It thus has a long history of habitation and defence system establishment, in the form of mounds and ditches, given its strategic location.
According to Gustave Jules Dupont in Histoire du Cotentin et de ses îles (1870), "they begin on the west side at the summit of the cliff at the head of the path from Petit Port... " Of the three embankments, the outer ones are the deepest, measuring approximately 8 feet (2.4 m).
Stone instruments, flint knives and 10 arrow-heads from the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age period, 2000 BC have been discovered in the earthworks, which extend from Bay Portelet on the west to La Bate des Murs near Le Bee du Nez.
[4] A ditch was created, using a natural fault line across the narrowest part of the Jerbourg peninsular, which at this point is about 400m wide, ending on both sides with cliffs steep enough to not need flanking defences, with the base on the bedrock.
[5] Two smaller earthworks on the tips of the Jerbourg and St Martins point headlands possible indicate defensive places of last resort, they are of unknown date.
A monument in the form of a column erected at this point was in honour of Sir John Doyle, former Governor of the Island, in recognition of his contribution to building a road network and creating other facilities.
[11] A number of bomb-proof and gas-proof bunkers were built during World War II by the Germans to provide accommodation, store ammunition and control the large gun positions erected in the vicinity.
From this point, as was his regular habit to watch the sea during severe storm, he saw a ship at a distance approaching, heaving heavily towards the rocks of the peninsula to its utter doom.
However, its midsection is narrowed by the eastern corner of Moulin Huet Bay which is known as Petit Port; here, the promontory's width is only about 1,500 feet (460 m).
[3] The point is approachable by the main road from Sausmarez Manor, leading to La Moye Lane which ends on the cliff tops.
[16][17] The Encyclopedia of the World's Landforms describes the point as "a jumble of rocky tors and buttresses on a Head-mantled slope undercut by rugged cliffs, descending to the Pea Stacks.
Ribs of harder rock run out across the shore, and there is a shingle beach at high tide at Vaux Beres.
"[18] Along the coast between Jerbourg Point and Icart Point to the west there are said to be "a number of delightful bays and coves — Petit Port, with its lovely sands which affords good shelter from Easterly, Northerly and North-west winds with 5-9 fathoms of water over clear sand; Moulin Huet, with the Cradle Rock and the Dog and Lion Rocks a short distance offshore".
[1] Bridget Ozanne (1953–2007), a botanist, discovered the modern record of lichenized fungi species Teloschistes flavicans at Jerbourg.