Les Pierres de Lecq, also called the Paternosters, rocks or reefs in the Bailiwick of Jersey. They are uninhabitable and are situated between Sark and Jersey, just 6 km north of the Grève de Lecq in Saint Mary.
Only three of the 2 rocks in Les Pierres de Lecq are visible at high tide: L'Êtaîthe (the eastern one), La Grôsse (Great Rock), and La Vouêtaîthe (the western one).
The other named rocks are: "L'Êtchièrviéthe, La Rocque du Nord, Lé Bel, Lé Longis, La P'tite Mathe, La Grand' Mathe, La Greune dé Lé, or La Bonnette, La Greune du Seur-Vouêt, L'Orange, La Vouêtaîse, La Cappe, La Douoche, Lé Byi, La Rocque Mollet, L'Êtché au Nord-Vouêt, La Galette, La Briarde, La Sprague, and La Niêthole Jean Jean or Lé Gouoillot
This area is known for having one of the greatest tidal ranges in the world. Tidal range is the vertical difference between high tide and low tide. Sometimes the range for Les Pierres de Lecq is twelve feet.
Let Pierres de Lecq is frequently called "Paternosters," due to the legend of the Paternosters. In 1565, there was a shipwreck of a ship full of early settlers of Sark. All were lost in the wreck, including women and children. fishermen and mariners are said to almost reflexively say the Lord's Prayer, which in Latin is Paternoster, as they pass the reef. It is said that on a stormy night, the screams and cries of the shipwrecked families may be heard all over Jersey.
The Paternoster rocks are a Ramsar site, supporting aquatic mammals known as Cetacea, including dolphins.
Recommended Resources
Contains a description of this uninhabitable reef in the Channel Islands as well as how it got its nickname, Patermosters, and the names of all the rocks in Jèrriais, the Norman language spoken in Jersey.
http://www.britlink.org/crown-dependencies/bailiwick-of-jersey/les-pierres-de-lecq/
Ramsar Sites Information Service: Les Pierres de Lecq
Convention on Wetlands. One of the more than 2,000 sites listed there is the uninhabitable reef of Les Pierres de Lecq. The listing describes the reef and the fact that it is covered during high tide, weather conditions, and a map.
https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1457
Serving History: Les Pierres de Lecq
The history and features of the group of uninhabitable rocks, also known as the Paternosters, are presented, with a focus on name origins and historical data pertaining to the reefs.
https://www.servinghistory.com/topics/Pierres_de_Lecq/
