Grouville

Grouville is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. The parish is in the south east of the island and is dominated by the broad sweep of the Royal Bay of Grouville. The parish covers a surface area of 4,354 vergées (7.8 km²). It borders Saint Clement, Saint Saviour and Saint Martin.HistoryThe parish of Grouville shares, with the neighbouring parish of Saint Martin, a dedication to Saint Martin of Tours. The ecclesiastical parish and parish church are dedicated to "Saint Martin de Grouville" to distinguish them from the parish of Saint Martin (historically 'Saint Martin le Vieux'). The Church of St Peter la Rocque was built in the 19th century.The name 'Grouville' may derive from: the small community established in what is now the parish by St Gerou (also known as Gervold or Geraldius), an ecclesiastical troubleshooter in the employ of Charlemagne in the 9th century AD;Gros Villa (great farm) Geirr, the Viking leader after whom the Island may be named. The Royal Bay of Grouville gained its royal epithet when it impressed Queen Victoria during her visit in 1846. The bay is popular with tourists for its broad sandy beach and shallow, warm water. It is also the main oyster producing area of Jersey, and was also formerly noted for the production of vraic. The cottage industry formerly practised by Grouvillais of burning vraic gave rise to the traditional nickname of les Enfuntchis (the smoky ones, or the dim ones, in Jèrriais) shared by the Grouvillais and their neighbours in St. Clement.