Is there any way of banking an English cheque here on the island
I don't think so. The Spanish banking system is completely separate from the UK system. You could post the cheque to your UK bank giving them your account number and asking them to pay it into your account. Once cleared you could then request a SEPA transfer if you want it put in a Spanish account but of course they will charge for this (charges vary by bank - usually £15 - £20)
Even within the euro zone cheques don't cross national boundaries well. I'm sure you'd be able to pay one into a Spanish bank account but they'll take about 70€ if charges here are similar to France and clearance will take several weeks.
Posting it to the UK and then getting money over here by just about any method would be better. There are all sorts of possibilities.