century
Building sand castles
A sand castle building competition organised by the Daily Mail in 1930
Sand castle competition
DUKW on slipway operating service to Elizabeth Castle
West Park in 1904
Bathing huts on the beach at West Park
The beach at West Park
The beach at West Park
West Park beach
1905

The beach in 1909

Bathing machines
West Park in 1914
Gallichan's High Flyers, popular swings which were situated on the beach opposite the Grand Hotel
George Perry's Swings

Donkeys for children's rides
A DUKW on the slipway in 1972 returning with passengers from Elizabeth Castle at high tide
1950, from a tourism calendar
High tide at the slipway
1920
Children playing on the beach
Triangle Park in 1938 snow

A large fete at West Park. It was initially believed that the photograph was taken in the late 1930s but, the bunker built by the Germans during the Occupation is present, which dates the picture to the late 1940s - early '50s. Decorated carriages in the foreground suggested an association with the Battle of Flowers, suggesting that the date could be 1951, when the Battle was revived and returned to Victoria Avenue. However, further research - Jerripedia always strives to come up with the right answer - has identified this as the Liberation Day cavalcade on 9 May 1946, leading to the first major post-war celebration on People's Park

The beach in 1914

The Esplanade at West Park
On the promenade
1950s
Ladies stroll along the promenade in their finery
The promenade at West Park
1976
The cafe in 1939
The cafe in the 1950s
West Park in the 1960s
The sea wall in 1922
West Park Cafe in 1939
The Shack
Slipway cafe

Cars parked on Victoria Avenue in this 1930s picture

About 1905
Picquet House
1976
1960

An aerial view of West Park in the 1950 showing the road layout after the war, before Victoria Avenue was made a dual carriageway. It is noteworthy that there is no cafe next to the slipway, but a few vans were parked there selling drinks, icecreams and newspapers. Below: A view from the opposite direction, also in the 1950s, but earlier, because the roundabout has not yet been created at the end of the Avenue

A 19th century view over West Park by P Godfray
Picture from the Grand Hotel by Albert Smith in the early years of the 20th century
A busy scene on the slipway
1952
1953
1950s
1955
1950s
Carriages passing through from Victoria Avenue
Liberation Day 1945
1933 aerial photograph
West Park in 1913
West Park in 1914
West Park in 1950
The Shack in 1936

An aerial view of West Park in 1947. The Pavilion is in the centre, with Triangle Park and the Grand Hotel to its right. Above the Triangle Park on People's Park the buildings erected during the Occupation as a delousing station for Operation Todt workers are still standing
West Park in the 1880s
View from the Grand Hotel in the early 20th century
A 1930s aerial photograph
1960
No traffic lights yet at the Victoria Avenue junction in the 1960s
1952
1912
Cafe and kiosk
The Grand Hotel with the Triangle Park adjacent

You can't believe everything printed on a postcard. Just to prove it, here is a fine view of the Victoria Marine Lake at West Park, wrongly captioned First Tower. And it is in St Aubin's Bay, not St Helier's Bay

The Victorian sea pool, recently restored
The pool and bathing huts
West Park Pool in 1937
Edwardian children playing at West Park pool
The pool on an Allix postcard
The view from the sea
A DUKW arrives at West Park from Elizabeth Castle
1933 aerial photograph by Aerofilms
The pool with Elizabeth Castle behind
A row of bathing huts in front of the pool
Repairs to the pool
The slipway in the 1920s
Victoria Marine Lake
Looking down from Westmount in 1978
1906
West Park Cafe staff
PT on the beach in 1950
The old slipway kiosk
Slipway kiosk
Ice cream sales on the beach
Looking down on the pool from Westmount
Lamp posts decorated for the 1978 visit of the Queen and Prince Philip
1976, and traffic is still allowed to turn on to Victoria Avenue from St Aubin's Road
Photograph by Albert Smith