Chausey

Chausey (French pronunciation: ​[ʃo.zɛ]) is a group of small islands, islets and rocks off the coast of Normandy, in the English Channel (La Manche). It lies 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Granville and forms a quartier of the Granville commune in the Manche département. Chausey forms part of the Channel Islands from a geographical point of view, but, because it is under French jurisdiction, it is almost never mentioned in the context of the other Channel Islands. There are no scheduled transport links between Chausey and the other Channel Islands, although between two and four daily shuttles link Chausey to mainland France, depending on the season.

The -ey ending of the name Chausey may be assumed to be associated with the Norse -ey (meaning island), as seen in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Orkney.

History

In 933, the Duchy of Normandy annexed the Channel Islands including Chausey, Minquiers and Ecrehos. In 1022, Richard II, Duke of Normandy, gave Chausey and the barony of Saint-Pair-sur-Mer, to the Benedictine monks of Mont Saint-Michel, who built a priory on the Grande île.