Spring-Summer Pure Jersey Part 1 with adverts:jersey Cover AW

For further information visit 

www.jersey.com 

Jersey Tourism 

Liberation Place 

St Helier 

Jersey JE1 1BB 

Tel 01534 448877 

Fax 01534 448898 

email: info@jersey.com 

All information correct at time of print – November 2007 

Whilst every effort has been made to provide 

accurate information, the publishers can accept no 

responsibility for any errors or omissions. All rights 

reserved. Material in this publication must not be 

reproduced in any form without permission from 

Jersey Tourism. 

Spring/Summer 2008 

All at Sea 

Hazel Irvine 

The Car-Free Challenge 

Roger Thomas 

Occupation and Liberation 

Sue Cook 

The Island’s Unique ‘Moonwalk’ 

Andy Stansfield 

Hotel Heaven 

Mary Anne Evans 

Plus… 

Attractions, shopping, spas, good food, 

accommodation, arts and crafts 

Jersey

What’s your image of Jersey? Cows and cream teas? 

Bucket-and-spade beaches and traditional villages? 

We’re happy to say that we have them all in abundance. But they’re 

just one part of the Jersey story. We’ve moved on a bit from the 

times of Bergerac. Today’s island is a very cosmopolitan one, with a 

fast-paced activities scene, hip hotels and fantastic food. 

Our time-honoured beach cafés are still serving the freshest crab 

sandwiches on the planet. But they’ve been joined by new spa hotels, 

award-winning restaurants and buzzy bars. 

And please don’t think we’re English through and through. Jersey has a 

foot in both camps, British and continental – and, we like to think, 

takes what’s best from both of them. 

British reserve and Gallic flair, French road signs and country pubs, 

cream teas and croissants that actually taste like they were made in 

France, fabulous Breton-style beaches and a metropolitan city life… 

these are just a few of the ingredients in a mix that makes Jersey unique. 

So we can guarantee a few surprises. Having said that, we’re not that 

difficult to get to know. It’s quick and easy to get here. And when you 

arrive you’ll find an island of just 45 square miles packed with all kinds 

of sights, experiences and activities – from stunning coastal walks to 

clifftop castles, ‘wet and wild’ watersports to haunting memories of 

World War Two. 

Designed and published by: 

www.sheardhudson.com 

Photography: Aqua Splash, Jersey Tourism, 

Paul Carpenter, Martin Huelin, Harbour Gallery 

and Studios, Jersey Lavender, Hotel de France 

and Andy Stansfield, Stuart Abraham 

pureJersey 

Please recycle 

We ask that when you have finished with your 

copy of pureJersey, you do your bit for the 

environment by either recycling it or passing it 

on to a friend. 

Inside pureJersey 

04 

08 

14 

17 

22 

PLEMONT BAY 

J’Aime Jersey 

Roger Thomas 

Jerseyfile: The Art of Life – 

Good Food, Shopping and Spas 

Walking on the Moon 

Andy Stansfield 

Jerseyfile: Walking 

Life and Liberty 

Sue Cook 

26 

28 

30 

32 

36 

Jerseyfile: History and Heritage 

Notes from a Small Island 

Roger Thomas 

Festival Island 

All at Sea 

Hazel Irvine 

Jerseyfile: Activity Island 

About pureJersey 

Before I first visited Jersey I too had fallen into the trap. ‘A little bit of Britain, with nice 

beaches. Famous for cows and potatoes,’ I thought. Then I tasted the seafood for the first 

time. After which I walked the wild and wonderful north coast with not a soul in sight. The 

next day I went underground at the Jersey War Tunnels and was amazed. And later spent a 

lazy afternoon on the harbourside at Gorey, sipping wine and watching the boats slip by. 

This wasn’t the Jersey I’d expected. The hotels were stylish, with a smooth, easy ambience. 

The activities scene was positively buzzing with options from cycling to surfing. The 

shopping – like the island itself – was sophisticated and just a little intoxicating. 

So when it came to putting together pureJersey we didn’t want to produce the usual 

predictable (and, let’s be honest, boring) holiday brochure. Jersey deserves better than 

that. pureJersey is a magazine written by real people – not an advertising agency – with 

real things to say on all kinds of subjects, from leisure to lifestyle. And, just to be helpful, 

we’ve also included lots of useful information for planning your short break or holiday. 

So please don’t come looking just for cows and cream teas… 

42 

46 

50 

54 

The Car-Free Challenge 

Roger Thomas 

Jerseyfile: Island Exploration – 

Bus Travel, Attractions and Places to 

Visit, Arts and Entertainment 

Living the Life 

Andy Stansfield/Roger Thomas 

So Accommodating 

Mary Anne Evans 

Roger Thomas Editor – pureJersey 

59 

60 

62 

63 

64 

Publications 

Accommodation List 

General Information 

Travelling to Jersey and 

Tour Operators 

Jersey Map 

1 book online at www.jersey.com 01

Island 

Snapshots 

Here’s an overview of Jersey and what’s included in 

the magazine. As you’ll see, for an island that measures 

just nine miles by five, it’s a place that thinks big… 

02 pureJersey 

04 28 42 

Is the island British or French? Or both? 

Jersey has surprisingly strong links 

with France. Roger Thomas delves into 

Jersey’s roots – and takes a day trip to 

St Malo in the process. It’s all revealed 

on pages 4-7. 

Walking on water? Well, almost. The 

island’s huge tidal range reveals a weird 

and wonderful maritime ‘moonscape’ 

of reefs and rocks. Follow in the 

(soggy) footsteps of outdoor writer 

Andy Stansfield on pages 14–16. 

Jersey’s personality has been forged by 

war as well as peace. The island’s 

World War Two Occupation is a 

compelling tale of hardship and 

endurance. All the more reason to 

celebrate Liberation Day, as presenter 

and author Sue Cook discovers on 

pages 22–25. 

Yellow telephone boxes, red squirrels, 

black butter and green lanes. All the 

things you didn’t know about Jersey. 

See pages 28–29. 

14 30 50 

It’s festival time. Actually, it always seems 

to be festival time in Jersey, thanks to a 

packed programme of events and 

entertainment involving everything from 

flowers to fêtes, seafaring to street 

theatre. For a taster see pages 30–31. 

22 32 54 

Islands off an island. That’s Les 

Ecrehous, a tiny archipelago off 

Jersey’s north-east coast. Intrepid BBC 

TV sports reporter Hazel Irvine 

paddles her canoe to this magical spot 

on pages 32–35. 

Sit back, relax and explore Jersey the 

green way by bus. It’s good for your 

stress levels – and good for the planet 

too. The ‘Island Explorer’ ticket does just 

what is says on the can. Roger Thomas 

puts it to the test on pages 42–45. 

What’s it like to live and work in 

Jersey? We interview four prominent 

islanders – they’re involved in 

everything from lavender farming to 

protecting wildlife. See pages 50–53. 

You’ll like our hotels and self-catering. 

Jersey’s accommodation scene is as 

stylish as they come. Find out what 

Mary Anne Evans, Chairman of the 

British Guild of Travel Writers, thinks 

on pages 54–57. 


J’Aime 

Jersey 

How French is Jersey? Is it British through and through? 

The answer to these questions reveals the true 

character of the island, as Roger Thomas finds out. 

I’d just eaten a deliciously flaky, buttery 

croissant for breakfast. I was now driving 

through the heart of the country along 

La Rue de l’Eglise. On the side of the road I 

passed a pink granite farmhouse, its slatted 

window shutters opened to let in the 

morning sun. It wasn’t long before I came 

to the entrance of La Mare Wine Estates. 

No, I wasn’t in France. I was driving on the 

left-hand side of the road, through the 

lanes of Jersey. 

There’s only a tiny soupçon of truth in the 

island’s genteel, Old School image. Cream 

teas, classic cars and a bucolic, blazered 

vision of an England remembered are no 

longer common currency in this 

cosmopolitan island. For a true view of 

Jersey you have to look north and south, 

for it’s an island – culturally as well as 

geographically – that straddles two nations. 

So is Jersey French or British? It’s neither. The 

island is a unique mix of the two – and that’s 

what gives it its identity, charisma and 

character. It’s a blend of British common 

sense and French flair, Breton-style seashores 

and traditional beach cafés, Norman farm 

buildings and modern cityscapes, Gallic 

seafood and good, old-fashioned sandwiches, 

alfresco terraces and country pubs, 

cappuccinos and… yes, cream teas. 

The French writer Victor Hugo described 

Jersey as ‘pieces of France fallen into the 

sea and picked up by England’. A little 

history lesson is perhaps in order to reveal 

how it all came about. Jersey is not part of 

the United Kingdom but it owes allegiance 

to the crown. Its legislative assembly, the 

States of Jersey, is self-governing in internal 

matters, reliant on the UK government only 

for defence and overseas representation. 

And it’s not a part of the EU. 

Modern Jersey’s lineage goes back to the 

10th century when the Channel Islands were 

annexed by the Duke of Normandy. It 

subsequently became part of the Anglo- 

Norman realm after William the Conqueror 

won the Battle of Hastings. Jersey’s future 

path was determined in 1204 when King 

John lost Normandy to the French and the 

islanders had to choose between Normandy 

and the English crown. In opting for the latter 

they gained rights and privileges that to this 

day are not subject to the British parliament. 

So Jersey goes its own way. Which means 

everything from speed limits (just 15mph 

in its tranquil ‘Green Lanes’) to taxation, 

and local quirks like honorary (unpaid and 

non-uniformed) policemen and the 

‘branchage’, a twice-yearly ritual during 

which the roads are inspected to make sure 

hedgerows are cut back. If your hedge is 

too thick, expect a call from an honorary 

policeman. They have real policemen too, 

by the way. 

So don’t come to Jersey looking for a plain 

and simple English colony. I plunged deeper 

into the island’s identity when I met Geraint 

ST LAWRENCE GARDEN 

04 pureJersey 1 book online at www.jersey.com 05

J’Aime 

Jersey 


Jennings of the Société Jersiaise, an 

organisation dedicated to studying and 

preserving all things Jersey. He explained 

how Jèrriais, the local ‘Jersey French’ dialect, 

is still spoken by around 3% of the island’s 

90,000 inhabitants, but almost 20% 

understand it. 

‘At one time Jersey was a trilingual island, 

speaking Jèrriais, French and English,’ he 

went on to explain. ‘French is still used as 

an administrative, legal and ceremonial 

language, a quarter of the population still 

speak it, and until 1959 we had a French 

language newspaper in the island.’ 

You don’t have to delve too deep to see 

French influences elsewhere. Try any bistro 

chalkboard or restaurant menu for a start. 

It was a genuine revelation to me just how 

universally good the food is in Jersey, from 

humble beach kiosks to swanky Michelinstarred 

restaurants. I was staying at the 

newly refurbished Grand Hotel on St 

Helier’s seafront. This Jersey grande dame 

has recently been born again as a glossy 

celebrity thanks to a multi-million pound 

renaissance, and I think it won’t be long 

before there’s another Jersey entry in the 

esteemed Michelin guide. 

On my first night there I’d eaten at 

Victoria’s, an excellent, informal restaurant. 

But this was eclipsed by my gourmet 

experience the following evening. The 

Grand’s Tassili restaurant, a partnership 

with Albert Roux, one of the world’s leading 

French chefs, oozes style and sophistication. 

It’s chic and contemporary, with sleek 

service and food that lives up to the 

surroundings. I can still taste the seared 

scallops and langoustine with green pea 

purée I had as a starter. The fillet of turbot 

with almond clams and parsley jus that 

followed was pretty sensational too. 

At the other end of the scale, I found a 

whole crab for sale for a bargain £1.95 in 

St Helier’s Fish Market. And I’ve become an 

enduring fan of those retro beach cafés 

you see everywhere selling fresh crab 

sandwiches for less than you’ll pay for 

mass-produced supermarket stodge. 

There are local specialities too. Bean Crock 

(Un Piot et des Pais au Fou) is a Jersey 

adaptation of the French dish cassoulet 

using beans and pigs’ trotters. It’s often on 

the menu at Hamptonne, a country life 

museum based at a large, rambling farm 

complex with buildings from many centuries, 

including Langlois, a house very similar to 

those in medieval Brittany. 

Hamptonne is deep in the country on the 

way to La Mare WIne Estates. Jersey makes 

the most of the fact that it’s on the same 

latitude as northern France by having its 

very own, bona fide award-winning 

vineyard. It’s here that I met Tim Crowley, 

the dynamo behind La Mare. ‘It’s classed as 

a French, not English vineyard,’ he explained. 

‘Our biggest grape variety is pinot noir, 

which of course is a very famous northern 

French variety.’ 

They make cider and brandy too. ‘Cider 

is much easier to make than wine,’ admitted 

Tim. You can see it all for yourself on a guided 

tour of this immaculate vineyard and winery. 

BEACH CAFÉS, A JERSEY SPECIALITY THE SEAFOOD IS SUPERB SETTING OFF FOR ST MALO 

The views from Jersey are another 

reminder of how closely intertwined the 

island has always been with its French 

neighbour. Go to the east coast and you’ll 

see the Cherbourg peninsula, clearly visible 

just 18 miles across the water. In fact, 

France is such a short hop away that it’s 

easy to build it into a day trip as part of a 

visit to Jersey. 

There’s a roaring trade in day visits to 

St Malo and other French ports, as 

I discovered when my wife Liz and I took 

the busy 8.45am Condor Ferry from 

St Helier. In just over an hour we were 

sitting in Place Chateaubriand, snug 

within St Malo’s tall, fortified walls, 

enjoying a café crème. 

St Malo’s the perfect day trip destination. 

All you could possibly want to see and do 

are within or just outside the walls, so it’s 

easy to explore on foot. For fabulous views 

of sky and sea do as we did and take the 

wall walk encircling the town. Then drop 

down to street level to the shops and cafés 

and follow passageways between sober, 

grey-stoned buildings topped by upper 

stories in vibrant, doll’s house colours. And, 

in a town where you’re never far from a 

restaurant or three, you must grab a table 

on the terrace and enjoy a glass of wine 

and a dish of moules. 

The boat left at 5.30pm. In another hour or 

so we were back in the Grand’s Champagne 

Lounge, sipping the bubbly stuff and 

pondering the fact that France and Jersey 

are closer than you might think – in more 

ways than one. 


Jerseyfile: The Art of Life – Good Food, Shopping and Spas 

A Weekend Away 

On their visit Roger and Liz Thomas 

stayed at the Grand Hotel, The 

Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8WD. 

This long-established hotel has new 

owners and a new look. It has been 

restored to its former glory – but with a 

bold, modern twist. Adventurous interior 

design has given the Grand a fresh 

personality very much in tune with 

today’s tastes. 

Tel 01534 722301 

www.grandjersey.com 

Michelin Stars 

Jersey boasts two Michelin-starred 

restaurants. 

Bohemia, The Club Hotel and Spa, 

St Helier 

A smart, contemporary ambience to 

match the original, accomplished and 

contemporary cooking. Offers real 

comfort and superb service without 

formality, together with some of Jersey’s 

finest food based on the specialities of 

its island home. Also awarded four AA 

Rosettes and ranked by Egon Ronay 

amongst the UK’s top 25 restaurants. 

Tel 01534 880588 

www.bohemiajersey.com 

The Ocean Restaurant, Atlantic Hotel, 

St Brelade 

Located on the dramatic west coast, 

this exceptional fine-dining restaurant 

showcases modern British cooking in a 

classic setting with the emphasis on 

fresh Jersey produce. Ocean’s design is 

influenced by its coastal setting, which 

commands stunning views over the 

garden to the sea beyond. Also awarded 

three AA Rosettes. 

Tel 01534 744101 

www.theatlantichotel.com 


A Matter of Taste 

Food simply tastes better in Jersey. Perhaps it’s something to do 

with the freshness and quality of the seafood, or the island’s 

farming heritage, or its close proximity to France. Whatever the 

reason, there’s a uniform commitment right across the island to 

serving good food, whether at a plain-and-simple beach café or 

five-star hotel. 

Windmill 

Bistro 

Longueville Manor 

The Boathouse The Royal 

Yacht 

Salty Dog 

Bar and Bistro 

Castle Green 

Gastropub 

Restaurant Round-up 

To whet your appetite, here are a few 

of the island’s many outstanding places 

to eat. 

The Boathouse Restaurant and Bar, 

St Aubin 

Fresh local cuisine is a speciality at this 

stylish place, a contemporary glassand-timber 

building with large terraced 

areas. Terrific views of the sea, harbour 

and boats. 

Tel 01534 744226 

Castle Green Gastropub, Gorey 

Some of the finest pub food in Jersey, 

using the best local produce – including 

superb seafood – accompanied by an 

excellent wine list. Comfortable and 

welcoming, with a casual atmosphere 

and views of Grouville Bay and Mont 

Orgueil Castle. 

Tel 01534 840218 

Longueville Manor, St Saviour 

A Taste of Excellence. Longueville Manor 

consistently attracts accolades for its 

outstanding food and service, including 

three prestigious rosettes. Fine dining of 

the highest standard, with home-grown 

herbs, vegetables and fruit from its 

own walled kitchen garden. 

Tel 01534 725501 

www.longuevillemanor.com 

Salty Dog Bar and Bistro, St Aubin 

Stylish surroundings in a harbourside 

setting. The menu boasts a great 

selection of New World cuisine dishes 

using the very best Genuine Jersey 

produce, fresh local and international 

seafood. Reservations recommended. 

Tel 01534 742760 

Windmill Bistro, Bar and Restaurant, 

St Mary 

Specialises in Mediterranean-style 

dishes, with fresh local seafood 

prominent on the menu (along, of 

course, with meat and vegetarian 

choices). Also offers children’s menus, 

lighter snacks and home-made cakes, 

plus the famous ‘Illy’ coffee served in 

iconic cups. 

Tel 01534 483888 

The Royal Yacht, St Helier 

This remodelled hotel is a sleek new 

addition to St Helier’s waterfront. 

Fresh and fashionable Café Zephyr 

is the place to be seen for alfresco 

eating from a brasserie menu. Chic 

and sophisticated Restaurant Sirocco 

has wonderful waterfront views 

from the terrace. 

Tel 01534 720511 

www.theroyalyacht.com 

A Foodie Events 

17 May, Gorey Fête de la Mer 

Set in the shadow of magnificent Mont 

Orgueil Castle, Gorey serves up a delicious 

array of traditional seafood. Come along 

and enjoy alfresco dining and entertainment 

on the waterfront. 

5th - 6th July, Out of the Blue Maritime 

Festival, St Helier 

Come along and enjoy a spectacular 

Maritime extravaganza around St Helier 

harbour. Enjoy street theatre, an al fresco 

food fair and sea shanties. Visiting Norman 

traders from nearby France will also be 

selling Soup de Poisson, Crepes, Calvados 

and other 'fruits of the sea'. 

www.jersey.com/food 

Made in Jersey 

Jersey Produce 

Our prized Jersey Royal potatoes aren’t the 

only crop. Lots of vegetables are grown here, 

including bell peppers, broccoli, courgettes, 

Jersey Royale tomatoes and rare varieties of 

mushroom. You’ll taste the freshness – there 

are at least three Jersey vegetable crops in 

season whatever time of year you visit. 

Jersey Cows 

You’ll see our most famous residents 

everywhere. They’re not just a pretty face. 

It’s because of Jersey cows that we have 

tasty local treats like wonderful rich milk, 

cream and butter, ice-creams, yoghurt, 

crème fraiche and organic milk. 

Seafood 

Jersey’s clear waters, warmed by the Gulf 

Stream, produce an abundance of topquality 

shellfish including crabs, lobsters, 

scallops and oysters. Around 200 tonnes of 

oysters are produced each year, with 90% 

exported to France – but don’t worry, 

there’s plenty for local consumption. You 

can also enjoy simple, sea-fresh dishes like 

Jersey plaice, sea bass and mackerel. 


The only Relais & Châteaux hotel in 

the Channel Islands, this 14th-century 

manor house is widely regarded as 

Jersey's leading country house hotel, 

much admired by not only a loyal 

customer following, but travel writers 

and food critics alike. Each of the 

30 bedrooms or suites is individually 

designed and decorated, combining the 

feel of a bygone day together with the 

ultimate in modern luxury. 


Longueville Road 

St Saviour 

Jersey JE2 7WF 

Tel 01534 725501 

Fax 01534 731613 

email: info@longuevillemanor.com 

www.longuevillemanor.com


Shopping in Jersey 

St Helier’s the Place 

The island’s capital is home to an intriguing 

mix of shops. Sophisticated and traditional 

shopping sit happily side-by-side in the 

attractive centre, where pedestrianised 

thoroughfares are lined with well-known 

High Street stores and smaller local shops. 

There’s also a splendid Victorian vegetable 

market and fish market, together with a 

great choice of cafés and restaurants – all 

of which provide a relaxed ambience for 

browsing and buying. 

St Helier’s Markets 

The Central Market has long been a source 

of pride to the people of Jersey. Between 

them, the 36 market stalls cover almost 

every retail experience – everything from 

antiques to flowers, fresh vegetables to 

jewellery. If you can’t find what you want 

here then you have to ask the question: do 

you really need it? 

Opening times: 7.30am–5.30pm 

Monday–Saturday (but closes at 

2pm Thursdays) 

Tel 01534 448180 

The more modern Beresford Market (or 

Fish Market as it is more commonly 

known) is justly popular for its high-quality 

produce and the atmosphere generated by 

its hard-working fishmongers. 

Opening times: 7.30am–5.30pm 

Monday–Saturday 

Tel 01534 448180 

Department Stores 

Jersey is well served by two main local 

department stores. While each may 

consider the other a rival, both have 

thrived and grown over the years. 

HARBOUR GALLERY 


A De Gruchy & Co Ltd, King Street and 

New Street, St Helier 

A fashion and furnishing store. Established 

on its present site in 1825, it’s synonymous 

with High Street shopping in Jersey. 

Tel 01534 818818 

Voisins Department Store, King Street, 

St Helier 

A family-owned independent retailer 

offering contemporary, high-quality 

products in a welcoming and inspiring 

environment. 

Tel 01534 837100 

www.voisins.com 

And Call in at… 

Jersey Pottery Gifts and Flowers, 

Halkett Place, St Helier 

A spin-off from the world-famous Jersey 

Pottery at Gorey. Stocks Genuine Jersey 

products and a tempting range of 

craftware from the pottery. See ‘Out of 

Town’ on this page for further information. 

Tel 01534 725315 

www.jerseypottery.com 

Maison La Mare, King Street, St Helier 

Known locally as The Genuine Jersey Store, 

this boutique-style store offers a large 

choice of quality local products including 

luxury hand-made Jersey chocolates, La 

Mare Estate wines, spirits and cider, local 

preserves, Jersey Black Butter and Genuine 

Jersey fudge. Also showcases other Genuine 

Jersey products including lavender, pottery, 

arts and crafts. Please see the ‘Island 

Exploration’ Jerseyfile for more information 

on La Mare Wine Estate, St Mary. 

Tel 01534 733090 

www.maisonlamare.com 

Shopmobility 

This scheme operates from the lower 

floor of St Helier’s Sand Street car 

park. Electric scooters and chairs and 

manual pushchairs are available 

10am–4.30pm Monday–Saturday. 

Prior booking is preferred but not 

necessary. 

Tel 01534 739672 or 

07797 736797 

www.shopmobility.org.je 

Opening Times 

Most shops in Jersey are open 

between Monday and Saturday 

although some close on various days 

during the week. Shops are not 

allowed to open on a Sunday in Jersey 

due to Trading Laws. This law is 

occasionally lifted for special occasions. 

Out of Town 

Shopping in Jersey isn’t just confined to the 

capital. Large craft and retail centres are 

popular attractions and shopping 

destinations in their own right – and even 

the farms get in on the act. 

Bouchet Agateware Pottery, St Ouen 

Created by local potter Tony Bouchet, this 

stunning and unique pottery is made to 

resemble semi-precious agate stones. Items, 

sold only in his studio, include vases, bells, 

plates, boxes and thimbles. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 482345 

www.agateware.co.uk 

Farm Shops, Honesty Boxes 

Honesty boxes offering fruit, vegetables 

and cut flowers dot the island, a 

reminder of yesteryear and a 

remarkable example of how islanders 

still have faith in their customers paying 

for what they take. There are also many 

farm shops where you can buy 

vegetables, preserves, freshly baked 

bread and other delicacies. 

Catherine Best Jewellery, St Peter 

This award-winning jewellery business 

offers classic jewellery with a modern feel. 

Catherine’s work is known worldwide – see 

it in showrooms housed in a landmark 

windmill building. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 485777 

www.catherinebest.com 

Harbour Gallery and Studios, St Aubin 

One of the island’s leading arts and crafts 

centres, with galleries, original paintings, 

sculpture, textiles, photography, designer 

fashion, Jersey soap, Jersey Woodturners, 

working artists’ studios, regular exhibitions, 

café and children’s activities. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 743044 

www.mnlg.com 

Jersey Goldsmiths, St Lawrence 

Each year over 200,000 visitors come to 

Jersey Goldsmiths’ world of gold and 

gemstones, set amongst Lion Park’s 

beautiful lake and gardens. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 482098 

www.jerseygoldsmiths.com 

Jersey Pearl, St Ouen 

The largest collection of quality pearl 

jewellery in the Channel Islands, ranging 

from the cleverly crafted to the beautifully 

cultured. Open all year (except January). 

Tel 01534 862137 

www.worldpearl.com 

Jersey Pottery, Gorey 

A pottery that has grown from a cottage 

industry to global retailer. The site includes 

a showroom with over 600 Jersey Pottery 

Genuine Jersey 

Genuine Jersey is a non-profit making 

association created to generate 

awareness of those products that have 

a sufficiently strong Jersey content to 

be labelled genuinely ‘local’. It applies to 

a wide and wonderful range of goods 

that use local ingredients and local 

skills. Look out for the Genuine Jersey 

logo when you’re out and about. 

Tel 01534 735253 

www.genuinejersey.com 

Hertz Rent-a-Car 

Hertz Jersey offer a complete 

range of new Ford vehicles from 

the Ford Ka to the seven-seater 

Ford Galaxy, together with a 

varied fleet of convertibles. 

Hertz is based at the Arrivals Hall at Jersey 

Airport with cars on site – no waiting – no 

transfers. Our representatives are there to 

help you and get you on your way in next 

to no time. 

Hertz also offers free hotel and harbour 

delivery and collection, island and town 

maps and a 24-hour breakdown service. 

For a booking or brochure 

request phone the freephone 

number 0800 735 1014 or 

the website: www.hertzci.com 

lines, gifts, a pottery museum and the 

popular ‘Glaze Craze’ do-it-yourself 

painting studio. Visitors can see all stages 

of production from throwing to hand 

decoration by skilled artists. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 850850 


La Mare Wine Estate, St Mary 

Please see ‘Island Exploration’ Jerseyfile 

for details. 

Hertz 

Alares House 

Jersey Airport 

St Peter 

Jersey JE3 7BP 

Tel 01534 63666 

Fax 01534 634997 

email: res@hertz-jersey.co.uk 

www.hertzci.com 

FREEPHONE 0800 735 1014


Spa Breaks 

Treat yourself to an island escape. Jersey is a wonderful destination in which to relax and recharge 

those batteries – especially if you take a soothing spa break. 

The Club Hotel and Spa, St Helier 

This boutique hotel is chic and 

contemporary – and, as you’d expect, the 

Club Spa is state of the art. You can swim 

in the salt pool or simply sit and enjoy the 

hydrotherapy bench before beginning a 

thermal treatment (there’s a choice of salt 

cabin, herbal steam room or sauna), 

followed by the experience shower 

(guaranteed to revive and invigorate). In 

the rasul room you can smooth cleansing 

mineral mud over body and face. The spa 

relaxation room, with its soft lighting, 

herbal refreshments and luxurious loungers, 

does just what it says, while every 

imaginable therapy is available at the 

treatment suite. 

Tel 01534 876500 

www.clubjersey.com 

L’Horizon Hotel and Spa, St Brelade’s Bay 

This magnificently located hotel overlooks 

St Brelade’s wide, sandy beach. The spa 

complex includes an indoor saltwater 

swimming pool, spa pool, sauna, steam 


room, treatment rooms and fully equipped 

gym. It’s a haven of relaxation dedicated to 

well-being – pamper yourself with 

luxurious beauty treatments, work out in 

the gym, or simply step outside straight 

onto one of Jersey’s finest beaches. 

Tel 01534 743101 

www.handpicked.co.uk/lhorizon 

Hotel de France, St Helier 

This elegant hotel’s stunning new spa is the 

perfect escape from everyday life. Unwind 

at the calming indoor infinity pools, hot and 

cold plunge pools, hydrotherapy pools and 

large jet pool. The spa is bathed in warm 

natural light from the wall of windows 

opening onto landscaped gardens and 

terraces. Other facilities include a mosaic 

tiled oval steam room, wooden sauna, 

fitness gym and treatment rooms. 

Tel 01534 614000 

www.defrance.co.uk 

Les Roches, St Ouen 

This luxury health spa has an indoor pool 

and four treatment rooms as well as an 

outdoor yoga pavilion. Extensive beauty 

treatments are available along with 

therapies such as reflexology, reiki, 

hydrotherm massage and hot stone 

therapy. The complex, set in large, peaceful 

grounds, is a wonderful retreat from the 

stresses and strains of everyday life. 

Tel 01534 487856 

www.lesroches.co.uk 

The Royal Yacht, St Helier 

The hotel’s dazzling £30-million makeover 

has given it a fresh, 21st-century presence 

and personality. The hotel also boasts a 

new luxury spa. Stylish, relaxing Spa Sirène 

includes a hydrotherapy bath, steam mud 

rasul, full thermal suite with sauna, steam 

room, aromatherapy steam room, monsoon 

shower, ice-cold bucket shower, vitality 

pool, Jacuzzi and fully equipped gym. It 

uses Phytomer products. 

Tel 01534 720511 


Hotel de France 

Family owned for 40 years, the 4-Star 

Hotel de France has a reputation for 

friendly but professional service 

combined with superb cuisine and 

extensive leisure facilities. 

The 283 bedroomed Hotel has three bars 

and a choice of restaurants – the à la carte 

Gallery Restaurant, the more informal Café 

Aroma or in the summer the ‘alfresco’ 

barbeque on the terrace. 

The stunning ‘Ayush Wellness Spa’, an 

ayurvedic spa with both Indian and western 

therapists opened in 2006. There is also a 

fitness centre and hair and beauty salon. 

SPA AT HOTEL DE FRANCE 

Hotel de France 

St Saviours Road 

St Helier 

Jersey JE1 7XP 

Tel 01534 614100 

Fax 01534 614299 

email: reservations@defrance.co.uk 

www.defrance.co.uk

Walking on the 

Moon 

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries 

fortified towers were constructed around 

Jersey’s coastline as defences against the 

French. One of the earliest, Seymour Tower, 

is perched on a granite rock one-and-a-half 

miles offshore – but the sea only surrounds 

it for some of the time. Jersey’s 30–40ft 

tides are amongst the highest in the world. 

They’re so big that the island almost 

doubles in size at low tide, revealing a 

remarkable marine environment of sand 

bars, gullies and reefs around Seymour 

Tower that can be explored on foot. 

This strange, unearthly no-man’s-land 

shared by shore and sea is reminiscent of 

the moon’s surface. ‘Moonwalking’ has 

become something of Jersey speciality. In 

the company of a guide you can take a 

three-hour trip into a watery wilderness 

that, for several hours a day, is covered by 

40ft of Atlantic Ocean. But my Moonwalk 

was even more special since it included 

spending the night at Seymour Tower. It’s in 

a unique spot. The area around the tower is 

a RAMSAR site, a wetland designated as 

being of international importance based on 

a treaty signed at Ramsar, Iran in 1971. 

My advance briefing with walk leader and 

guide Derek Hairon from Jersey Kayak and 

Walk Adventures left me in little doubt that 

one of us had been touched by madcap lunar 

influences. I just wasn’t sure if it was him or 

me as we stood by the sea wall at La Roque 

an hour or so after high tide, looking out 

towards a distant square tower jutting tooth- 


like from the waves. Between it and us it lay 

one thing: a million gallons of salt water. 

But as we chatted about the kit required 

for the walk, I suddenly became aware of 

new patterns in the seascape. Already, 20 

or 30 pinnacles of rock had become visible. 

Then, in what seemed like a matter of 

moments, a whole new landscape 

appeared. I now found myself looking at an 

emerging mass of shingle banks and gullies, 

giant rock outcrops and water-filled pools. 

The speed with which the tide was 

receding was barely credible. 

Derek explained that the tide drops by 

around 20ft in three hours. No wonder the 

vista before me was changing so rapidly. 

The penny dropped too: it dawned on me 

that the reverse is also true – that an 

incoming tide can rise at the same rate. 

This rock-strewn maritime moonscape is 

not a place to be meddled with in a sea 

mist in the hours after low tide. I didn’t 

need to ask Derek for confirmation. He 

could see from the look on my face that I 

had understood. He just nodded. 

And pointed. A couple of hundred yards to 

the left of the tower stood a tall pole with 

a small platform at its summit, ladders on 

two sides and the whole structure 

anchored by steel cables. It’s a rescue 

beacon that’s high enough to allow you sit 

out a 40ft tide – but only just, although 

you may get your feet wet. Despite the 

spring sunshine, I shivered at the thought. 

SEYMOUR TOWER IN JERSEY'S 'MOONSCAPE', CUT OFF AT HIGH TIDE 

Outdoor writer and photographer Andy Stansfield has 

been to some strange places in his time. But none sticks 

in the mind like the unique ‘moonscape’ that reveals itself 

along Jersey’s south-east coast at low tide. 


Walking on the 

Moon 

Calamities are, thankfully, very rare due to 

plentiful warning notices and an immense 

local respect for this tidal phenomenon. 

That didn’t stop two ladies out horse riding 

in the bay who, despite years of local 

knowledge, were suddenly enveloped in sea 

fog as the tide turned and nightfall 

approached. Luckily, they came upon 

Seymour Tower and rode their panicstricken 

horses up the granite steps. All 

survived, but not without a complex rescue 

mission as the horses weren’t inclined to 

leave the tower at low tide. 

When we set off it soon became obvious 

that walking in a straight line to Seymour 

Tower is impossible. From the shoreline at 

La Roque picking out a route looked 

straightforward enough, but the reality was 

very different. Our guide took us on a 

winding route through gullies and pools, 

some still knee-deep in water, picking his 

way though a complex, confusing maze of 

rocks and reefs. Down here it was all too 

easy to see how you could be cut off by an 

advancing tide as it swiftly filled one gully 

after another. 

We walked across rocks still glistening wet 

and poked around in rock pools brightened 

by red granite, scallop shells and varieties 

of slippery seaweed. Derek stopped from 

time to time to explain everything from the 

mating habits of limpets to the history 


behind the occasional letter ‘P’ found on 

rocks (it denoted the ancient fishing and 

seaweed-collecting rights of the Payne 

family). When we reached the rescue beacon, 

20ft above us there was seaweed snagged 

on its supporting cables, a stark reminder of 

the forces at work here every 12 hours. 

We were soon approaching Seymour Tower. 

Home sweet home for tonight at least. The 

tower, which sleeps 10, mightn’t boast all 

mod cons but it came with essential safety 

equipment including a radio transceiver, 

flares and lanterns, plus a range of basic 

amenities: a chemical toilet, gas cooker, 

crockery and cutlery, and lighting powered 

by two solar panels on the roof. 

Estate agents would describe the 

accommodation as having ‘rustic charm’ 

but it was a far cry from the comfort of the 

Samarès Coast Hotel and its attentive staff 

who were my hosts for the ‘mainland’ 

portion of my stay in Jersey. 

But the views were more dramatic, the 

company excellent and the food wholesome. 

All supplies must be taken with you along 

with a sleeping bag and toiletries. We 

managed splendidly, concocting a wonderful 

evening meal of stuffed red peppers with 

Derek’s home-grown Jersey Royal potatoes, 

followed by an assortment of cakes and 

biscuits plus a few bottles of beer. 

VIEW FROM SEYMOUR TOWER HOME COMFORTS AT SEYMOUR SEYMOUR TOWER 

And who needs a TV when the early 

evening’s entertainment was provided by 

the encroaching tide washing over our 

footprints until, at around 7pm, it reached 

almost to the top of the steps to the 

tower? As darkness fell it was time to 

retreat inside to enjoy the rich camaraderie 

that such experiences tend to foster. 

Upstairs were the bunk beds for when the 

evening’s tales of local history and 

childhood adventures finally dried up or 

eyelids got too heavy. 

But there was one last surprise. Thirty 

minutes before the witching hour Derek set 

off back towards the shore in the dark. His 

mission? To escort daughter Krista over to 

the tower during the night’s low tide, laden 

with bacon, eggs, mushrooms and fresh 

tomatoes for breakfast. 

When they appeared half an hour or so 

after midnight Derek called me down to 

the shingle bank below. Pitch black and 

my night vision being slow to attune, I 

couldn’t see a thing. Then, suddenly, I 

picked up a tiny phosphorescent glow, 

almost like a permanent soft blue spark. 

Then another, and another. Five minutes 

later, my eyes now adjusted to the dark, I 

could see that I was surrounded by the 

tiny flickering blue-white lights of bioluminescent 

plankton as if the wet shingle 

were lit up for Christmas. 


Moonwalk from 

the Mainland 

Andy Stansfield went moonwalking to 

Seymour Tower with Jersey Walk 

Adventures. For the full programme of 

walks please see the website. 

Tel 01534 853138 or 07797 853033 

www.jerseywalkadventures.co.uk 

Back on dry land he stayed at Samarès 

Coast Hotel, Coast Road, St Clement, 

Jersey JE2 6FF. It’s an attractive, airy 

hotel with two swimming pools, a spa 

pool and prize-winning gardens. 

Tel 01534 873006 

www.morvanhotels.com 

Morvan Hotels 

Morvan Hotels is Jersey’s most 

diverse hotel group. Six quality hotels 

offer you a choice of indoor leisure 

facilities, superb award-winning gardens, 

seafront or town centre locations, Victorian 

town house, more contemporary or 

traditional Jersey granite architecture, 

hotels or self-catering apartments – the 

choice is truly yours. 

Locally owned and run by the Morvan 

family, long established hoteliers, whose 

hotels have a proven record for friendly 

professional hospitality and also hold an 

‘Investor in People’ award. 

Real-time on-line booking available and 

special internet rates. Visit: 


Best Western Royal Hotel 

Monterey Hotel 

Samarès Coast Hotel and Apartments 

Fort d’Auvergne Hotel 

Uplands Hotel and Apartments 

Norfolk Lodge Hotel 

Rouge Bouillon House 

St Helier 

Jersey JE2 3ZB 

Tel 01534 873006 

Fax 01534 768804 

email: bookings@morvanhotels.com 


SEYMOUR TOWER UNDER MOONLIGHT


St Peter’s 

Country Inn 

The Rozel Bar and Restaurant 

Old Smugglers’ Inn Trinity Arms 

Old Court House Inn 

Pub Walks 

In Jersey it’s easy to combine great 

walking with good food. A wealth of 

pubs, cafés and restaurants means that 

walkers can enjoy a pint and a tasty 

snack – or something more substantial – 

right across the island. Succulent seafood 

and home-grown vegetables are on 

menus everywhere. Here are a few tasty 

places to eat to tempt your appetite 

when out and about. For the full picture 

go to: www.jersey.com/food 

Old Court House Inn, St Aubin 

Serves a variety of dishes, with the 

emphasis on fresh fish and seafood. 

Outstanding harbourfront location. 

Tel 01534 746433 

Old Smugglers’ Inn, Quaisne, St Brelade 

Converted fishermen’s cottages dating back 

to the 17th century. Popular local hostelry 

serving good pub food and fine ales. 

Tel 01534 741510 

The Rozel Bar and Restaurant, St Martin 

Traditional family pub offering a warm 

welcome. Tasty menu with daily specials 

served in the bar or restaurant. In 

summer the alfresco terrace and beer 

garden come into their own. 

Tel 01534 863438 

St Peter’s Country Inn, St Peter 

Traditional pub and restaurant serving 

home-made food. Good selection of 

drinks including real ales. Daily specials. 

Tel 01534 485319 

Trinity Arms, Trinity 

Rural pub serving traditional pub food. 

Food served all year round on weekday 

evenings. All age groups welcome. 

Tel 01534 864691 


The Island on Foot 

Jersey was made for walkers – and it suits all kinds of walking, from 

a gentle stroll along the sands to the rugged challenge of breezy 

clifftops and rocky coves. For such a small island there’s astonishing 

variety – heath-covered cliffs with huge views across to the other 

Channel Islands, sloping sand bays, secluded harbours and that 

strange ‘moonscape’ of low-tide rocks and gullies. 

It’s easy to find your way around the island. 

There are beautiful footpaths all along the 

coast ideal for short walks, as well as an 

‘Around Island’ walk of 48 miles. This 

usually takes two or three days and can be 

completed on a self-guided basis with the 

aid of the Ordnance Survey Walking Map 

for Jersey. Guides are also available. 

Inland Jersey also extends a big invitation 

to walkers. The island’s famous ‘Green 

LA CORBIÈRE HEADLAND ON THE SOUTH WEST COAST 

Lanes’, a 50-mile network of idyllic country 

roads, are specially designated to preserve 

their tranquil nature and have a speed limit 

of 15mph with priority given to walkers, 

cyclists and horse riders. You’ll find them in 

all but two of Jersey’s 12 parishes – 

they’re easy to identify on the map and by 

the distinctive ‘Green Lane’ road sign. 

Guided Walks for 2008 

Jersey Tourism’s series of escorted walking 

tours take in some of the island’s unique 

history and heritage in the company of 

experienced Blue Badge guides. 

The Jersey ‘Flag Walk’ 

Inspired by the red diagonal cross on the 

Jersey flag, the ‘Flag Walk’ appeals to 

walkers of all ages and abilities. It’s a series 

of four one-day escorted walks diagonally 

across the island from corner to corner 

discovering some of Jersey’s best-kept 

secrets. Available May– September. 

Jersey Maritime Trail 

St Helier’s salty history is revealed on this 

trail through the capital’s working harbours, 

marinas, promenades and gardens. Free 

guide available from Jersey Tourism. 

After Dark… Ghost Walks 

Keep your wits about you during this 

spine-chilling evening looking into Jersey’s 

sinister past. Your Ghost Host tells many 

terrifying tales in his redoubtable 

repertoire. But whatever happens, don’t 

look behind you! Available May–December. 

Gentle Wanders 

‘Gentle Wanders’ cater for walkers with 

pushchairs or wheelchair users. Sites 

around the island have been assessed on 

ease of access and 14 ‘Wanders’ have 

been created, including those at Rozel 

Woods in St Martin, Les Grands Vaux 

reservoir in St Saviour and Les Landes 

maritime heathland in St Ouen. The ‘Gentle 

Wanders’ guide is available from Jersey 

Tourism for a small donation to charity. 

Stepping Out with the National 

Trust for Jersey 

A year-long programme of free guided 

walks celebrates the island’s glorious 

coastline and rich natural history. Walks 

usually last around two hours. Please 

dress with an eye to the season and the 

weather. Sensible footwear essential, 

binoculars recommended! Everyone 

welcome. For more details: 

Tel 01534 483193 

www.nationaltrustjersey.org.je 

Somerville Hotel 

Benefiting from a multi million pound 

investment, the sumptuous four star 

Somerville Hotel caters for those lucky 

enough to be in Jersey on business but 

also retains a welcoming country house 

atmosphere. Nestling on the hill above 

the picturesque St Aubin’s Village, the 

Somerville is popular with guests who 

appreciate its discreet location and 

emphasis on indulgence and style. 

All bedrooms and facilities are 

furnished to the highest standards 

and the well-reputed hotel enjoys an 

outdoor heated swimming pool in 

abundant gardens. The village below is 

host to a fabulous range of bistros and 

restaurants and the Somerville’s own 

restaurant, Tides, enjoys two AA rosettes. 

Where to Go for 

Walking Information 

For further details on all of the walks 

and special events listed on these pages 

please contact Jersey Tourism. 

Tel 01534 448877 

email: info@jersey.com 

www.jersey.com/walking 

(website also contains detailed 

descriptions of other coastal and 

countryside walks) 

Somerville Hotel 

Mont du Boulevard 

St Aubin 

Jersey JE3 8AD 

Tel 01534 491980 

Fax 01534 746621 

email: somerville@dolanhotels.com 

www.somervillejersey.com


PLEMONT BAY 

2008 Walking Events 

17–24 May, Spring Walking Festival 

Spring is a wonderful season to explore 

the island on foot. And there’s the added 

attraction of this festival, which lays 

everything on for you. All the routes are 

planned, the transport in place, and each 

walk is led by a local guide who knows 

the area intimately. Distances vary from 

one to 14 miles, and with over 40 

separate walks there’s plenty of choice 

for all the family. 

Themes for each walk change every year, 

but to give you an idea previous festivals 

have included walks for foodies, 

birdwatchers and single people… and even 

ones based on lighthouses, ghosts, bats 

and pedigree cattle. Jersey’s fortified 

coastal towers feature on some routes, 

including the famous ‘Moonwalk’ to 

Seymour Tower (see the previous pages). 

Most popular of all are the daily coastal 

walks. When added together over the week 

they make up a complete circuit of the 

island’s ever-changing coastline, traversing 


quiet sandy bays and dramatic clifftops. 

For the free 32-page booklet describing 

each walk please contact Jersey Tourism 

or visit www.jersey.com/walking 

21 June, Itex Walk 

Covering 48 miles, this annual event 

attracts both local and visiting walkers, 

raising funds for Jersey charities. Expect 

to complete the course in anything 

between 12 to 21 hours. 

www.itex.je/walk 

13–20 September, Autumn Walking 

Festival 

Enjoy wonderful autumnal colours on a 

free programme of countryside, coastal 

and historical walks with some of the 

island’s most experienced guides. 

Highlight of the week is the ‘Around 

Island Walk’. 

Your Very Own Guide 

Please see page 59 for details of the 

walking publications available from 

Jersey Tourism. 

ABOVE BONNE NUIT BAY 

Public Transport 

Walkers find it easy to get around the 

island with the help of an excellent 

bus service. Please see the ‘Island 

Exploration’ Jerseyfile for full details of 

unlimited-travel Island Explorer tickets. 

Tel 01534 877772 

www.mybus.je 

Three of the best 

hotels in Jersey… 

but don’t just take 

our word for it. 

For more than 80 years, the Seymour 

family have been operating hotels 

exclusively in Jersey and are the largest 

and longest-established hotel group in 

the Channel Islands. Each of our three 

hotels has a unique character and 

appeal, but is underpinned by the 

highest standards of service that has 

become a hallmark of the Group. 

We can tell you how wonderful each hotel is 

and about the fabulous facilities available but 

we think that you should also read what our 

guests think. That’s why on the front page of 

each of our hotel’s websites you will find a 

link to the world’s largest travel review 

website, Tripadvisor® where you can read 

some of our guests’ opinions about their stay. 

Of course, not all our guests have nice things 

to say about us but you can be sure that 

they represent genuine views and are not 

just brochure-speak. We also use the 

feedback to improve our hotels for future 

guests. So take a look at our website to find 

more about each hotel. Then click on the 

Tripadvisor® logo and let our guests show 

you why we take such pride in our hotels. 

POMME D'OR HOTEL PORTELET HOTEL 

MERTON HOTEL 

Pomme d’Or Hotel ★★★★ 

Channel Island Hotel of the Year 2007 

Located at the heart of St Helier. 

Tel 01534 880110 

email: enquiries@pommedorhotel.com 

www.pommedorhotel.com 

Special offer – 3 for 2 weekend 

breaks available all year 

Merton Hotel ★★★ 

Jersey’s favourite family hotel 

Tel 01534 724231 

email: enquiries@mertonhotel.com 

www.mertonhotel.com 

Special offer – Free evening 

meals during certain periods 

Portelet Hotel ★★★ 

Elegance and style with stunning views 

Tel 01534 741204 

email: enquiries@portelethotel.com 

www.portelethotel.com 

Special offer – free car hire 

throughout your stay 

www.seymourhotels.com

Life and 

Liberty 

Jersey’s experiences during World War Two have left 

enduring memories. When your liberty is taken away, 

you don’t forget in a hurry. Broadcaster Sue Cook, who 

has presented everything from the Holiday programme to 

Radio 4’s popular Making History, looks at how the Jersey 

of today remembers all its yesterdays. 


LIBERATION FESTIVITIES LIBERATION SQUARE, ST HELIER 

to Jersey – the ideal 

wartime holiday resort!’ exhorted 

‘Come 

the brochures. ‘The bays with 

their eternal sands, sea and sunshine 

together produce an atmosphere of 

peaceful tranquillity…’ 

It was May 1940. In Europe, World War 

Two was well underway. By contrast, 

Jersey’s sandy beaches remained bathed in 

quiet sunshine. There was no reason to 

expect otherwise. After all, the First World 

War had passed the Channel Islands by. 

Why would the second be any different? 

‘Happily, our island is far removed from the 

theatre of war,’ the brochure went on to 

say. If only. Six weeks later, on July 1st, 

1940, that ‘peaceful tranquillity’ was 

shattered when the German Luftwaffe 

bombed St Helier. Two more days and 

Hitler’s forces had landed. The island was 

under German rule for the best part of the 

next five years. Deliverance arrived on May 

9th 1945, the day after VE Day, when the 

British Navy sailed into St Helier. It was an 

occasion of such relief that, more than 60 

years on, the annual Liberation Day 

festivities on May 9th are still hugely 

important on the island. 

Not one to miss a good celebration, I arrive 

the morning before the big day. I am booked 

into the famous Pomme d’Or Hotel, 

headquarters for Hitler’s Navy during the 

Occupation. It stands in Liberation Square 

and I stop to admire the striking memorial 

statue depicting the moment occupation 

became liberation: seven bronze figures – six 

islanders and a British soldier – triumphantly 

holding aloft a giant Union Jack. 

An estate car pulls up with a trailer loaded 

with chairs. Volunteers busy themselves 

setting them out in rows. In front of them a 

stage is being assembled – the focal point 

of tomorrow’s ceremony when the guest of 

honour will be His Royal Highness the Duke 

of Kent. The party atmosphere is already 

beginning to build. 

From my room at the Pomme d’Or 

overlooking the square and harbour, I’ll 

have a grandstand view of tomorrow’s 

proceedings. No time to unpack now, I’m 

due to meet Tom Bunting, one of Jersey’s 

Blue Badge guides and an expert on the 

island’s wartime heritage. 

We meet at the appropriately named 

Gunsite Café, a converted German-built 

concrete command post overlooking sandy 

St Aubin’s Bay. Its tranquil pale-blue décor, 

chalk-written menu boards and sea view 

make it hard to visualise its warlike 

function. Over fresh orange juice and 

home-baked carrot cake Tom tells me that 

most of the old German bunkers and gun 

emplacements are still in evidence. Instead 

of destroying them, the ever-practical and 

resourceful islanders have put them to 

good use. One, filled with sea-water, is a 

storehouse for freshly caught lobsters. 

Others serve as a turbot farm and a 

museum filled with relics and artefacts 

from the Occupation. Yet another has 

become a cycle hire shop. 

Similarly, the concrete sea-walls the Germans 

built all round the island are still doing their job 

so efficiently that there’s no need to replace 

them. As I discover later in the day, these and 

other wartime relics have a strange beauty 

all of their own, their presence amongst 

sea-cliffs and headlands fusing brutality with 

beauty much in the same way as a medieval 

castle in a mountain setting. 

Later, Tom promises, he’ll show me the 

Corbière Radio Tower on the west coast, 

once a German observation post, now 

converted into a six-storey holiday home 

with stunning 360-degree views across 

ocean and field. When I see it I can’t help 

thinking that it mirrors its near neighbour, 

the Corbière Lighthouse, a famous Jersey 

landmark on the rocks below. If so, it’s by 

happy accident – I doubt that the Germans 

planned it that way. 

But first, Tom’s going to take me on his 

‘Living with the Enemy’ walk, which proved 

an instant hit with Jersey’s visitors when he 

introduced it in 2006. It’s a two-mile 

wooded stroll from the Gunsite Café to the 

astonishing Jersey War Tunnels (more on 

these later). We set off along an idyllic 

country lane, crossing a mill stream before 

finding a wooded trail almost hidden 

between the trees. As we walk, Tom talks 

about the harsh reality of life for the people 

of Jersey under German rule. 


Life and 

Liberty 

LIBERATION FESTIVAL LIBERATION DAY REVISITED THE JERSEY WAR TUNNELS 

Overnight, motorists had to drive on the 

right instead of the left, schoolchildren 

were taught German and the deutschmark 

replaced the pound. But that was just the 

start of it. Newspapers were censored, 

radio sets confiscated. Some people 

managed to keep a crystal set under the 

floorboards but breaking the rules resulted 

in a prison sentence. During the course of 

the Occupation, thousands of islanders 

were deported to internment or 

concentration camps in Germany. 

As we walk, Tom points out the ghostly 

remnants of gun emplacements, and tells 

me of the human cost in turning Jersey into 

Hitler’s ‘fortress island’. ‘An enormous 

workforce was shipped in, mostly Russian 

prisoners of war but also refugees from the 

Spanish Civil War.’ Islanders old enough to 

remember describe men from this 

wretched slave army being marched 

through the streets of St Helier each 

morning for their day’s labour and returning 

exhausted at night. 

The most dangerous work was 

underground, building a huge network of 

tunnels designed to be an impregnable 

fortress for the 12,000 occupying troops in 

case of invasion. Now it’s home to one of 

the most impressive museums you’ll ever 

visit: the Jersey War Tunnels. 

It’s wholly appropriate that the 11ft-high 

steel sculpture standing sentinel at the 

entrance, entitled Silence, is dedicated to 

the plight of the wartime slaves 

remembered. Waiting beside it to show me 

round is Robert De La Cour, the museum’s 

Operations Manager. 

He hands me an identity card. ‘Every visitor 

to the tunnels is given one,’ Robert tells me. 

‘It’s a replica of the card every islander had 

to carry during the Occupation.’ 

But it’s not just any old replica. There are 

many different versions. Inside mine is a 

photograph of a middle-aged woman named 

Louisa May Gould who ran the general store 

at St Ouen’s. Her husband died before the 

war began and both her sons were serving 

overseas in the British Army. She took pity 

on a young Russian prisoner who’d escaped 

from the labour camp, came to her house 

and asked for help. But she was betrayed by 

a neighbour’s anonymous letter, arrested and 

deported to a European prison camp. She 

lost her life in the gas chambers of 

Ravensbruck in February 1945, only a few 

weeks before Liberation. 

This poignant, heroic tale is just one of many 

island experiences retold in an extraordinary 

and compelling way within the War Tunnels. 

The spooky underground passageways and 

chambers themselves form the galleries and 

exhibition spaces, taking you from 

‘Threatened Island’, through to ‘Daily Life’, 

‘Resistance’ and ultimately ‘Liberation’. 

The grinding daily reality of the Occupation 

emerges through the eyes not just of Jersey 

men, women and children but slave workers 

and German soldiers too. Sometimes the 

voices are those of actors, but in many 

instances it is the real life individuals we see 

and hear telling their stories of deportation, 

attempted escapes, narrow squeaks, the 

constant feeling of being watched and the 

severe shortages of food and basic supplies. 

One story tells of an old lady pushed over 

in the street by one of a group of German 

officers. She got up and slapped him and 

was imprisoned for 28 days. Other voices 

talk of ordinary foot soldiers trying to 

befriend the islanders, but you didn’t dare 

be seen talking to them for fear of being 

branded a collaborator. Some romances 

blossomed between Jersey girls and the 

soldiers. They were shunned and abused. 

There was no greater shame. The thorny 

issue of islander informing on islander, as 

happened in the case of Louisa May Gould, 

is also tackled. It’s all there, warts and all. 

Eventually islanders and soldiers alike were 

in danger of starving to death. Churchill 

wouldn’t authorise sending supplies for fear 

that they’d go to the German troops rather 

than the islanders. ‘Coffee’ was made from 

ground acorns, ‘tea’ from the leaves of 

blackberries and roses, ‘toothpaste’ from 

powdered cuttlefish and ivy leaves. Curtains 

were pulled down to make into clothing. 

Robert leads me into the final tunnel, 

entitled ‘Towards Tomorrow’ where the 

ethos is very much a constructive one, 

looking to the future, not hanging on to 

blame. These were Hitler’s armies, rather 

than Germany’s. Hitler is long gone… 

universal friendship is what matters now. 

If anyone wonders why Liberation Day is still 

so significant in Jersey – why it’s called ‘A 

Celebration of Freedom’ and why there’s 

laughter and music and thanksgiving – then 

the answer is in the War Tunnels. The people 

of Jersey know only too well what it is like to 

have freedom taken away. For those of us 

lucky to have been born and bred in a 

country that has never experienced 

occupation, it’s almost impossible to imagine. 

SUE AT CORBIÈRE RADIO TOWER 

Next morning after a champagne breakfast 

among some of Jersey’s older residents – 

an emotional occasion at which poignant 

memories are exchanged – I’m leaning out 

of my hotel window overlooking Liberation 

Square. Every other available window in the 

square is also filled with onlookers. There 

are excited crowds down below too, all 

dressed in their best and oblivious to the 

grey sky that threatens possible showers. 

The band strikes up and the pageantry 

begins… vintage cars, uniformed veterans, 

troops throwing sweets, scouts, guides, 

cubs, brownies, all part of a cavalcade 

proceeding through the streets of St Helier, 

recreating the euphoric liberation scenes of 

62 years ago. The Duke of Kent and 

Jersey’s dignitaries take their seats and the 

Union Jack is hoisted on the Pomme d’Or’s 

balcony below me. 

To be in Jersey for Liberation Day uplifts 

the spirits, reminds us of some eternal 

truths. Right on cue, the sun breaks 

through the clouds. 


250,000 BC 

Jerseyfile: History and Heritage 

A Liberating 

Experience 

During the Liberation festivities Sue 

Cook stayed at the Pomme d’Or Hotel, 

Liberation Square, St Helier, Jersey JE1 

3UF. It’s ideally situated, and following a 

£5-million refurbishment programme 

provides all the facilities expected of a 

contemporary four-star hotel. 

Tel 01534 880110 

www.pommedorhotel.com 

She Visited: 

Jersey War Tunnels, St Lawrence 

A must see! These tunnels are committed 

to preserving, recording and presenting 

an accurate account of the Occupation of 

Jersey during World War Two. Ho8 

(shortened from the German 

‘Hohlgangsanlage 8’) is the best known of 

Jersey’s many tunnel complexes built by 

forced labour. Ending the war as an 

underground hospital, Ho8 is now home 

to an award-winning exhibition that gives 

visitors a gripping and thought-provoking 

glimpse into what life was like during the 

Occupation. Open from late February. 

Tel 01534 860808 

www.jerseywartunnels.com 

She Walked with: 

Tom Bunting, from the Jersey Blue 

Badge Guide Association, on his ‘Living 

with the Enemy’ walk. 

Tel 01534 482822 

email: tom.bunting@localdial.com 

Jersey’s earliest residents 

were palaeolithic (Old Stone 

Age) hunter-gatherers who 

lived in caves. The island’s 

many standing stones and 

burial chambers date from 

neolithic (New Stone Age) 

times c.4000 BC. 


6th century 

Past Times 

Jersey fits an encyclopaedic amount of history into its pocket-book 

size. And it’s written with a bold hand right the way across the 

landscape, from the amazing ancient tomb at La Hougue Bie to 

Mont Orgueil’s massive headland castle, the shanties and seafaring 

lore at the Maritime Museum to the chilling Jersey War Tunnels. 

An Island Occupied 

The Channel Islands Military Museum, 

St Ouen 

The museum has the only display on the 

island of all-authentic German World War 

Two militaria as well as a superb collection 

of civilian Occupation items. It is housed in 

a coastal defence bunker that formed part 

of Hitler’s extensive Atlantic Wall. Open 

from early April. 

Tel 01534 723136 

The Channel Islands Occupation Society, 

St Ouen 

This dedicated volunteer organisation 

ensures that key sites from Jersey’s 

Occupation are open to the public 

throughout the warmer months. For details 

of the sites and opening times please see 

their website. 

www.ciosjersey.org.uk 

Occupation Tapestry at the Maritime 

Museum, St Helier 

Twelve superbly designed and worked 

panels tell the story of life in Jersey during 

World War Two. This massive work of art 

was stitched by the people of the island in 

what turned out to be the largest ever 

community project. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 811043 

www.jerseyheritagetrust.org 

Germanic raiders unwittingly 

put Jersey on the Christian map 

when they murdered the 

hermit St Helier, who lived and 

preached on a small rocky 

islet near what is now 

Elizabeth Castle. 

9th century 

Vikings settled on the 

mainland and the islands, 

giving Jersey its name. 

Then came the Normans. 

Castle Strongholds 

Elizabeth Castle, St Helier 

Built on a rocky islet in the 1590s and 

accessible by ‘Puddleduck’ ferry, the castle 

was named after Queen Elizabeth I by Sir 

Walter Raleigh while he was Governor of 

Jersey. Three exhibitions explain the role of 

the castle in Jersey’s history. Time your visit 

to include the 12-noon ‘call to arms’ by 

Gunner Gilman, followed by the firing of 

the castle cannon. Open daily May– 

November. 

Tel 01534 723971 


Grosnez Castle, St Ouen 

This spectacularly located headland ruin is 

thought to date from the 14th century. 

Accessible at all reasonable times. 

Mont Orgueil Castle, Gorey 

Mont Orgueil, undoubtedly Jersey’s most 

iconic historic building, commands a 

spectacular headland above Gorey harbour. 

Construction began in the 13th century – 

when King John lost control of Normandy – 

to defend the island against invasion. This 

jewel in Jersey’s crown, one of the bestpreserved 

castles in Britain, contains 

exhibitions and displays which bring the 

past to life with flair and imagination. Open 

all year (but Friday–Monday only from 

November to March). 

Tel 01534 853292 


1204 

Jersey was part of the Norman 

world for nearly three centuries, 

until 1204. Following the fall of 

Rouen, islanders faced a dilemma: 

stay loyal to John, King of England 

and Duke of Normandy, or switch 

allegiance to Philippe Auguste of 

France. The decision to remain loyal 

to King John triggered a special 

relationship with the English crown, 

resulting in the unique culture and 

constitution Jersey enjoys today. 

HAMPTONNE COUNTRY LIFE MUSEUM GROSNEZ CASTLE 

Ancient Stones and Bones 

La Hougue Bie 

(just north-east of St Helier) 

This is Jersey’s star prehistoric monument 

and one of Europe’s most impressive burial 

mounds. Predating the pyramids of Egypt, 

this neolithic (New Stone Age) burial 

chamber has been the focal point for 

religion on the island for nearly 6,000 

years. Buried in the heart of a steep mound 

topped by a medieval church is a chamber, 

constructed of enormous stones, accessible 

by a long, narrow passageway. The site also 

contains a German bunker that houses a 

poignant World War Two exhibition. Open 

daily March–November. 

Tel 01534 833823 


There are many other prehistoric graves 

and tombs on the island which you can visit 

at all reasonable times. For details go to: 


www.prehistoricjersey.net 

15th century 

During the Wars of the Roses, the 

French seized Mont Orgueil 

Castle and ruled Jersey for seven 

years. 

Revealing Museums 

Hamptonne Country Life Museum, 

St Lawrence 

This cluster of faithfully restored farm 

buildings – including thatched and 

furnished houses, a cider house, bakery, 

wash-house and stables – recreates rural 

life on the island. Stories and gossip from 

the time of Charles II are part of the living 

history on site. Open daily March–November. 

Tel 01534 863955 


Jersey Museum and Art Gallery, St Helier 

This wide-ranging museum explains the 

history, traditions and culture of the island 

in an exciting and involving way. Part of the 

museum is an atmospheric Victorian 

merchant’s house. The Artzone is an 

interactive space where younger visitors 

can play with and investigate different 

types of art. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 633300 


18th century 

A series of towers was erected 

around Jersey’s coast to ward off 

further French attacks after the 

French briefly took the island in 

1781. 

Société Jersiaise, St Helier 

A society founded to promote and 

encourage the study of the history, 

archaeology, natural history, language 

and many other subjects of interest in 

Jersey. Home of the Channel Islands 

Family History Society. 

www.societe-jersiaise.org 

Maritime Museum, St Helier 

As soon as you walk through the door you’ll 

see why this imaginative museum has won 

so many awards and plaudits. Using stateof-the-art 

interactive displays and other 

ingenious exhibits, it celebrates Jersey’s 

long association with the sea. There’s 

enough here to entertain kids and adults all 

day long. In the gallery next door, the 

Occupation Tapestry is a memorial to life 

during the Occupation. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 811043 


Le Moulin de Quétivel, St Peter 

This watermill is located on a site where 

there have been mills since the early 14th 

century. The only working mill left in St 

Peter’s Valley, it still grinds its own flour 

which visitors can buy (along with gifts) 

in the mill shop. An exhibition traces the 

history of milling and there’s a 20-minute 

film. Open Saturdays May–September. 

Tel 01534 483193 

www.nationaltrustjersey.org.je 

World War Two 

The Channel Islands were the 

only part of Britain to be 

occupied by German forces 

when the British government 

chose not to defend them. 

Liberation from five years of 

occupation came to a starving and 

oppressed population on 9 May 

1945, an event celebrated annually 

with Liberation Day. 


Notes from a 

Small Island 

Jersey is quirky. It’s an island 

with individuality. Roger 

Thomas takes a look at a 

few reasons why Jersey is 

refreshingly different. 

Farm Honesty Boxes 

You’ll see them everywhere when 

travelling around the island. Farm 

produce, bought straight from the 

doorstep. It doesn’t get any better or 

fresher. Choose what you want and 

leave the correct money. No one 

checks because trust and honesty 

still count for a lot in Jersey. 


Green Lanes 

Jersey was ahead of its time 

in creating roads where 

cyclists, walkers and horse 

riders have priority. Soak up 

the calm of the countryside 

on the island’s 50-mile network of Green 

Lanes, where cars are restricted to 15mph. 

Jersey isn’t a fast and furious place – the 

maximum speed limit on the island is 40mph. 

Yellow Telephone Boxes 

Jersey has its own phone and 

postal systems. So when it came 

to painting their telephone boxes 

Jersey Telecom chose yellow and 

cream. Why not? It’s better 

than seeing red. 

French Road Signs 

Bring your French dictionary to Jersey. 

French was the official language here 

until the 1960s. You’ll still see it on 

many road signs, placenames and 

buildings. PS. We drive on the left. 

Fortress Jersey 

Jersey was occupied by the Germans 

during World War Two. They spent a 

small – make that large – fortune 

defending the island. Ghostly remains 

in the shape of gun emplacements, 

towers and tunnels serve as gripping 

reminders of those dark days. We 

shouldn’t ignore them – they’re part 

of an episode with a happy ending that 

reinforced Jersey’s island identity. 

Jersey Black Butter 

No, it’s not butter. This version, La Niere Buerre, is 

made from apples, cider, lemons, treacle, liquorice, sugar, 

mixed spice and cinnamon. It’s a harvest tradition that 

goes back hundreds of years. Buy it as a preserve and 

spread it on hot buttered toast, a warm croissant or a 

fresh scone with cream. Delicious! 

Squirrel Sanctuary 

We like our 

squirrels in Jersey. 

Perhaps that’s 

because they’re red 

as opposed to the 

pesky grey variety. 

Red squirrels haven’t 

looked back since they were introduced to 

the island in 1885. Slow down and you’ll see 

them scurrying amongst the trees and 

woodland glades. 

Beach Cafés 

Remember the bucket-and-spade 

beach cafés and kiosks of old? 

They’re alive and well and thriving in 

Jersey. Wholesome, freshly 

prepared meals and snacks are a 

local speciality – and the 

seafood, as you’d expect, is as 

fresh as it gets. 

Witches’ Seat 

Look out for stones jutting 

out from the gables of 

some of the older houses in 

Jersey. They’re seats for 

passing witches. Islanders 

believed that by providing rest 

halts for flying sorcerers they’d 

avoid evil spells. 

Marriage Stone 

Traditional domestic 

buildings in Jersey 

sometimes wear their 

hearts on their sleeves. 

The ‘marriage stone’ is 

usually a lintel or large 

stone bearing the 

initials of husband and wife, with 

entwined hearts and a date. Just goes to 

show: there’s never been a good excuse 

for forgetting your anniversary. 


Festival Island 2008 

Throughout the year Jersey plays host to a wide variety of events embracing everything 

from music to motoring, countryside to culture. Here’s a taster of what’s happening in 2008. 

For the full picture go to: www.jersey.com/events 

29–30 March 

Spring Flower Show 

The Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural 

Society invite you to their springtime show, 

featuring displays, demonstrations and 

competitions. 

2–4 May 

Jersey Open Petanque Competition 

Join in the fun and test your skill. 

2–5 May 

Jersey MG Owners 

Club Spring Rally 

Every year more and more visiting cars attend 

this prestigious rally. An exciting annual event 

set against a beautiful island backdrop. 

9–11 May 

Liberation Festival 

Join islanders to celebrate the liberation from 

Occupying Forces during World War Two. 

Festival includes heritage trails and access to 

war bunkers not normally open to the public. 

‘Liberation Day’ falls on Friday 9th May when 

there will be a commemorative service and 

islanders will celebrate freedom, reconciliation 

and prosperity with an afternoon tea dance 

and food fair. 

17 May 

Gorey Fête de la Mer 

Set in the shadow of magnificent Mont 

Orgueil Castle, Gorey serves up an array of 

traditional sea food, with alfresco dining and 

entertainment along the waterfront. 

17–24 May 

Spring Walking Week 

Discover an island heritage and explore 

Jersey’s natural beauty in a series of free 

guided walks designed for all ages and levels 

of experience. 


18–25 May 

World Jersey Cattle Bureau 

Conference 

Fascinated by the Jersey Cow and the island’s 

rich farming history? Meet the global 

members of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau 

and accompany them on all or part of their 

conference. Learn about the heritage and 

development of this famous breed through 

a series of farm visits, tours and formal 

conference sessions. 

24–26 May 

Foire de Jersey 

Jersey’s traditional country fayre combines 

with the Jersey Rose and Flower Show and 

Island Spring Cattle Show to provide 

entertainment for all the family. Activities 

include a craft show, ring events, food tasting, 

traditional country games and floral displays. 

6–8 June 

Jersey Festival of Motoring 

Sprints, hill climbs, treasure hunts, cavalcades 

and static displays give participants and 

spectators the opportunity to come together 

in an extravaganza of motoring from 

yesteryear. 

15 June 

Dawn Chorus 

Enjoy a concert in the east of the island 

overlooking the sea as the sun rises, then join 

your guide on an early morning walk listening 

to the birdsong. 

20 June 

Solstice Celebration 

Join islanders on a procession to the sea and 

see the Wicker Man burn on the beach as 

part of the solstice celebration. 

21 June 

Itex ‘Around Island’ Walk 

Covering 48 miles, this annual event attracts 

both local and visiting walkers, raising funds 

for Jersey charities. Walkers can expect to 

complete the course in anything between 

12 to 21 hours. 

21–22 June 

Samarès Summer 

Festival and Jersey Rose Show 

Join Samarès Manor and The Jersey Rosarians 

for this summer festival and spectacle of 

colour and fragrance in the manor’s beautiful 

grounds. Includes displays, demonstrations, 

horticultural trade stands and traditional crafts. 

27 June 

Sunset Concert 

Bring a picnic and a bottle of champagne 

and enjoy an evening concert alfresco at the 

magical Dolmen de Grantez as you watch the 

sun set over St Ouen’s Bay. 

5–6 July 

‘Out of the Blue’ Maritime Festival 

A spectacular maritime extravaganza around 

St Helier harbour – street theatre, alfresco 

food fair, boat trips and sea shanties. Visiting 

Norman traders from nearby France will be 

selling soupe de poisson, crêpes, calvados and 

other ‘fruits of the sea’. 

12–13 July 

West Show 

This biannual country show takes place in the 

country Parish of St Peter and features rural 

exhibits, craft stalls, demonstrations and food 

tastings associated with a traditional country 

‘fayre’. Visitors will also be introduced to the 

island’s most famous residents – the beautiful 

Jersey Cow. 

14–15 August 

Battle of Flowers Carnival 

One of the most spectacular carnivals in 

Europe. Enjoy flower-festooned floats, 

musicians, dancers and entertainers, all 

creating a tremendous atmosphere for one of 

the highlights in Jersey’s summer calendar. 

21 August 

Gorey Fête 

Family fun, beach events, yard of ale and 

spaghetti eating competitions, and alfresco 

eating all day in a picturesque harbour setting. 

30–31 August 

Jersey Live Music Festival 

A full line up of cutting-edge international 

and UK acts at the biggest little ‘Indie Rock’ 

festival in the British Isles. 

5–7 September 

Jersey Regatta 

The island’s ‘flagship’ sailing event celebrates 

its 10th year and welcomes visiting yachts 

from the UK, Channel Islands and France. 

St Aubin’s Bay, the dedicated sailing area, will 

offer a full programme of races for dinghies, 

beach catamarans, sports boats and racer/ 

cruising yachts. 

11 September 

International Air Display 

The skies above Jersey come alive to the 

sights and sounds of one of the largest free 

air displays in Europe. 

13–20 September 

Autumn Walking Week 

Experience Jersey’s wonderful autumnal 

colours and join in a full and free programme 

of unique countryside, coastal and historical 

walks with some of the island’s most 

experienced guides. Highlight of the week is 

the ‘Around Island Walk’. 

14 September 

Canine ‘Come Dancing’ Tournament 

Participants and supporters from across 

Europe return to Jersey for canine 

competitions and displays throughout the day. 

22 September 

Fête des Dolmens 

Island-wide tour of archaeological sites. 

Hop on the special dolmen bus and take a 

trip back 6,000 years to visit Jersey’s 

ancient ritual sites. 


All at 

Sea 

You can always rely on the good old 

BBC. About a week before The Other 

Half and I were due to travel to 

Jersey, Neil Oliver and the Coast team 

popped up on the TV with a Channel Islands 

special and a taste of what we might 

expect. We were intrigued. Unlike Neil, 

however, a quick, greased-up cross-Channel 

training swim was not on our agenda! 

We had lined up plenty of other activities. 

The two of us love the outdoor life. So, 

whilst soaking up the commanding and 

expansive views overlooking St Aubin’s Bay 

from the balcony of the lovely Cristina 

Hotel, we planned how to best use every 

precious, fresh-air filled hour on this jewel 

of an island. 

Helmets on, legs pumping, we were soon 

travelling by bike. Sure, Jersey’s narrow 

hedge-framed roads are easy to drive 

around. But nothing beats the wind-blown 

freedom of gambolling along under your 

own steam. In fact, we travelled ‘in the 

tracks of steam’, crunching through the 

gears along the old railway line that once 

ran from St Helier to La Corbière, linking 

the wide, breezy promenade along St 

Aubin’s Bay to the rocky south-western 

corner of the island. 

If you’ve ever battled your way around 

London on a bicycle, or indeed any major 

city, you’ll certainly appreciate the nonaggressive, 

stress-free riding available in 

Jersey. You’ll find a large network of 

designated ‘Green Lanes’ where vehicular 

traffic is restricted to a maximum of 

15mph. What a joy. Ken Livingstone, 

please take note. 

As you pedal along, meandering through 

lanes and pretty villages, there’s plenty of 

time to muse on Jersey’s old Norman- 

French placenames and road signs. It all 

adds up to an appealing mixture of British 

home-from-home certainties and 

stimulating continental sophistication. 

The variety and quality of the food here 

underlines this happy cultural co-existence. 

Once you reach the end of the old railway 

line, you’re rewarded by views of Corbière 

Lighthouse, one of Jersey’s most 

recognisable and photographed spots. When 

we arrived the narrow causeway out to the 

lighthouse was semi-submerged, waiting for 

low tide to link it once more to the island. It 

was a sight that gave us our first indication 

of the extraordinary tidal range around 

Jersey, something that we would experience 

for ourselves over the following days. 

Huge 40ft tides – that’s about 13m – 

make Jersey’s coastline a constantly 

expanding and contracting wonderland, to 

be enjoyed and explored, but only with 

caution and respect for the power of the 

sea. Fortunately when we took to the water 

we were in the hands of an expert, the 

dynamic Derek Hairon who runs Jersey 

Kayak Adventures. A paddling Pied Piper, 

Derek guided us through one of the most 

memorable days I’ve ever spent anywhere 

in the world. 

KAYAKING TO LES ECREHOUS ISLANDS 

BBC TV sports reporter Hazel Irvine isn’t the kind of girl 

who likes to sit still. With her equally energetic Other Half, 

she spent an action-packed weekend in Jersey. It almost 

wore her out… 


All at 

Sea 

WATCHING THE WILDLIFE LANDING ON LES ECREHOUS JERSEY FLAG 

Leaving the breakwater at St Catherine on a 

sunny, flat-calm early morning we powered 

away on board our ‘mothership’, Equinox, a 

large RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) with Captain 

Dean at the wheel. We were bound for Les 

Ecrehous, a granite reef six miles off the 

north-east coast. So special is this place that 

I’m almost afraid to say too much about it 

lest it becomes overrun with visitors and 

loses its magic. 

What a weird and wonderful sight these 

tiny islands are. At high tide all that’s visible 

of Les Ecrehous are a handful of rocky 

outcrops defiantly sitting above the water 

line. Upon them nestle a score of small 

huts, some of simple grey stone, others 

whitewashed. They were once fishermen’s 

refuges, which have been passed down 

through generations of families. Now 

they’re used as the ultimate in getaway 

holiday cabins. The scene reminded me of a 

curious collection of Monopoly houses and 

hotels… perched on a bit of real estate that 

money just can’t buy. 


At low tide, things get even better. The 

surface area of the islands expands by 

around 80% as the sea drains away to 

reveal a stony, lunar-style landscape and 

spectacular crescent-shaped shingle bank. 

We unloaded our kayaks from the RIB and 

settled into our sturdy, buoyant little crafts. 

With paddle in hand, we began to explore 

the ever-rising and falling waters around 

the reef. The Other Half and I are hardly 

Olympic kayaking material but this kind of 

waterborne adventuring was, whilst at 

times energetic, surprisingly straightforward 

and very relaxing. Pushing through the 

crystal-clear water I was struck by how 

peaceful a place this is. 

Catching the swooping cries of curlews and 

oystercatchers, we paddled along the socalled 

‘Suez Canal’ between islands that 

bear names such as La Marmotiere and Le 

Blianque Île. We peered down into the 

lagoons. Below us long strands of black 

bootlace weed and fronds of pink feathery 

Sargassum were languidly going with the 

flow of the outgoing tide. 

Les Ecrehous lies within virtual touching 

distance of the French mainland. Indeed 

fishermen and some French militants 

famously mounted a mini-invasion of the 

islands one morning in 1994, determined 

to wrest them from British sovereignty. 

They gave up on the idea around lunchtime, 

ate and went home. 

Happily this place still feels like a treasured 

secret that is shared only by those ‘in-theknow’ 

from the two nations. Indeed there 

were as many Tricolours as Union Jacks flying 

from the handful of vessels anchored in the 

main lagoon that balmy Saturday afternoon. 

After beaching the kayaks on the main 

island we enjoyed a well-earned picnic lunch 

on the shingle beach and wandered around 

on (then) dry land. Moving up and amongst 

the little huddle of huts on La Marmotiere 

we came to a tiny main square. A wall still 

bears the official Jersey States ‘Customs 

House’ sign sculpted into the stone. 

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would 

feel like to be stranded there at high tide in 

an English Channel storm with the waters 

rising rapidly around you. A little 

disconcerting, I shouldn’t wonder. Indeed, 

as Derek regaled us with tales about the 

islands, I could empathise with one poor 

fellow who’d had to lash himself to the 

outside of his hut for survival during a 

particularly nasty night. 

Fortunately for us the warm, serene 

conditions continued as we mounted an 

afternoon assault in our kayaks on the now 

incoming tide. With Derek’s tuition, we were 

able to see the outer reaches of the reef by 

forcing our way across much faster-running 

streams of rushing, incoming water. Then, 

as we circumnavigated the smaller outcrops 

that poked above the tide, several large 

seals magically played cat-and-mouse with 

us as we paddled. 

‘What a weird and wonderful sight these tiny islands are. 

At high tide all that’s visible of Les Ecrehous are a handful 

of rocky outcrops defiantly sitting above the water line.’ 

All too soon it was time leave this magical 

place. As we loaded the kayaks onto 

Captain Dean’s sturdy ‘mothership’ the sea 

was already engulfing the islands as quickly 

as it had deserted them. Les Ecrehous really 

do stir the imagination. And sitting just a 

few inches above the water on a kayak is 

surely the best way to experience this 

amazing archipelago. 

In truth, there’s a huge range of outdoor 

pursuits available in Jersey that will fire your 

adrenaline and get the blood pumping. On 

the vast expanse of white sand at St Ouen’s 

Bay we sat down for a while – a little jaded 

by this point, I confess – and watched 

scores of wet-suited surfers as they soaked 

up the sun and the swell. It was a cool, 

energetic 21st-century Jersey twist on 

buckets, spades and knotted handkerchiefs. 

We did summon enough energy to squeeze 

in a quick and pleasant nine holes of golf at 

Wheatlands Golf Course, a venue opened by 

former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam. 

LES ECREHOUS, OFF JERSEY’S NORTH-EAST COAST 

(We’re already formulating plans to come 

back and play the island’s other six courses.) 

Then, there was just enough time for a last 

exhilarating blast of salty sea air on board 

yachtmaster Peter Carnegie’s stunning 42ft 

ocean-going craft, Caprice. Our skipper for 

a four-hour trip off the southern coast of 

Jersey was the amiable Mark Tucker and his 

crew James. Although I was a little nervous 

about taking the helm – Caprice is, after 

all, a splendid and rather expensive vessel – 

Mark patiently showed me the ropes and I 

found myself at the wheel as the yacht 

reached out and tilted into a robust wind. 

What a thrilling feeling it was, our mainsail 

gripped and taut, as we surged through the 

waves at a healthy eight knots. 

Talk about a dynamic weekend! The Other 

Half and I are already carbo-loading in 

preparation for a return visit… 



An Action-Packed 

Weekend 

Hazel Irvine and her partner stayed at 

Hotel Cristina, Mont Felard, St Aubin’s 

Bay, Jersey JE3 1JA. It’s very 

comfortable and friendly, with beautiful 

terraces and stunning views overlooking 

the bay. 

Tel 01534 758024 

www.dolanhotels.com 

They Went Offshore with: 

Jersey Kayak Adventures, St Clement 

Tel 01534 853138 or 07797 

853033 

www.jerseykayakadventures.co.uk 

Jersey Sailing 

Tel 01534 851983 or 07797 

729240 

www.jerseysailing.com 

They Played Golf at: 

Wheatlands Golf Course, St Peter 

Tel 01534 888877 

www.wheatlandsjersey.com 

They Hired Bikes from: 

Zebra Cycles 

Tel 01534 736556 

www.zebrahire.com 


Outdoor Active 

There’s a huge range of activities on offer in Jersey. It’s an outdoor 

kind of place, with good weather, big beaches, great surf and inviting 

seas. And inland, you can go cycling, play golf or get to grips with 

adventure sports. We have included some samples from our all-action 

activities scene here. For the full picture go to: www.jersey.com 

Activity Operators 

Active Island Sports, St Brelade’s Bay 

Open All Year. 

Tel 07797 717564 

www.activeislandsports.com 

Adventures Unlimited, St Martin 

Open all year. 

Tel 01534 873074 or 07797 727503 

www.jerseyadventures.com 

Atlantic Waves School of Surfing, 

St Ouen’s Bay 

Open May–September. 

Tel 01534 744157 or 07797 718150 

email: atlanticlaneez@hotmail.com 

Conjuring Kites Kitesurfing School, 

St Helier 


Tel 01534 618548 or 07797 727207 

email: seakites@aol.com 

Extreme Jersey 


Tel: 07797 717564 & 07797 736411 

www.extremejersey.com 

Gorey Watersports, Grouville 

Open daily 10am–5pm July and August. 

Tel 07797 816528 

www.goreywatersports.com 

Jersey Aero Club, Airport, St Peter 


Tel 01534 743990 

www.jerseyaeroclub.com 

Jersey Karting, The Living Legend, St Peter 

Open March–November. 

Tel 01534 485855 

www.jerseyslivinglegend.co.je 

Jersey Kayak Adventures, St Clement 


Tel 01534 853138 or 07797 853033 

www.jerseykayakadventures.co.uk 

Jersey Odyssey 


Tel 01534 498636 or 07700 727430 

www.jerseyodyssey.co.uk 

Jersey Sea Sport Centre, La Haule Slip, 

by St Aubin’s Village 

Open 9am–5.30pm May–mid-September. 

Tel 07797 738180 

www.jerseyseasport.com 

Jersey Surf School, Watersplash, 

St Ouen’s Bay 

Open April–September. 

Tel 01534 484005 

www.cisurf.com 

Kite School Jersey 

Open April–October. 

Tel 01534 638888 

www.pureadventurejersey.com 

Pure Adventure, St Helier 


Tel 01534 638888 or 07797 721050 


Sand, Surf and Sail, St Ouen’s Bay 


Tel 01534 483707 

Skydive Jersey 

Open February–November. 

Tel 01534 747410 or 07797 737730 

www.skydivejersey.net 

Surf ’n’ Sun Watersports, St Brelade’s Bay 

Open May–September. 

Tel 07797 736411 

email: mackleys@jerseymail.co.uk 

Waterfront Watersports Centre, St Helier 

Open April–September. 

Tel 01534 638888 


Operators 

Active Island Sports ! ! ! 

Adventures Unlimited ! ! 

Atlantic Waves School ! 

Conjuring Kites School ! 

Extreme Jersey ! 

Gorey Watersports ! ! ! 

Jersey Aero Club ! 

Jersey Karting ! 

Jersey Kayak Adventures ! 

Jersey Odyssey ! ! ! ! ! ! 

Jersey Sea Sport Centre ! ! ! ! ! ! 

Jersey Surf School ! 

Kite School Jersey ! 

Pure Adventure ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

Skydive Jersey ! 

Sand, Surf & Sail ! 

Surf & Sun Watersports ! ! ! 

Hotel Cristina 

Surfing & Bodyboarding 

Jet Skiing 

Kitesurfing 

Wakeboarding 

Windsurfing 

Water Skiing 

Sea Kayaking 

Blokarting 

Visitors to the Hotel Cristina never fail 

to comment on the fantastic views 

from the balconies and terraces. 

Overlooking the vista of St Aubin’s Bay, 

the south-facing hotel offers hours of 

sunshine to be enjoyed in the lush 

gardens and outdoor heated pool in the 

hotel’s private grounds. Only a couple 

of minutes’ walk from the beach, and 

just a mile and a half from Jersey’s 

main town St Helier, the Cristina 

provides the perfect setting for guests 

to explore the island at their own pace. 

The bedrooms are stylishly furnished in 

a bright, modern style that is matched 

in the thriving brasserie-style Indigo 

Restaurant with a fresh, light menu 

that changes daily. 

Coasteering 

Rock Climbing & Abseiling 

Sky Diving 

Karting 

Flying 

Pure Adventure Centre 

Jersey’s newest attraction, based in a 

beautiful natural valley at Les Ormes 

Leisure Centre in St Brelade, is 

scheduled to open in May 2008. Its 

high-adrenaline features include an 

exciting high ropes course with three 

different height levels suitable for all the 

family. There’s also a 330ft ‘Big Zipper’ 

zip wire ride and 40ft vertical parachute 

descent. Other activities include a 

climbing and abseil tower, the ‘King 

Swing’, a low ropes/problem solving 

course, a military-style assault course, 

archery, raft building and orienteering. 

Tel 01534 638888 


Hotel Cristina 

Mont Felard 

St Aubin’s Bay 

Jersey JE3 8EF 

Tel 01534 712850 

Fax 01534 758028 

email: cristina@dolanhotels.com 

www.cristinajersey.com


Surfing Clubs 

Jersey Bodyboarding 

www.jerseybodyboarding.com 

Jersey Longboard Club 

www.jerseylongboarders.com 

Jersey Surfboard Club 

www.surfingjersey.net 

Dive Operators 

Bouley Bay Diving Centre 


Tel 01534 866990 

www.scubadivingjersey.com 

H2O Sports Ltd, St Helier 


Tel 01534 880934 or 07797 723941 

www.divejersey.co.uk 

Jersey Sub Aqua Club, St Helier 


www.jsac.org.uk 

TT Divers, St Lawrence 


Tel 07797 783183 

www.ttdivers.co.uk 


Sailing, Fishing and Boat Charters 

Anna II Fishing Trips, St Helier 

Available all year. 

Tel 01534 888552 or 07797 725301 

www.fishingjersey.co.uk 

Channel Charter, St Helier 

Available all year. 

Tel 07797 761902 or 07797 728099 

www.channelcharter.com 

Island RIB Voyages, St Helier 


Tel 01534 638888 


JerseySailing.com 


Tel 01534 851983 or 07797 729240 

www.jerseysailing.com 

Ocean Discoveries, St Helier 


Tel 07797 742338 

www.oceandiscoveries.co.uk 

Raleigh Sailing 


Tel 01534 607910 or 07797 734303 

www.raleighsailing.com 

South Coast Cruises, St Helier 

Open April–October. 

Tel 01534 732466 

www.jerseycruises.com 

Stay and Sail, Trinity 


Tel 01534 869075 or 07797 820701 

www.jerseystayandsail.co.uk 

Tarka Sea Trips, St Clement’s 


Tel 01534 858046 or 07797 728316 

www.tarkaseatrips.com 

Visiting Yachtsmen 

The island’s three yacht clubs all extend a 

big welcome to visiting yachtsmen. 

The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club, 

St Aubin 

Tel 01534 741023 

email: rciyc@localdial.com 

St Catherine’s Sailing Club, St Martin 

Tel 01534 857741 

www.scsc.org.je 

More yachting information overleaf R 

Drive to Jersey Four days away from just £149 

Take your car by CONDOR FERRIES from Weymouth or Poole and enjoy Jersey at its peaceful best. 

You’ll like the prices too – for example, four days away from just £149, and that includes taking your 

car FREE and a FREE hotel night. Taking your car gives you a door to door service, and you can pack as 

MUCH as you want. Just one call or click will book it all – stay from two nights to as long as you like. 

Condorbreaks include: 

© Return Fast Ferry crossings including 

your car 

© Sharing a twin or double room at your 

choice of 15 hotels – with breakfast 

© Jersey Parking Pack 

© Condorbreaks holiday information pack 

and island map 

Prices are per person based on a minimum 

of two adults. Free nights are based on 

B&B only. Room upgrades and dinner 

supplements apply to the full duration. 

Book with Confidence ABTA V1290. 

Here are just two of the 15 Jersey 

Breakaway hotels. See our website 

for the full selection. 

SHAKESPEARE St Clement ★★★ 

The most southerly hotel in the British Isles, only two miles from 

St Helier, faces the sea and enjoys views along the south coast 

and across to France • Award winning restaurant offering table 

d'hote and à la carte menus • Private access to beach • Sun 

lounge and two sea-facing bars overlooking the patio • Weekly 

Manager's reception • Lift • Car park 

ADDED VALUE FREE NIGHTS AS INDICATED 

Prices in £pp based on commencement date 

HOL COMM DATE 2 NTS 3 NTS 4 NTS EX NT 

UP TO 15 MAR 149 149 179 33 

16 MAR - 21 APR 155 179 179 33 

22 APR - 23 MAY 165 195 195 37 

SUPPLEMENTS (PPPN): DINNER £10, SEA VIEW £5 

L’HORIZON St Brelade ★★★★ 

Ideally situated alongside the sandy beach, this first class hotel is 

renowned for its traditional service and superb cuisine where 

there is a choice of three restaurants • Leisure club comprising 

indoor pool, saunas, Jacuzzi, steam rooms and mini-gym • Beauty 

salon (extra cost) • Elegant lounges • Sun terrace with stunning 

sea views • 24-hour room service • Lift • Car park 

ADDED VALUE FREE NIGHTS AS INDICATED 

Prices in £pp based on commencement date 

HOL COMM DATE 2 NTS 3 NTS 4 NTS EX NT 

UP TO 15 MAR 209 209 269 65 

16 MAR - 23 APR 219 219 279 66 

24 APR - 23 MAY 265 345 345 87 

SUPPLEMENTS (PPPN): DINNER £24, OCEAN VIEW £35 

Click on to book – or call 0845 60 33 121


St Helier Yacht Club, South Pier 

Tel 01534 721307 

www.shyc.je 

Harbour Information 

St Helier has three modern well-equipped 

marinas catering for a wide range of craft. 

St Helier Marina is Jersey’s main visiting 

marina, with berthing for up to 200 visiting 

yachts, accessible three hours each side of 

high water. Elizabeth Marina is the island’s 

newest marina with 564 berths ranging 

from 20ft to 65ft. Available to nonresidents 

on one-, five- and ten-year 

leases. La Collette Basin is Jersey’s deepwater 

marina with access at all states of 

the tide. 

Jersey Harbours, Maritime House, St Helier 

Tel 01534 885588 

www.jersey-harbours.com 

Fishing 

Jersey’s coastline offers excellent shore 

fishing from rocks, harbours and 

breakwaters. And the island’s huge tidal 

range brings a kaleidoscope of marine life. 

There are rich fishing grounds in the inshore 

waters too, and boat charter is easy to 

arrange. For freshwater anglers, there’s 

good reservoir fly-fishing for trout. Val de 

la Mare and Queen’s Valley reservoirs are 


set aside for game fishing and coarse 

anglers can fish at Dannemarche and 

Millbrook reservoirs. The season runs from 

June 1st to March 31st. For further 

information contact the Jersey Freshwater 

Angling Association (tel 01534 861083 

evenings; email: jffa@jerseymail.co.uk). 

For the full picture go to: 

www.jersey.com/fishing 

Golf 

It’s advisable to book at all courses to 

avoid disappointment. Please check with 

individual clubs about hiring of equipment 

and dress code. 

Jersey Recreation Grounds, St Clement 

Nine-hole course with par three and four 

holes. Other facilities include putting 

green, crazy golf, bowls, boules, tennis 

and restaurant. 

Tel 01534 721938 

Longueville Golf Range, St Clement 

Golf range with 25 bays. Tuition and club 

hire available. 

Tel 01534 519922 

Les Mielles Golf and Country Club, 

St Ouen 

Eighteen-hole golf course with shop, 

clubhouse bar and restaurant. Separate 

driving range and activity centre including 

miniature golf and laser clay pigeon shooting. 

Tel 01534 482787 

www.lesmielles.com 

La Moye Golf Club, St Brelade 

This 18-hole links type course of over 

6,500 yards presents a good challenge for 

golfers of all handicaps. Features large sand 

hills, pot bunkers, gorse bushes and 

punishing rough. 

Tel 01534 743401 

www.lamoyegolfclub.co.uk 

Les Ormes Golf and Leisure Village, 

St Peter 

Facilities include a 17-bay covered driving 

range with automatic pop-up tees, practice 

green and bunker. Also a golf and tennis 

shop, fitness centre, bar/restaurant. 

Tel 01534 497000 

www.lesormes.je 

Royal Jersey Golf Club, Grouville 

The oldest established golf club in Jersey, 

with a challenging 18-hole course. Visitors 

are welcome 10am–12noon and 

2pm–4pm, Monday–Friday, and after 

2.30pm on weekends. 

Tel 01534 854416 

Golden Sands 

Wheatlands Golf Course, St Peter 

Nine-hole golf course established in 1994 

and officially opened by former Ryder Cup 

Captain Ian Woosnam. Visiting golfers 

welcome and may compete in ‘open 

competitions’ every Thursday May– 

September. 

Tel 01534 888877 

www.wheatlandsjersey.com 

Cycling 

Jersey is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets, 

with around 350 miles of roads, byways 

and lanes to explore. Pedalling is pure 

pleasure – especially on those peaceful 

Green Lanes and the island’s 96-mile 

signposted cycle network. For such a small 

island there’s also a surprising number of 

excellent bike shops stocking masses of 

accessories, clothing and spare parts. Most 

shops can also repair or service your bike. 

Cycle hire is also available. For more details 

visit: www.jersey.com/cycling 

Bringing Your Own Bike 

Jersey Tourism has details of establishments 

that have cycle racks or a safe and secure 

For beach-lovers, the Golden Sands 

enjoys one of the finest locations of 

any hotel in Jersey. Its prime spot in the 

centre of St Brelade’s Bay makes the 

most of Jersey’s sunshine and warm 

climate, with the shaded crescentshaped 

sands being perfect for families 

and bathers of all ages, as well as the 

more active who can enjoy volleyball 

and a range of water sports. With 

panoramic sea views and the gentle 

sound of the waves, the Golden Sands 

is great for those who want direct 

access to the beach. The comfortable 

rooms, most boasting balconies and sea 

views, are well designed and, with a 

flexible friendly approach, the hotel is 

also perfect for families 

alternative. Please check with your airline 

before booking to make sure that they will 

carry your bike. 

Condor Ferries take bicycles free of charge 

Tel 0870 243 5140 

www.condorferries.com 

Cycle Hire 

Jersey Cycletours, St Aubin 

Tel 01534 746780 or 07797 775124 

email: jerseycycletours@yahoo.co.uk 

Zebra Cycles, St Helier 

Tel 01534 736556 


Cycling Publications 

Please see page 59 for more details. 

Golden Sands Hotel 

La Route de la Baie 

St Brelade’s Bay 

Jersey JE3 8EF 

Tel 01534 491058 

Fax 01534 499366 

email: goldensands@dolanhotels.com 

www.goldensandsjersey.com

The Car-Free 

Challenge 

GRÈVE DE LECQ 

SEE THE ISLAND BY BUS ST AUBIN ST BRELADE’S BAY 

How easy is it to get around Jersey the by bus? Roger Thomas, whose previous 

experiences of public transport left him lukewarm to the idea, finds out. 

They mightn’t go down Jersey’s 

specially designated ‘Green Lanes’ – 

those narrow country roads where 

traffic is discouraged and walkers and 

cyclists are welcomed – but the island’s 

‘green’ transport network gets you just 

about everywhere else. I’m talking about 

the pale-blue (should that be green?) 

Connex buses you see everywhere in 

Jersey. And I mean everywhere. 

It came as something of a culture shock. I 

live in a part of the UK where buses are so 

rare they’re on the endangered species list 

and trains are about as reliable as a 

politician’s promise. Then, on my first visit 

to the island, I took a drive out to the 

island’s rugged north coast, a peaceful area 

lightly populated by scattered hamlets and 

small villages. To my amazement I saw at 

least five buses before giving up the count. 

They obviously work well for the locals. But 

are they a feasible way of getting around the 

island for visitors? Do they take you to 

where you want to go? And do you still need 

a car? I decided to road test the system. 

10.15am, St Helier 

I buy an Island Explorer unlimited travel day 

ticket and set off on the ‘blue’ route. A 

quick word of explanation is needed here. 

Jersey is latticed with bus routes. The 

Island Explorer scheme, aimed at visitors, 

rationalises most of them into four 

interconnecting services designated blue, 

red, yellow and green. These also link up 

with more local, ‘off-piste’ routes to 

obscure nooks and crannies, giving – 

theoretically – impressive pan-island 

coverage. I’m about to find out how it all 

works on the ground – or rather in the bus. 

There’s not a seat to be found on the bus as 

we drive west along St Aubin’s Bay then up 

over the wooded headland to St Brelade’s 

Bay, a smaller version of St Aubin’s. The 

sands at sheltered, south-facing St 

Brelade’s curl round in a delicious crescent 

and I can’t resist a walk on the beach. So I 

hop off the bus and do just that, followed 

by a cappuccino on the terrace of a beach 

café in the morning sun. 

11.34am, St Brelade’s Bay 

Here’s the next bus, right on time. This is 

already turning into a grand sightseeing 

tour of Jersey’s iconic sites as the bus does 

a little loop of the Corbière peninsula taking 

in the famous lighthouse (and, as if stagemanaged 

by Jersey Tourism, some caramelcoloured 

Jersey cows munching 

contentedly in the fields), before running 

alongside St Ouen’s Bay. As we drive along 

its vast, west-facing beach I have 

grandstand views of dunes to my right and 

kitesurfers skipping over the waves to my 

left. Some passengers get off at Jersey 

Pearl, a popular out-of-town shopping 

destination. I stay on board until we reach 

Grève de Lecq on the north coast. I’ve an 

hour to wait for the next bus, and I can’t 

think of a better place on the island in 

which to while away 60 minutes. 

Grève de Lecq is impossibly pretty. It ticks 

all the seaside boxes for me – a quayside, 

rich red sands, swooping green headland, 

more of those delightful Jersey beach cafés 

and – as a bonus for all classic machinery 

freaks (me included) – a collection of 

ancient tractors in various shades of rust 

and red, still going strong hauling fishing 

boats off the beach. 

There’s another bonus too. By accident I’ve 

stumbled across a refreshment stop for the 

annual around-island charity walk that 

started in St Helier at 3am. It’s 48 miles in 

total and Grève de Lecq is just over halfway. 

‘My knees are starting to play up and I’ve 

got a few blisters,’ says one remarkably 

upbeat participant. Like the rest, she was 

determined to make the finish at 8pm. 

1.17pm, Grève de Lecq 

Confusion and commotion! The timetable 

isn’t that difficult to fathom but the arrival 

of a few buses close together has sent 

some Island Explorers into a spin. Our bus 

driver cheerily reassures worried 

passengers. ‘Would anyone else like me to 

plan their holiday?’ he asks with a grin. ‘I 

thought you’d have this all worked out 

before you got on the bus.’ 


The Car-Free 

Challenge 

We’re plunged into Jersey’s Arcadian woods 

and hidden valleys on a cross-island route 

back to St Helier, but I depart the blue 

route at The Living Legend – a major, 

multi-faceted attraction – to connect up 

with the yellow route eastwards. 

1.45pm, The Living Legend 

Just a few minutes to wait before the bus 

arrives. I get talking to Helen Akitt from 

High Wycombe. She’s proof positive that 

you don’t need a car in Jersey. ‘I got a bus 

from the airport. There’s a lot to see in a 

small space but I’ve been very favourably 

impressed by public transport. There’s 

plenty of it.’ 

Helen is being more creative with the 

timetable than me, venturing off the four 

coloured routes by using those truly offthe-beaten-track 

local bus services that 

plumb into the major network, taking her to 

AL FRESCO DINING AT GOREY DURRELL WILDLIFE 

locations where she can pick up stretches 

of Jersey’s spectacular coastal footpath. 

And she’s not alone. Her experiences are 

echoed by a group from Leicester staying 

near St Helier. ‘It’s been a life-saver for us. 

We’re keen walkers and have used the 

service every day. The drivers are so polite 

and helpful and it all links up very well, 

including the attractions.’ 

It’s true. I’m also impressed by the way the 

various routes take in all the island’s big 

attractions – and some smaller places to 

visit too. Next stop, for example, is La Mare 

Vineyards followed by Jersey Gold then – 

the doyen of them all – Durrell Wildlife. We 

arrive here at 2.20pm, the end of the line 

for the yellow route. 

I’ve visited this world-class conservation 

project a few times before but everyone else 

on the bus makes a bee-line for the gorillas, 

orang-utans and other endangered species 

who live here in realistic, non-zoo like settings. 

2.35pm, Durrell Wildlife 

Time to go green and link into the green 

route that loops around the east coast of 

the island. The bus is packed with visitors 

returning from Durrell – and, like Durrell’s 

inhabitants, we’re a truly cosmopolitan 

bunch. There’s a mix of British, Dutch, 

Japanese, French and Americans, young and 

old, all gabbing away happily as the bus 

stops at La Hougue Bie. 

Again, I’ve been lucky enough to visit this 

remarkable prehistoric site before. Forget 

Stonehenge, nowadays sadly cloistered 

away from the public. At La Hougue Bie you 

can still touch and explore, having a close 

encounter with the ancient stones that 

went into the construction of this passage 

grave buried at the base of a steep mound. 

Great Jersey Deals 

From Channel Islands Travel Service 

Book with the experts. We have 

over 25 years experience in 

arranging holidays to Jersey. 

We are the one-stop shop for all kinds of 

holidays and breaks in Jersey. We pride 

ourselves not just in our local knowledge 

but also our total flexibility. We can book 

your travel by air or sea plus accommodation 

as a package, or just flights or 

accommodation only. Plus we offer excellent 

value car hire and holiday insurance. 

‘It’s been a life-saver for us. 

We’re keen walkers and 

have used the service every 

day. The drivers are so 

polite and helpful and it all 

links up very well, including 

the attractions.’ 

I was tempted to get off the bus for 

another dose of magic and mystery, but 

had a date with Gorey. Gorey Pier and 

St Aubin are brother and sister, two 

picturesque little ports at opposite ends of 

the island. I still can’t make my mind up 

which one I like most, though Gorey does 

have an ace up its sleeve in the presence of 

Mont Orgueil Castle rearing its mighty head 

above the harbour. It has to be the most 

photographed place in Jersey. You’ve 

probably seen the pictures. 

Whether you want a luxury spa weekend, 

an activity break, a walking or cycling 

holiday or just want to relax, we can help. 

And our 2008 brochure is 

packed with great deals: 

• Special offers on car hire 

• Free night offers 

• Free evening meals 

Early booking is recommended if you want 

to take advantage of these great booking 

offers and the best possible travel prices. 

But my rendezvous was not – this time – 

with the castle. Gorey was throwing a 

party to celebrate its annual regatta day. 

The restaurant-lined quayside was serving 

even more food than usual, thanks to the 

addition of stalls selling everything from 

local oysters to jams and preserves, 

gambas to glasses of champagne. 

4.15pm, Gorey Pier 

I’m taking a leaf out of Helen Akitt’s book. 

Instead of returning to St Helier on the direct 

green route I’ve caught the ‘off-network’ 

local service that runs every half-hour back 

to the capital. Why? Because this route 

follows the coast all the way, giving 

commanding views of Jersey’s strange 

south-eastern shores (top tip: grab a window 

seat on the left-hand side of the bus). 

When the tide is out you can see miles of 

rock and reef. But Jersey’s massive tidal 

range – one of the highest in the world – 

means that twice a day this eerie expanse 

is submerged beneath the waves. I’ve 

timed it just right: the tide is out. 

Tel 01534 496666 

(open 7 days a week) 

Or go to www.jerseytravel.com/sg 

4.40pm, St Helier 

Back at base. I’ve always been sceptical 

about public transport. Truth be told, I’m a 

bit of a petrolhead at heart – like, I 

suspect, lots of you out there. I’ve always 

justified this love affair in terms of the lack 

of realistic alternatives. But when public 

transport does work I’ll admit that my 

relationship is on shakier ground. 

The Island Explorer was an eye-opener for 

me. It demonstrated what can be achieved 

when joined-up thinking leads to joined-up 

services. My particular trip was one of 

countless variations on a theme. So here’s 

some honest advice from a dedicated car 

man. Leave the keys at home, pick up a 

timetable, create your own tour of the 

island, and buy an Island Explorer. You’ll pay 

just £6 for the day ticket. That’s a bargain. 

No, make that a double bargain. Jersey’s 

unfathomable car parking rules will, along 

with the scenery, pass you by. 


Jerseyfile: Island Exploration 

WINE TASTING AT LA MARE ESTATE 

Getting around by Bus 

It’s simplicity itself to explore Jersey without a car. The island is 

small and well served with a network of bus routes that take you 

almost everywhere – to the big beaches in the south and west and 

the remoter north coast, as well as to most of the attractions and 

places to visit. 

The bus routes radiate from Liberation 

Station, Jubilee Wharf, St Helier’s brandnew 

bus station. Explorer tickets are 

available for one, three and five days, and 

most of the new fleet have easy access for 

wheelchair users. 

Island Explorer consists of four routes – 

red, blue, green and yellow – which run 

seven days a week from April to November 

inclusive. These are fully integrated with 

the scheduled Mybus network, allowing 

travel on both services using the same 

passes. Because of the full integration with 

the main network, Island Explorer buses 

serve all the stops along the various routes. 


Connex Buses 

Connex buses are the main carrier in Jersey. 

For further information, please contact: 

Connex Transport Jersey Ltd 

Tel 01534 877772 

www.mybus.je 

Coach Tours 

Island tours of Jersey are available for a 

morning, afternoon, evening or whole day. 

Full-day tours give an opportunity to get a 

real feel for the island. These leisurely, 

informative tours, starting in St Helier, 

include most of the island’s bays with 

refreshment and photo stops as well as lunch 

stops. The tours include visits to many local 

attractions, farms and gardens. A courtesy 

service operates from most hotels and 

pick-up points to connect with most tour 

departures from the main coach station. 

FUN AND GAMES AT THE AMAIZIN! MAZE 

Liberation Station 

The passenger hall at this all-new bus 

station provides an indoor area where you 

can wait until your bus is ready for 

boarding. It is equipped with seating, 

airport-style information display screens, a 

café and information desk. In the evenings, 

any services departing after 6.40pm will 

operate from the four pavement bays 

outside the station, where there is a 

covered waiting area for passengers. 

For more information, please contact: 

Tantivy Blue Coach Tours 

Tel 01534 706706 

www.jerseycoaches.com 

Waverley Coaches 

Tel 01534 758360 

Minibusdirect 

Tel 07797 758504 

www.jerseyminibus.com 

PAINTING AT GLAZE CRAZE, JERSEY POTTERY 

Great Days Out 

Another Jersey plus-point is the range and extent of its attractions 

and places to visit. The island’s internationally famous wildlife 

sanctuary is just the start of it all. Others include potteries and 

family parks, countryside centres and sports centres, castles 

and museums. 

aMaizin! Maze and Adventure Park, 

St Peter 

This award-winning attraction launches 

annually with aMaizin! Adventure Park, 

followed by aMaizin! Maze constructed 

entirely of the cereal crop maize, where 

puzzles and clues provide great family fun 

(maze only available during summer 

months). The popular aMaizin! Adventure 

Park offers many additional activities in a 

natural and safe environment. All activities 

and entertainment are included in the 

entrance fee. Maze and Adventure Park 

open April–September, Craft Centre open 

all year. 

Tel 01534 482116 

www.jerseyleisure.com 

Discovery Pier, Gorey Pier 

A place that brings Jersey’s fabulously rich 

marine ecology on shore for visitors to see 

for themselves. Wildlife of wrecks on DVD, 

interactive fun for youngsters, a working 

rock pool, record-breaking fish and how the 

tides work are just some of its fascinating 

features. Open daily until end of October. 

Tel 01534 617704 

www.gov.je/PlanningEnvironment/ 

Environment/ 

Durrell Wildlife, Trinity 

The international headquarters of the 

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, set 

amongst a peaceful 32 acres/13ha in the 

north-east of the island. It’s home to a 

world-famous animal sanctuary where you 

can see exotic and endangered species 

from across the globe. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 860000 

www.durrellwildlife.org 

Elizabeth Castle, St Helier 

Please see ‘History and Heritage’ Jerseyfile 

for details. 

Eric Young Orchid Foundation, Trinity 

Home to one of the world’s finest collections 

of orchids. There’s a scented, exotic 

recreation of orchid habitats and landscapes, 

along with climate-controlled nurseries in 

which many different species are grown. 

Open Wednesday–Saturday all year. 

Tel 01534 861963 

www.ericyoungorchidfoundation.com 

Hamptonne Country Life Museum, 

St Lawrence 


for details. 

La Hougue Bie, St Saviour 


for details. 

Jersey Goldsmiths and Lion Park, 

St Lawrence 

Please see ‘The Art of Life – Shopping’ 

Jerseyfile for details. 

Jersey Museum, St Helier 


for details. 

Jersey Pottery, Gorey 

A famous pottery and island attraction 

where you can see all stages of production 

from throwing to hand decoration by skilled 

artists. Personalise your own pottery at the 

‘Glaze Craze’, popular with adults and 

children alike. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 850850 


Jersey War Tunnels, St Lawrence 


for details. 

The Living Legend, St Peter 

Large adventure and leisure village – a very 

popular island attraction. Award-winning 

multi-media recreation of Jersey through 

the ages, two challenging 18-hole golf 

courses, go-karting track, craft and 

shopping village, outdoor play area plus a 

full programme of live entertainment. Open 

March–November. 

Tel 01534 485496 

www.jerseyslivinglegend.co.je 

More Places to Visit overleaf R 


Jerseyfile: Island Exploration 

La Mare Wine Estate, St Mary 

Established in 1972, La Mare gets better 

and better. A new £1½-million state-ofthe-art 

winery and distillery complex 

includes all-new visitor facilities and a new 

restaurant specialising in local food. Guided 

tours of the vineyards, winery, distillery and 

chocolate factory include wine and 

chocolate tasting. Miniature ponies and an 

adventure playground keep the children 

entertained. Open April–October 

(Christmas Shop open November and 

December). 

Tel 01534 481178 

www.lamarewineestates.com 

Maritime Museum, St Helier 


for details. 

Mont Orgueil Castle, Gorey 


for details. 

Pallot Steam, Motor and General Museum, 

Trinity 

Fascinating private collection of steam 

engines and other machinery. Display on 

Jersey Railways, steam and diesel train 

rides. Open daily (except Sundays) 

April–October. 

Tel 01534 865307 

wwww.pallotmuseum.co.uk 

Le Petit Train (departs from St Helier’s 

Liberation Square and St Aubin) 

Learn about Jersey’s history, fascinating 

facts and legends while travelling on this 

little train either around St Helier or to the 

harbour village of St Aubin. Runs 

April–October. 

Tel 07797 777199 

Samarès Manor, St Clement 

Beautiful historic house set in splendid 

gardens and grounds, with exotic 

specimens, herb garden and plant nursery. 

Craft demonstrations. For the children 

there are many animals to see – mules, 

Shetland ponies, sheep and donkeys. 

Open daily until mid-October. 

Tel 01534 870551 

www.samaresmanor.com 


SAMARÈS MANOR GARDENS 

Arts and Entertainment 

Jersey’s thriving arts, crafts and entertainments scene is guaranteed 

to add an extra dimension to your visit. Call in at galleries and 

potteries. Take in a show or some live music. 

Craftwork 

For details of craft shops and workshops 

please see the ‘Art of Life – Shopping’ 

Jerseyfile. 

Entertainment 

Fort Regent, St Helier 

Jersey’s largest entertainment venue. Fort 

Regent’s Gloucester Hall stages a great 

programme of events throughout the year. 

Tel 01534 449600 

www.gov.je/esc 

Jersey Arts Centre, St Helier 

Two theatres, an art gallery and café. 

Tel 01534 700400 

www.artscentre.je 

Jersey Opera House, St Helier 

A beautifully restored Edwardian theatre, 

the premier performance venue in the 

Channel Islands with a wide and diverse 

range of productions and entertainment. 

Tel 01534 511100 

www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk 

St James, St Helier 

This highly flexible and atmospheric church 

conversion is used for a wide range of 

community events, concerts, experimental 

work and conferences. 

Tel 01534 700400 

www.artscentre.je 

Jersey Goldsmiths 

Nothing prepares you for the incredible 

style of Jersey Goldsmiths at Lion Park. 

This modern and luxurious showroom 

features the largest collection of 

jewellery in Jersey, together with a host 

of special features and facilities that the 

family can enjoy throughout the year. 

Jersey Goldsmiths, Lion Park, St Lawrence, Jersey JE3 1GX 

Tel 01534 482098 Fax 01534 485183 

email: enquiries@jerseygoldsmiths.com www.jerseygoldsmiths.com 

JERSEY OPERA HOUSE 

AQUA SPLASH 

Whatever the Weather 

Swimming Pools 

Aqua Splash, Waterfront Centre, 

St Helier 

Leisure pool, lagoon, outdoor pool, 

children’s play area, flumes and slides. 


Tel 01534 734524 

Les Quennevais Sports Centre, 

St Brelade 

Swimming and sports activities. 


Tel 01534 490909 


Indoor Activities 

Fort Regent Leisure Centre, St Helier 

Originally a Napoleonic fortress dating 

from 1806, the centre is Jersey’s largest 

leisure and entertainment venue. A host 

Lion Park Events 

Events are held at Lion Park on a monthly 

basis throughout the year. 

Educational children's workshops run for 

Mother's Day and Father's Day, where the 

children make a selection of hand made cards 

and presents for their parents. 

The Big Golden Egg Hunt 

around the park for Easter 

is a huge success, with 

activities including egg 

and spoon races and the 

making of chick baskets. 

The Boat Club holds Boat Regattas across the 

freshwater lake and will be happy to show 

you the workings of these intricate machines. 

The annual 'Flower Power Festival' is held in 

August. This holistic art and craft fayre with a 

1960's hippie theme brings out all the love 

and peace in Jersey. 

Please check out the website and the tourist 

office for further details on forthcoming events. 

of sports and facilities, including 

badminton, indoor bowls, basketball, 

children’s play area. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 449600 


Jersey Bowl, St Peter’s 

18-lane bowling centre with automatic 

scoring. Quasar, video games and 

outdoor play area. Open all year. 

Tel 01534 490444 

www.jerseybowl.com 

Cinemas 

Cineworld Jersey, Waterfront, St Helier 

Tel 01534 756200 

www.cineworld.co.uk 

Forum Cinema, Bath Street, St Helier 

Tel 01534 871611 

www.forum.je 


Living the 

Life 

What’s it like to live in Jersey? We talk 

to people who tell us their stories 

and what the island means to them. 

Interviews by Andy Stansfield 

and Roger Thomas. 


Sean Faulkner 

Faulkner Fisheries 

At some point in your 

visit you will want to 

try one of Jersey’s splendid restaurants. 

There’s a fair chance that the seafood on the 

menu will be supplied by Faulkner Fisheries, 

based at L’Étacq at the northern end of St 

Ouen’s Bay. Proprietor Sean Faulkner has seawater 

running through his veins. The ocean 

and its bounty have played a major role in his 

life for as long as he can remember, 

Sean was brought up on this five-mile sandy 

bay on the west coast and recalls how his 

mother insisted that he went for a dip in the 

sea every day between May and September. 

Like many local people, he grew up gathering 

shellfish from the beach – it was not unusual 

for children to be told to go down to the 

beach to find their lunch! He spent seven 

years at sea on P&O cruise ships, returning 

in 1980 to start up a business on which he 

had been hooked since childhood. 

He started selling fish aged seven when he 

sold a conger eel to a local restaurant, soon 

to be followed by lobsters and spider crabs. 

At 13 he discovered that, by snorkelling 

from the beach, he could catch the much 

larger spider crabs found further out. By this 

time, the teenage entrepreneur was also 

using a boat to catch lobsters already 

pre-ordered by restaurants. 

As well as running the business, Sean also 

enjoys his leisure time at sea. He goes fishing 

for fun in his 13ft Orkney Spinner fishing 

boat, and is one of the many Jersey 

inhabitants addicted to the incoming swells 

of St Ouen’s Bay: ‘I love surfing – that bug 

bit me very young, too.’ 

But he loves nothing more than to take his 

second boat, a 36ft cruiser, out to the 

magical reefs of Les Ecrehous off the 

north-east coast with his wife Louise and 

their three children to see seals and dolphins 

and to collect shells. ‘These remote islets 

have gripped me since I was a child and now 

I’m introducing my children to that same 

feeling… they’re such a special place.’ 

LES ECREHOUS, SEAN’S FAVOURITE PLACE 


Living the 

Life 


Dr Lee Durrell 

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust 

Dr Lee Durrell has two 

passions in life – 

aeroplanes and animals, 

not necessarily in that 

order. They are not as 

mutually exclusive as you 

may think. An experienced pilot, she uses 

her twin-engined Navajo to transport 

animals to and from Jersey to sanctuaries 

around Europe for breeding purposes. 

By now, many of you will know where this 

is leading. The surname says it all. Durrell 

has become an island icon in Jersey along 

with the cows and potatoes. Lee was 

married to Gerald Durrell, the 

conservationist and author who founded 

the world-famous zoo on the island – 

though it’s not called that these days. 

‘Gerry was ahead of his time in so many 

ways,’ recalls Lee. ‘He was interested in 

conservation and bio-diversity long before 

they became fashionable.’ Gerald’s wildlife 

sanctuary in Jersey dates way back to 

1959. At first, it was a huge struggle, a 

hand-to-mouth enterprise run on a wing 

By the time he met Lee in the late 1970s 

the zoo had established itself on firmer 

ground. Lee, from Memphis, Tennessee, 

had only the sketchiest idea of what she 

was letting herself in for. ‘I thought the 

entire island was an animal sanctuary,’ she 

admits with a chuckle. 

When Gerald died in 1995, Lee – who has 

a PhD in animal behaviour – assumed his 

mantle of Honorary Director. She’s still heavily 

involved as Durrell Wildlife’s only permanent 

trustee, living ‘over the shop’ in an elegant 

17th-century farmhouse within the grounds, 

surrounded by a fascinating clutter of aviation 

memorabilia, Noah’s Ark figurines and 

artefacts from her world travels. 

So where now for Durrell – or to give it its full 

title, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust? 

‘What you see here is only the tip of the 

iceberg. The centre keeps us in the public eye 

– it’s a “window” on the work we do 

worldwide. It gives us the ability to get on 

with our mission of saving endangered 

species and to run things like our International 

Training Centre for people involved in animal 

conservation all over the world. 

and a prayer. If there’s one person who epitomises Jersey’s 

‘I don’t like using the word “zoo” these 

days. In Europe – but strangely not in 

America – it has negative connotations of 

animals cooped up in cages.’ 

It certainly doesn’t apply to Durrell, where, 

on a lush and lovely 31-acre site, great 

care and integrity have gone into 

replicating environments from the 

highlands and islands of the world such as 

the Andes and Madagascar. 

Lee still travels widely with her 

conservation work. But she’s firmly rooted 

in this small island. As she says, ‘I feel more 

at home here now than I do in America.’ 

Alastair Christie 

Jersey Lavender Farm 

Sadie Renard 

Islander Extraordinaire 

living heritage it’s Sadie Renard, best known 

as the semi-official singer of Jersey’s 

anthem for the last 12 years. But Sadie is 

also an organic dairy farmer with a pedigree 

herd of Jersey cattle, an ardent supporter of 

Jersey’s many ‘quirky customs’ as she 

describes them, and now works alternate 

weeks at Hamptonne Country Life Museum 

since giving up her job as a beautician, first 

with Dior and later with Chanel. 

Sadie was first asked to sing Beautiful 

Jersey in 1994 for the 50th anniversary 

celebrations of the island’s liberation. Since 

then her emotional rendition of the island’s 

anthem has become a regular fixture at 

many events. She’s also an active member 

of her local amateur dramatic society and 

regularly attends the theatre and opera. 

Born on Clairval Farm in the lush green 

Although born outside Jersey, Alastair 

Christie nevertheless has strong ties to the 

island. His great grandfather was a dairy 

farmer who moved here in 1918, the farm 

remaining in the family ever since. 

When Alastair’s parents inherited the farm in 

1983 they began growing lavender 

commercially. Fortuitously, Alastair worked 

as a chemist specialising in fragrances in 

England, so he was well equipped to take 

over the family business when his parents 

retired in 2002. 

He has no regrets about the change of 

lifestyle. ‘I’m very lucky to be doing this, I 

really am. I can wear shorts from May to 

September,’ he jokes. But he takes the 

business, the second largest lavender farm in 

the British Isles, very seriously – especially 

his commitment to ‘meet and greet’ the 

farm’s thousands of visitors each year. 

As well as lavender, Alastair grows rosemary, 

eucalyptus and bay laurel, but he sees the 

heart of the island, Sadie comes from a long 

line of ancestors with agricultural roots in 

Jersey. Her father was born on the farm too, 

and both her grandfather and greatgrandfather 

were horse dealers in the island, 

though their travels often took them to 

America. Sadie also has strong links with 

America, not least through her love of country 

music, which resulted in her being made an 

honorary citizen of Tennessee in 1974. 

But her love of Jersey is what lights up her 

already exuberant personality when talking 

about the island and her favourite places. ‘I 

love it here. The countryside is unbeatable 

and the north coast is so wild and open.’ Her 

favourite spot, though, is St Catherine’s Bay 

on the east coast where she’s often found 

walking. Sadie’s a big fan of Jersey food too. 

She may be partisan, but few would argue 

with her when she says that the island has 

‘some of the best restaurants in the world’. 

business of looking after his visitors as being 

every bit as important as cultivating these 

popular herbs. 

Today the farm grows six different types of 

lavender, each flowering at a different time, 

which extends the scented ‘lavender 

window’ of the farm from mid-June to mid- 

August. Inevitably, some hybrids arise from 

keeping such a variety. One, exclusive to the 

farm and named Elizabeth prior to its launch 

at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show, is 

described as being ‘quite spectacular and 

excellent for drying.’ 

Although the flowering and harvesting season 

is quite short, Jersey Lavender is a year-round 

business with 50,000 plants to tend, their 

flowers to distil into essential oil, and a variety 

of lavender-based products to make for the 

farm shop. The café also uses lavender in 

some of its home-made treats. Fancy an 

iconic summer dish? Then Alastair’s lavender 

and strawberry gateau is Jersey’s answer to 

the West Country’s strawberries and cream.

so Accommodating 

MARY ANNE AT HOME IN EULAH COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL 

What’s the accommodation 

scene like in Jersey? Mary 

Anne Evans, Chairman of the 

British Guild of Travel Writers, 

knows a thing or two about 

hotels so we asked her to 

take a look. 

Ihadn’t been to Jersey before, so my 

expectations of the island, like many 

first-time visitors, were of the picturepostcard 

kind. Glorious sandy beaches and 

small, winding lanes; mellow stone manor 

houses and an intriguing history. So far, so 

good – Jersey has all of these. But what 

about accommodation? To be honest, I had 

envisaged a not-too-inspiring choice that 

ranged between faded country house hotel 

grandeur and the dowdy gentility of a 

seafront guest house. How wrong I was. 

While the world and I have been looking 

elsewhere, Jersey has upped the ante. 

What I discovered were sophisticated 

hotels, elegant guest houses and selfcatering 

with a distinctly individual – not to 

say unique – slant. 

I was in Jersey to test-run three very 

different places, chosen to give a broadly 

representative idea of how things have 

changed and what’s on offer here. I began, 

appropriately enough, beside the sea at 

The Atlantic Hotel. In name, location, 

architecture and atmosphere this is a hotel 

shaped by maritime influences. Built in 

grand 1930s ‘seaside marine’ style, it has 

recently been enlarged and remodelled, 

mixing classical and contemporary design. 

Colours are pale and cool, predominantly 

beige and blue, reflecting The Atlantic’s 

dramatic ocean setting. Acres of windows 

and glass doors flood the ground floor with 

light, making the most of the view 

overlooking St Ouen’s Bay, the vast stretch of 

surf and sand that fills Jersey’s west coast. 

Much of the furniture throughout the hotel 

is bespoke, designed and crafted locally, and 

there are plants and flowers everywhere. 

There’s a pretty, wood-panelled sitting 

room-cum-library with shelves full of books 

and games like Trivial Pursuit and chess for a 

rainy afternoon. The bar has a clubby feel – 

just the place for a good scotch. 

As the Channel Islands’ only member of the 

prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the 

World, The Atlantic takes its restaurant just 

as seriously. Chef Mark Jordan knows his 

local onions – or Jersey Royals in this case 

– and features locally caught sea bass, 

lobster and crab, island reared beef and 

lamb and those famous potatoes on his 

menus. He knows what he’s doing and has a 

Michelin star to prove it. 

This, you feel, is a hotel that has the 

balance of professionalism and warmth just 

right, due in no small measure to the fact 

that it has always been in private 

ownership. 

Next stop was Eulah Country House in St 

Helier. As I arrived, owner Frank Callaghan 

was looking up at a side gable. ‘It’s just like 

the Forth Bridge,’ he said, as he mentally 

totted what was needed to keep this 

generously proportioned, red-brick house 

in pristine shape. Eulah, built around 1906, 

was a damaged Edwardian gem when Frank 

bought it. Old photographs show rooms full 

of chased copper, splendid fireplaces and 

flowery tiles. But when Frank arrived on the 

scene in 1978, most of the original fittings 

had been ripped out or painted over and it 

took years of research, time and money to 

restore the old lady to her former 

flamboyant self. 

Five years ago he decided to turn Eulah 

House into an upmarket boutique hotel 

offering bed and breakfast in luxurious 

surroundings. In common with many other 

accommodation providers in Jersey, he 

realised that times had moved on and that 

there was a new generation of travellers 

out there with high expectations. 

54 pureJersey 1 book online at www.jersey.com 55 

THE ATLANTIC HOTEL

so 

Accommodating 

Eulah is warm, welcoming and restful – it’s 

the kind of place you slip into effortlessly. 

Everything is so well chosen and in tune 

with the character of the fine old building. 

Plush furnishings, bold colour schemes in 

dark reds, rich blues and striking greens 

predominate. Armchairs and sofas are made 

to sink into. Large beds are a mix of styles; 

one is a half-tester, another has a 

headboard in Versailles-style gilt. 

Eulah’s vast bathrooms have received the 

same bespoke touch. I could stand in my 

shower and look out to sea. But if you want 

something really different, ask for the fourposter 

bath. Eulah offers the kind of 

opulent living that’s a world away from 

those old notions of B&B. 

My last destination was a self-catering 

beach house. But being Jersey this wasn’t 

just any old beach house. In fact, the 

delightful Barge Aground looks exactly like 

its name: the holiday bungalow is shaped like 

a grounded boat, complete with portholes 

and flagpole. The only survivor of a 

collection of beach houses built in the 

1930s along St Ouen’s Bay, it’s now 

marooned in splendid isolation on the shore, 

causing confusion and amusement to 

passing travellers. It’s quirky and very Jersey. 

The front door opens into a spacious living 

room running the width of the building with 

light streaming in through portholes on 

both sides. Go to the stern end and you’ll 

find two bedrooms with bunk beds. For the 

kitchen and bathroom you’ll need to head 

for the prow. The single-storey building has 

been beautifully restored in pre-war style 

with wooden parquet floors and pretty 

chintz furnishings. Outside, steps lead 

down to the sea wall and beach. You fall 

asleep lulled by the sounds of the waves 

and wake up to the call of seagulls, so it’s 

almost like being on a bona fide boat. It’s a 

perfect place for families. 

Barge Aground is one of a collection of odd 

and historic buildings given a new lease of 

life by the Jersey Heritage Trust. Redundant 

coastal fortifications have been converted 

into self-catering accommodation with a 

difference – and with uniformly stunning sea 

views. The choice is wonderfully eccentric. 

There’s the former officers’ quarters in Grève 

de Lecq Barracks, for example, or an 

apartment in Elizabeth Castle, St Helier, that 

gets cut off at high tide. If you really want to 

play king of the castle book yourself into one 

of the historic forts – La Crête, Leicester or 

L’Etacquerel – carved into the cliffs on 

Jersey’s rugged, rocky north coast. Built in 

the 19th century, they now offer 21stcentury 

comforts alongside the many hotels 

in Jersey that have benefited from huge 

investment in recent years. 

The Atlantic Hotel, St Brelade, 

Jersey JE3 8HE 

Tel 01534 744101 

www.theatlantichotel.com 

Eulah Country House, Mont Cochon, 

St Helier, Jersey JE2 3JA 

Tel 01534 626626 

www.eulah.co.uk 

Jersey Heritage Trust 

Booking Office 01534 633304 

www.jerseyheritagetrust.org. 

The Royal Yacht 

The Royal Yacht together with its four 

restaurants, three bars and beautiful spa is 

situated on the waterfront of St Helier, the 

trendy, cosmopolitan heart of Jersey, 

within easy reach of the bustling shops and 

golden beaches, and topped off with 

spectacular views. Modern and elegant, 

The Royal Yacht is a place to be seen, 

pampered and, most importantly, to have 

a good time. Only recently reopened (July 

2007) having reinvented itself with a 

£35million extension and refurbishment, 

this is the ideal place for either a short 

break or memorable holiday. The Royal 

Yacht is a perfect place to experience all 

the gems that Jersey has to offer! 

Food and Drink 

The Royal Yacht has a diverse selection of 

places to indulge, with plenty of fine dining 

and delectable drinks. At Restaurant Sirocco 

you will discover sophisticated cuisine with 

glittering views of the vibrant waterfront. 

THE ATLANTIC HOTEL EULAH COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL BARGE AGROUND OUTSIDE (TOP) AND INSIDE (ABOVE) 

Café Zephyr has the distinctive feel of a 

fashionable, fun place to eat, serving a 

fresh eclectic menu with a large alfresco 

area. For a more casual experience, The 

Grill offers unreservedly good, simple food 

and The Drift is a cool, relaxed yet vibrant 

new bar where you can grab some fresh 

seafood or watch a band. And for those 

who really like a treat, the P.O.S.H Bar is an 

intimate champagne bar with an alfresco 

area serving a luxurious selection 

of drinks and nibbles. 

The Spa 

Our luxurious Spa Sirène is the 

embodiment of relaxation. The feeling of 

utter bliss will stay with you from the 

moment you arrive and wrap yourself in 

our sumptuous robes and last until your 

head hits the pillow that evening. The spa is 

equipped to cater for any needs with a full 

working gym, experience showers and a 

large indoor swimming pool. A place to 

work out or be pampered, Spa Sirène uses 

exclusive Phtyomer products. 

Saints Alive 

Recent massive investment means that 

St Helier now has the best quality range of 

hotel accommodation measured by size of 

population in the whole of the UK. The 

expansion began in 2005 with the 

opening of the contemporary boutique 

hotel, The Club Hotel & Spa 

(www.theclubjersey.com). Its success, 

particularly in winning its first Michelin 

star, has attracted a dynamic, new clientele. 

The latest brand-new hotel to open is the 

£50-million Radisson SAS Waterfront 

Hotel (www.jersey.radissonsas.com). The 

hotel is right on the marina, but close to 

the town centre and burgeoning financial 

district. A recent £14-million investment 

in The Grand Jersey (www.grandjersey.com) 

has completely transformed this longestablished 

landmark. The hotel’s 

The Royal Yacht 

Weighbridge 

St Helier 

Jersey JE2 3NF 

Tel 01534 720511 

Fax 01534 767729 

email: reception@theroyalyacht.com 


fizzy new Champagne Lounge is a huge 

success, and bedrooms have gone from 

staid to stunning. 

The Royal Yacht Hotel 

(www.theroyalyacht.com) is one of 

Jersey’s institutions. A £35-million 

investment has given it a totally new 

look, increased guest rooms to 110 

(most with a balcony or terrace), and 

added bars, restaurants and conference 

facilities. Nearby, the 158-year-old 

Pomme d’Or Hotel 

(www.seymourhotels.com) has new, 

larger bedrooms and upgraded business 

facilities following a £5-million 

refurbishment. Just outside the town 

centre, the elegant Hotel de France has 

recently added a top-of-the-range 

Ayush (Ayurvedic) Wellness Spa, four 

new swimming pools, sauna, steam 

room and gym (www.defrance.co.uk). 


The Panorama 

La Rue du Croquet, St. Aubin, Jersey JE3 8BZ 

Tel 01534 742 429 • Fax 01534 745 940 

email: info@panoramajersey.com • www.panoramajersey.com 

AA 

Highly commended 

Guest accommodation 

Non-smoking adults only. 

Villa D'Oro 

Seacroft Guest House 

The morning sunshine, a high tide, a 

slight breeze, breakfast cooked to order 

after sleeping on pocket sprung beds. 

It doesn’t come much better than this. 

La Grand Route de St Laurent, St Lawrence, Jersey JE3 1NJ 

Tel 01534 862262 

email: stay@villadorojersey.com • www.villadorojersey.com 

Owner-operated and centrally located, 

this is a top spot as a base for your visit. 

Cycling, walking, beach activities, golf, 

history, restaurants galore are all nearby. 

Comfortable 3-star JQA en-suite 

bedrooms. B&B or room-only rate. 

Travel easily arranged. 

38 Green Street, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4UG 

Tel 01534 732 732 • email: seacroft38@msn.com 

Situated 10 minutes from town 

centre, 2 minutes from seafront. 

Small friendly and non-smoking. 

Twin/double from £21 per person 

per night, family room £63 per night. 

Inclusive of full English breakfast. 

Stafford Hotel 

Kensington Place, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3PA 

Tel 01534 724953 

email: staffordhotel@jerseymail.co.uk • www.staffordhoteljersey.co.uk 

Macole’s Self-Catering Holidays 

First Floor, 14PR La Motte Street, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4SY 

Brochures: 01534 488162 • Reservations: 01534 488172 

email: purejersey@macoles.com • www.macoles.com/pr 

Self-catering is the ‘freestyle’ way to 

holiday. No restrictive hotel meals plus 

hundreds of great restaurants and 

activities to experience. Macole’s offer 

over 90% of the island’s cottages and 

apartments including exclusive home style 

rentals. Choose stunning beachside, rural 

country or town centre convenience. 

Bay View Guest House AA ★★★★ 

12 Havre des Pas, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4UQ 

Tel/Fax 01534 720950 

email: Bayview.guesthouse@jerseymail.co.uk • www.bayviewjersey.co.uk 

Modern Hotels 

The Stafford Hotel is Licensed for 149 guests. 

It is conveniently situated right in the heart of 

St Helier, Jersey’s main shopping centre and 

capital. The Hotel is within walking distance of 

the beautiful beach of St Aubins, and the main 

sea port and bus station. Our life time of 

personal experience is our best guarantee, 

with over 50% of the hotel guests returning 

year after year. Ensuring you of our individual 

service and attention delivered in an 

atmosphere of warmth and friendship. 

Visit Macole’s website or call for a brochure 

for more information. Let your free spirit out! 

Friendly family run establishment, 

opposite Havre Des Pas beach, Lido and 

Promenade. Great local restaurants, and 

10 minute walk into St Helier. 

Rooms en-suite, individually styled and 

furnished with full facilities including 

fridge and microwave. Bridal mini suite 

available. Bar/Lounge/Free WiFi. 

Roseville, St Helier, Jersey JE1 4HE 

Tel 01534 735511 • Fax 01534 730639 

email: jo.tuohy@themoderngroup.com • www.modernhotels.com 

Modern Hotels have two great 

★★★ hotels, Mayfair Hotel 

and Hotel Metropole. We 

offer competitive rates on 

accommodation and package 

holidays, with excellent air and sea 

fares. Modern Holidays guarantees 

the perfect holiday and are well 

located for the town and beach. 

Publications for 2008 

Jersey Tourism offers a selection of publications to help you plan your holiday and to enhance your experience during your visit. To receive any 

of the items below, remove this page from your brochure, complete your details with any necessary payment and return it to Jersey Tourism. 

Name: I wish to pay by: 

Address: Visa: Carte Bleu: Maestro: Mastercard: Eurocards: 

Postcode: Sub Total: 

Telephone: Handling Charge: €4.00 

Total Amount: 

Credit Card No: Expiry Date: Security Code No: (See reverse of card) 

Card Holder’s Name: Start Date: Card Holder’s Signature: 

Issue No.: 

ITEM 

Ordnance Survey Map 

Landscape Guide 

This is Jersey DVD 

Official Jersey 

Guide Maps 

Jersey Jaunts 

2008 Calendar 

Jersey Rambles 

A Brief History 

of Jersey 

Jersey Cycles 

DESCRIPTION 

1:25,000 Official 

Leisure Map 

Walks, car tours and 

sites of interest 

A pictorial view 

of Jersey. 

Approx 40 mins. 

Large town plan, full 

street index, colour maps. 

33 circular walks with 

refreshments. 

12 images including 

Jersey’s famous cows, 

beaches, castles and 

Battle of Flowers. 

30 island walks for 

you to enjoy. 

Highlights of the island’s 

eventful history. 

12 suggested island 

cycle tours. 

PRICES 

Please allow 10 days from receipt of payment for delivery. Orders subject to availability. All information correct at time of print – November 2007. 

£6 

£6.99 

£9.99 

£4.50 

£12.99/ 

£14.99 

£5.95 

£5.95 

£5.00 

£5.95 

LANGUAGES 

English 

English/German 

English/French 

English 

Video – English 

DVD – English/French 

English 

English/German 

English 

English 

QUANTITY TOTAL COST 

Festival programmes, monthly event guides and other useful information are also available before you arrive. Please return the form to Jersey 

Tourism to receive this free information. 

Spring Walking Festival 17th - 24th May 2008 

FREE 

For more details please telephone our Visitor Services Centre on 01534 

448877 or visit our website www.jersey.com to download the information. Autumn Walking Festival 13th – 20th Sept 2008 

FREE 

Jersey Tourism Visitor Services Centre opening hours: 

Wedding Guide 

FREE 

April – September: Monday – Saturday 08:30 – 17:30hrs. 

Monthly 'What's On' Guide April to December. 

(Please specify month(s) req'd) 

FREE 

Sunday 08:30 – 14:15hrs. 

Island Tourist Map including Cycle Routes 

FREE 

October – March: Monday - Friday 

Saturday 

08:30 – 17:30hrs. 

08:45 – 13:00hrs 

Walking Guide (English, French and German) 

Sub Total 

FREE 

These hours are subject to change. 

Complete the order form and send the whole page and your payment to: 

Handling Charge 

£2.50 

€4,00 

Jersey Tourism, Liberation Place, St Helier, Jersey JE1 1BB. 

All despatches are subject to a €4.00 handling charge. 

Total Cost

Accommodation Graded 

Hotel Registration and Grading 

All accommodation in Jersey must be registered but grading is 

optional. Guest accommodation in Jersey is quality assessed by 

either the AA or Visit Britain/Jersey Quality Assured. Please be 

aware that ratings may change throughout the year. 

All national grading bodies (the AA, Visit Britain/JQA) now assess 

hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering to the same criteria 

and award one to five stars or one to five pennants for campsites. 

The rating reflects the overall quality of the experience. 

Ratings made easy 

★ Simple, practical, no frills 

★★ Well presented and well run 

★★★ Good level of quality and comfort 

★★★★ Excellent standard throughout 

★★★★★ Exceptional with a degree of luxury 

Outstanding examples in each star category are highlighted in red. 

For AA ratings, visit www.theAA.com 

or telephone: 01256 844455 

For JQA ratings, visit www.qualityintourism.com 

or telephone: 01534 448877 

Key to Location Symbols 

F Coastal location G Countryside location R Town location 

JerseyLink 

JerseyLink is the official accommodation booking service of Jersey 

Tourism. It features the majority of Jersey’s hotels, guest houses and 

self-catering accommodation and offers many great deals and 

special offers. JerseyLink is a free service with no booking fees. 

The Jersey Tourism Visitor Services Centre offers you the ability to 

conduct island-wide searches for accommodation. Our team of 

reservation officers are available to advise you on the full range of 

accommodation available and you can complete your booking online 

at www.jersey.com or by telephone on 01534 448888. 


Hotels Guest 

Accommodation 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Location 

★★★★ 

Atlantic, St Brelade 744101 theatlantichotel.com F 50 

Club & Spa, St Helier 876500 theclubjersey.com R 46 

De France, St Saviour 614100 defrance.co.uk R 290 

Grand, St Helier 288454 grandjersey.com R,F 118 

Greenhills, St Peter 481042 greenhillshotel.com G 31 

Longueville Manor, St Saviour 725501 longuevillemanor.com G 29 

La Place, St Brelade 744261 hotellaplacejersey.com G 42 

L’Horizon, St Brelade 743101 handpicked.co.uk F 106 

Pomme D’Or, St Helier 751357 pommedorhotel.com R,F 143 

Royal Yacht, St Helier 720511 royalyacht.com R,F 110 

St Brelade’s Bay, St Brelade 746141 stbreladesbayhotel.com F 80 

Somerville, St Aubin 741226 dolanhotels.com F 56 

★★★ 

Chateau La Chaire, St Martin 863354 chateau-la-chaire.co.uk F 14 

Ambassadeur, St Clement 724455 F 89 

Apollo, St Helier, JE2 4GJ 725441 huggler.com R 85 

Beausite, Grouville 857577 southernhotels.com F 76 

Cristina, St Lawrence 758024 dolanhotels.com F 63 

Golden Sands, St Brelade 741241 dolanhotels.com F 62 

Hampshire, St Helier 724115 hampshirehotel.co.uk R 42 

La Tour, St Aubin 743770 hotellatour.com F 26 

Mayfair, St Helier 735551 modernhotels.com R 233 

Merton, St Saviour 754313 mertonhotel.com R 291 

Metropole, St Helier 735511 modernhotels.com R 

Monterey, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com R 73 

Moorings, St Martin 853633 themooringshotel.com F 15 

Old Court House, Grouville 854444 ochhoteljersey.com F 58 

Ommaroo, St Helier 723493 seabird.co.je R,F 84 

Pontac House, St Clement 857771 pontachouse.com F 27 

Queen’s, St Helier 722239 queenshoteljersey.com R 36 

Revere, St Helier 611111 revere.co.uk R 57 

Royal, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com R 87 

Samares Coast, St Clement 873006 morvanhotels.com F 52 

Savoy, St Helier 727521 hotelsavoyjersey.com R 59 

Shakespeare, St Clement 851915 seabird.co.je F 32 

Uplands, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com G 43 

Water’s Edge, Trinity 862777 watersedgehotel.com F 50 

Windmills, St Brelade 744201 windmillshotel.com F 74 

★★ 

Alhambra, St Helier 732128 alhambrahotel.net R,F 18 

Beachcombers, Grouville 875236 beachcombershotel.co.uk F 45 

Beau Rivage, St Brelade 745983 jersey.co.uk/hotels/beau F 27 

Cheval Roc, St John 862865 chevalrochoteljersey.co.uk G 42 

De Normandie. St Saviour 721347 channelhotels.com F 105 

Dolphin, St Martin 853370 dolphinhoteljersey.com F 16 

Fort D’Auvergne, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com R 65 

Highlands, St Brelade 744288 highlandshotel.com F 56 

Les Charrieres, St Peter 481480 lescharriereshotel.co.uk G 41 

Millbrook House, St Helier 733036 millbrookhousehotel.com F 24 

Miramar, St Brelade 743831 miramarjersey.com F 38 

Monaco, St Helier 724663 monacohoteljersey.com R 36 

Mountview, St Helier 887666 channelhotels.com R 32 

Norfolk Lodge, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com R 101 

Oaklands Lodge, Trinity 861735 members.aol.com/oaklandstrinity G 10 

Old Bank House, Grouville 854285 oldbankhousehotel@jerseymail.co.uk 20 

Old Court House Inn, St Aubin 746433 oldcourthousejersey.com F 9 

Runnymede Court, St Helier 720044 F 57 

Sandranne, St Helier 721218 hotel.sandranne@jerseymail.co.uk R 31 

Sarum, St Helier 758163 jersey.co.uk/hotels/sarum R 52 

Stafford, St Helier 724953 staffordhoteljersey.co.uk R 79 

Talana, St Saviour 730317 talana@jerseymail.co.uk G 41 

Washington, St Helier 737981 washingtonhoteljersey.co.uk R 36 

Westhill, St Helier 723260 westhillhoteljersey.com G 90 

West View, St Mary 481643 westviewhoteljersey.com G 41 

★★★★★ 

Eulah Country House, St Helier 626626 eulah.co.uk G 9 

La Haule Manor, St Brelade 741426 lahaulemanor.com F 10 

Awaiting Grading 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Lavender Villa, Grouville 854937 lavendervilla.co.uk F 21 

Radisson SAS, St Helier 671100 jersey.radissonsas.com R,F 195 

No. Rooms 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Website 

Prefix www. 

★★★★★ 

Panorama, St Aubin 742429 panoramajersey.com F 14 

★★★★ 

Bay View, St Helier 720590 bayviewjersey.co.uk R,F 12 

Sabots D’Or, St Aubin 743732 sabotsdor.com F 12 

Undercliff, Trinity 863058 undercliffjersey.com F 13 

★★★ 

Au Caprice, St Aubin 722083 aucapricejersey.com F 12 

Bon Viveur, St Aubin 741049 bonviveurjersey.com F 19 

De L’Etang, St Helier 721996 jersey.co.uk/hotels/deletang F 13 

Fairholme, St Helier 732194 jerseyisland.com/sthelier/fairholme/index.html F 15 

Havelock, St Helier 730663 havelockguesthouse.com F 20 

Lorraine, St Helier 735164 lorraineghouse@hotmail.com R 10 

Lyndhurst, St Brelade 720317 lyndhurstguesthouse.com F 11 

Maison Chaussey, St Helier 723836 Maisonchaussey@jerseymail.co.uk F 8 

Ocean Walk, St Brelade 742163 oceanwalk.co.je F 16 

Olanda, St Aubin 742573 jerseyisland.com/staubins/olanda F 10 

Peterborough House, St Aubin 741568 jerseyisland.com/staubin/peterborough F 14 

Porthole Cottage, St Aubin 745007 porthole-cottage.com F 11 

Seawold, St Peter 720807 seawoldguesthouse.co.uk F 21 

St Magloire, St Aubin 741302 jerseyisland.com/staubin/stmagloire F 12 

Surrey Lodge, St Helier 734834 jersey.co.uk/hotels/surreylodge R 7 

Villa D’Oro, St Lawrence 862262 villadorojersey.com G 12 

★★ Small Hotel 

Wheatlands, St Peter 888877 wheatlandsjersey.com G 18 

★★ 

Alister, St Helier 720887 alister@jerseymail.co.uk R 11 

Avoca Villa, St Helier 731171 jersey.co.uk/hotels/avoca/index.html R 7 

Bromley, St Helier 725045 jersey.co.uk/hotels/bromley R 9 

Sylvania, St Lawrence 725347 sylvaniaguesthouse.com F 11 

Self-Catering 

★★★★★ 

La Haule Manor, St Brelade 741426 lahaulemanor.com F 2 2/3 

★★★★ 

La Planque Farm 

Country Cottages, Trinity 860773 laplanquefarm.com G 4 2/6/7 

Saco Merlin House, St Helier 0845 1220405 sacoapartments.co.uk R 24 2/4/6 

Samares Manor, St Clement 870551 samaresmanor.com G 6 3/4/5/6/8 

Undercliff, Trinity 863058 undercliffjersey.com F 1 2 

★★★ 

Beausite Hotel, Grouville 857577 southernhotels.com F 6 2/3/4 

De Normandie, St Saviour 732226 channelhotels.com F 5 2/3/5 

Old Forge, St Clement 854176 F 1 6 

Queen’s, St Helier 722239 queenshoteljersey.com R 2 4 

Samares Coast Hotel 873006 morvanhotels.com F 6 3/4/5/6/8 

Uplands Hotel, St Helier 873006 morvanhotels.com F 12 2/5 

Water’s Edge Hotel, Trinity 862777 watersedgehotel.co.je F 1 4 

Windmills Hotel, St Brelade 744201 windmillshotel.com F 2 2/4 

★★ 

Millbrook House, St Helier 733036 millbrookhousehotel.com F 3 2 

Panama, St Helier 481643 panamajersey.com R 23 1/2/3/4/6 

West View Hotel, St Mary 481643 westviewhoteljersey.com G 1 2 

Camp Sites 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Location 

No. Units 

Location 

★ 

Beuvelande Camp Site, St Martin 853575 jerseycamping.com G 400 

Bleu Soleil Camping, St Ouen 481007 bleusoleilcamping.com G 150 

Rozel Camping Park, St Martin 855200 rozelcamping.co.uk G 200 

Location 

No. Rooms 

No. Persons 

Per Unit 

No. Persons 

Registered 

Hotels 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Location 

Almorah, St Helier 721648 almorahhotel.com R 14 

Biarritz, St Brelade 742239 biarritzhotel.co.uk F 51 

Carlton, St Helier 730670 carltonhoteljersey.com R,F 48 

Maison Gorey, Grouville 857775 maisongorey.com F 26 

Marina, St Helier 730670 marinahoteljersey.com F 36 

Mornington, St Helier 724452 morningtonhotel.co.uk R 31 

Norfolk, St Helier 632000 norfolkhoteljersey.com R 100 

Portelet, St Brelade 741204 portelethotel.com F 86 

Seascale, St Martin 854395 seascalehote.com F 9 

Guest Accommodation 

Caverna, St Helier 873366 cavernajersey.com R 8 

Harbour View, St Aubin 741585 harbourviewjersey.com F 12 

Haven, St Helier 721619 havenguesthouse.com R 10 

Huntley Lodge, St Helier 870145 peteralanmackay@jerseymail.co.uk R 5 

Kensington, St Helier 732827 Kensington@jerseymail.co.uk R 12 

La Barca, St Aubin 744275 F 4 

La Bonne Vie, St Helier 735955 labonnevie-guesthouse-jersey.com F 10 

Prince of Wales, St Ouen 482085 princeofwales.je F 13 

Richelieu Lodge, St Saviour 727216 jillpace@jerseymail.co.uk G 10 

Rocqueberg View, St Clements 852642 rocquebergview.co.uk F 9 

Seacroft, St Helier 732732 seacroft38@msn.com R 9 

St Francis, St Helier, JE2 4NQ 732112 R 5 

Thalatta, St Helier 730156 thalattaguesthouse.com R 15 

Victoria House, St Helier, JE2 3XB 735401 victoriaguesthouse@jerseymail.co.uk R 6 

Villa Isis, St Helier 632000 norfolkhoteljersey.com R 21 

Youth Hostel 

Haut de la Garenne, St Martin 840100 yha.org.uk G 21 

Self-Catering 

Location 

No. Rooms 

Aigretmont Farm, St Saviour 854865 G 2 3/7 

Amani, St Brelade 608062 selfcateringjersey.com F 9 3/4/7 

Biarritz, St Brelade 742239 biarritzhotel.co.uk F 2 2/4 

Boscobel Country Apartments, 

St Peter 490100 boscobel.co.uk G 7 3/4 

Brabant, Trinity 725259 freedomholidays.com G 1 7 

Cherry Tree Farm, St Helier 07700700576 buchanan_builders@hotmail.com G 2 6 

Cheval Roc, St John 862865 chevalrochoteljersey.co.uk G 4 3/5 

Corbiere Phare, St Brelade 746127 corbierephare@jerseymail.co.uk F 9 2/3 

Discovery Bay, St Ouen 484222 discovery-bay-jersey-ci.com F 11 2/3/4 

Grantez Farm, St Ouen 481891 eileenpirouet@hotmail.com G 6 4 

La Rocco, St Brelade 743378 laroccoapartments.com F 22 2/4/5/6/8 

Les Roches, St Ouen 487856 lesroches.co.uk G 2 2/6 

Merryvale Farm, St Ouen 481743 G 2 7 

Officers Quarters, 

Greve de Lecq Barracks, St Mary 725259 freedomholidays.com F 1 6 

St Peter’s Country Apartments, 

St Peter 495495 jerseyselfcatering.com G 41 2/3/4/6 

Camp Sites 

Telephone 

Prefix (01534): 

Website 

Prefix www. 

Rose Farm, St Brelade 741231 jerseycamping.com G 500 

Check JerseyLink 

online for availability 

and booking at 

www.jersey.com 

Location 

No. Units 

No. Persons 

Per Unit 

No. Persons 


General Information For more specific information log on to www.jersey.com 

Bringing your Own Car 

Visitors must have an insurance certificate or an 

International Green Card, the vehicle registration 

document, a valid driving licence or International Driving 

Permit (UK International Driving Permits are not valid). 

Photocopies are not acceptable. A nationality plate must 

be displayed on the back of your vehicle. 

Buses 

Connex – It is easy to access all parts of the island using 

the local bus service, whose routes radiate from 

Libertation Station, St Helier. To obtain a copy of their 

current bus timetable, please send a cheque or postal 

order for 85p (which includes postage) made payable to 

Connex Transport Jersey Ltd to the following address: 

Connex Transport Jersey Ltd, Bus Depot, La Collette, 

St Helier, Jersey JE2 3NX. 01534 877772. 

Island Explorer operate a summer service between 

major attractions and beaches. Please contact Connex 

for further details. 

Car Hire 

Avis Rent-A-Car 

01534 519100/0800 735 1110 

www.avisjersey.co.uk 

Europcar 

01534 747770/0800 735 0735 

www.europcarjersey.com 

Falles Car Hire 

01534 519100/0800 735 1110 

www.jersey.co.uk/falles 

Hertz Rent-A-Car 

01534 636666/0800 735 1014 

www.hertzci.com 

Jersey Classic Car Hire 

01534 746273 

www.jerseyclassiccarhire.com 

Sovereign Hire Cars 

01534 608062 

www.carhire-jersey.com 

Viceroy Hire Cars 

01534 738698 

Zebra Car Hire 

01534 736556 


Motorbike/Scooter Hire 

Extreme Imports 

01534 888405 

www.extreme-imports.biz/hire.asp 

Motorama (Jersey) Ltd 

07700 790790 

www.motorama-jersey.co.uk/hire 

Sovereign Hire Cars 

01534 608062 

www.carhire-jersey.com 

Caravans/Motorhomes 

Caravans/motorhomes can only be accommodated on 

the following sites for a maximum of one month during 

the summer season. Beuvelande 01534 853575, 

Rose Farm 01534 741231 and Rozel Camp Site 

01534 855200. For further information and Licensing 

Applications please contact the campsites above or 

Jersey Tourism – 01534 448877 

Currency 

All major debit and credit cards are widely accepted. 

Sterling is the currency of the island. Chip & Pin is 

widely used in the island. Euros are accepted in a limited 

number of outlets. There is no counter service for 

Building Societies in Jersey however there are Link Card 

machines in St Helier, St Saviour, St Peter and Red 


Houses. Please check with your own society regarding 

Jersey cash transactions before you leave, as these 

differ from the UK. Pensions from the UK will only be 

payable if the pension book indicates Group 13 

membership. 

Customs Allowances 

As Jersey is not part of the EU you can still purchase 

your duty-free items en route to and from the island. 

For further information please refer to www.jersey.com 

Electricity 

240 volts AC. UK sockets only. 

Employment 

Enquiries from foreign and Commonwealth nationals should 

be addressed to Immigration and Nationality Department, 

Maritime House, La Route du Port Elizabeth, St Helier JE1 

1JD. European Community nationals are generally free to 

seek employment in the Island. 01534 838838. 

Facilities for the Disabled 

You can use your ‘Blue Badge’ with some restrictions. In 

normal parking zones paycards must be displayed. All 

public toilets for disabled persons have Radar locks so 

please bring your badge and key with you. Alternatively 

you can hire a key from our Visitor Services Centre and 

St Helier Town Hall paying a £5 refundable deposit. 

Please contact the Visitor Services Centre at Jersey 

Tourism for full details of attractions, parking and hotel 

accommodation for the disabled. 01534 448877. 

Shopmobility hire scheme 01534 739672. 

Getting Married in Jersey 

You can get married in Jersey within three working days 

of arriving having registered your intention by post, 

rather than in person. For information please contact 

the Superintendent Registrar, 01534 502335 or 

Jersey Tourism 01534 448877 for a wedding guide. 

Hearing Resource Centre 

01534 623030 Fax 01534 623031. 

www.health.gov.je 

Insurance 

Like any time away from home, a visit to Jersey should 

be accompanied by appropriate holiday insurance for all 

the passengers travelling. Most operators will provide 

insurance on request or you can arrange it directly with 

your insurers. 

Jersey Blind Society 

Westlea Centre, Rue de Huquet, St Martin JE3 6HL. 

01534 864689. 

Licensing Hours 

At the discretion of the proprietor, certain public bars 

are open between 0900 - 2300hrs weekdays and 

1100 - 2300hrs on Sunday to persons over 18. 

Children under the age of 18 are allowed in up to 

2100 hrs if accompanied by an adult. 

Parking 

Single yellow lines indicate that parking is prohibited day 

and night and is liable to a fine. Payment for parking is by 

paycard and wherever the symbol is displayed. These can 

be purchased from Jersey Tourism, post offices, garages 

and shops but not in the car parks themselves apart from 

Sand Street. In some roads on the outskirts of St Helier, 

parking is controlled by parking discs – obtainable from 

St Helier Town Hall. A disc or paycard is not required from 

1700 to 0800hrs, nor on a Sunday or a bank holiday 

(unless otherwise stated). In some areas of St Helier 

parking is controlled by residents’ parking permits only. 

Passports 

No passport is required for visitors travelling from the 

British Isles and the Republic of Ireland. All airline 

passengers must have a valid photo ID. However, a 

passport is required when travelling to France from 

Jersey. The Jersey Passport Office 01534 838850. 

Pets 

Pets can travel freely from the British Isles and the 

Republic of Ireland. For other areas ‘Pets Passport 

Scheme’ regulations apply. From May to September 

between 1030 and 1800hrs dogs on beaches must 

be on a lead. For further information log on to 

www.jersey.com. 

Places of Public Worship 

Details from Jersey Tourism Visitor Services Centre at 

Liberation Square. 01534 448877. 

Post Offices 

The main post office is in Broad Street, St Helier, 

with a network of sub-post offices located throughout 

the island. Jersey postage stamps must be used on all 

mail posted from the island. 

Public Holidays 

The same as the UK, with the addition of 

Liberation Day, 9th May. 

Shopping 

The markets and some shops are closed on Thursday 

afternoons, otherwise normal shopping hours apply, 

usually 0900 – 1730hrs. There is no general Sunday 

opening in Jersey. 

Telephones 

The code for Jersey is 01534 from the British Isles and 

+44 1534 from any other country. Mobile networks 

require a roaming facility plus international dialling code 

and some ‘Pay as you Go’ phones do not operate in 

Jersey. Please check with your provider. 

Visitors’ Medical Treatment 

Treatment for visitors can be obtained from all general 

medical practices participating in the visitors’ scheme. 

This service (excluding prescriptions) is free of charge 

to visitors from the UK, including Northern Ireland and 

the Isle of Man. Visitors from all other countries will be 

charged a fee. Emergency hospital treatment is 

available at the General Hospital in St Helier and is free 

to visitors from countries with which Jersey has a 

reciprocal health agreement. The costs of repatriation 

are not covered under the reciprocal health agreements 

and all patients will be required to pay these costs. All 

visitors are recommended to obtain travel insurance. 

Renal Dialysis 

The General Hospital Renal Unit, Gloucester Street, 

St Helier, provides holiday dialysis throughout the 

year. Advance booking is essential. E111 does not apply. 

01534 622126. 

Watercraft 

Jersey law requires speedboats, surfboards, sailboards 

and personal watercraft to be registered on arrival, 

at the Harbour Office, St Helier. 01534 885588. 

Insurance documents must be produced. 

Smoking Restrictions 

Smoking is banned in enclosed public places across the 

island. The restrictions apply to all licensed premises, 

including pubs and restaurants. 

Guest accommodation bedrooms may be exempt if 

it has been designated as one in which smoking is 

permitted. Please enquire at the time of booking. 

Travelling to Jersey 

Air Travel to Jersey from the UK, Ireland and other Channel Islands 

Aberdeen 

Belfast City 

Birmingham 

Bournemouth 

Bristol 

Cardiff 

Cork 

Coventry 

Doncaster 

Dublin 

Durham Tees 

East Midlands 

Edinburgh 

Exeter 

Glasgow 

Gloucester 

Isle of Man 

Liverpool 

Leeds Bradford 

London City 

London Gatwick 

London Heathrow 

London Luton 

London Southend 

Manchester 

Newcastle 

Norwich 

Plymouth 

Southampton 

Alderney 

Guernsey 

Flybe* 

Flybe* 

Bmibaby 

Flybe 

Blue Islands 

Air Southwest 

Flybe 

Bmibaby 

Aer Lingus* 

Thomsonfly 

Flybe 

Aer Lingus* 

FlyGlobespan* 

Bmibaby 

Flybe 

Flybe 

Flybe* 

Manx2 

Blue Islands 

Manx2 

Easyjet 

Flybe* 

Jet2* 

VLM 

British Airways 

Flybe 

Flybmi 

Easyjet 

Flybe* 

Bmibaby 

Flybe 

Flybe* 

Flybe 

Air Southwest 

Flybe 

Aurigny 

Blue Islands 

Aurigny 

Blue Islands 

Flybe 

0871 522 6100 

0871 522 6100 

0870 264 2229 

0871 522 6100 

0845 620 2122 

0870 241 8202 

0871 522 6100 

0870 264 2229 

0870 876 5000 

0870 1900 737 

0871 552 6100 

0870 876 5000 

0870 556 1522 

0870 264 2229 

0871 522 6100 

0871 522 6100 

0871 522 6100 

0871 200 0440 

0845 620 2122 

0871 200 0440 

0871 522 6100 

0207 476 6677 

0870 850 9850 

0871 522 6100 

0870 607 0555 

0871 522 6100 

0870 264 2229 

0871 522 6100 

0871 522 6100 

0871 522 6100 

0870 241 8202 

0871 522 6100 

0871 871 0717 

0845 620 2122 

0871 871 0717 

0845 620 2122 

0871 522 6100 

www.flybe.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.bmibaby.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.blueislands.com 

www.airsouthwest.com 

www.flybe.com 


www.aerlingus.com 

www.thomsonfly.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.aerlingus.com 

www.flyglobespan.com 


www.flybe.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.manx2.com 


www.manx2.com 

www.easyjet.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.jet2.com 

www.flyvlm.com 

www.ba.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.flybmi.com 

www.easyjet.com 

www.flybe.com 


www.flybe.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.flybe.com 

www.airsouthwest.com 

www.flybe.com 

* Some scheduled flights are run on a seasonal basis. Please check with airline for dates. 

Air Travel to Jersey from the other Channel Islands 

www.aurigny.com 


www.aurigny.com 


www.flybe.com 

Tour Operators 2008 

Sea Travel to Jersey from the UK & other Channel Islands 

Guernsey 

Poole 

Portsmouth 

Sark 

Weymouth 

Saint Malo 

(Brittany) 

Cherbourg 

Granville & 

Carteret 

(Normandy) 

Condor Ferries 

Manche Iles Express 

HD Ferries 





Sea Travel to/from France 


HD Ferries 

HD Ferries 


0845 641 0250 

01534 880756 

0870 460 0231 

0845 641 0250 

0845 641 0250 

01534 880756 

0845 641 0250 

0845 641 0250 

0870 460 0231 

0870 460 0231 

01534 880756 


www.manche-iles-express.com 

www.hdferries.com 





It is possible to visit the other Channel Islands of Alderney and Herm by Sea from Guernsey. 

For further information please contact 01534 448877. 





Additional Departures 

British Airways and Flybe offer connecting flights from the majority of UK 

airports. Please contact airline direct for details. 

Seasonal Charters 

Many tour operators also offer seasonal charter flights from a choice of UK 

regional airports. To find out more information about services to Jersey in 

your area please visit our `how to get here’ information pages on 

www.jersey.com or call our Visitor Services on 01534 448877. 

DISCLAIMER 

All travel details are correct at time of going to press (Nov 2007) and 

may change during the course of the year. Please check schedules and 

departure points before finalising any arrangements by visiting 

www.jersey.com or by contacting your local ABTA bonded travel agent. 

Jersey Tourism cannot be held responsible for any changes, errors 

or omissions. 

CITOG - Channel Island Tour Operators Group – an association of Jersey specialists (various departure points): 

Airways Holidays 

Channel Islands Direct 

Channel Islands Travel Service 

Condorbreaks.com 

Discover Jersey 

Flyjersey 

Jersey Travel Service 

Modern Holidays 

Premier Holidays 

Preston Holidays 

Travelsmith 

Travtel 

0870 754 7000 

08444 937 888 

01534 496600 

0845 230 1 430 

0870 754 5566 

0845 230 3240 

0870 251 4860 

01534 759529 

08444 937 777 

0870 251 4199 

01621 784666 

01534 496677 

Tour Operators 

(national departures unless otherwise stated) 

Bakers Dolphin 

Crystal Active 

Channel Islands Arrivals 

David Urquhart Sky Travel 

Co-op Breaks 

Little Escapes 

The Royal Blind Society of the UK 

Saga Holidays 

Shearings Holidays 

Sundecker Holidays 

Thomson Cities 

Travelsphere 

3X Travel 

Jersey Specialists in Ireland 

J Barter Travel 

Self-Catering Specialists 

Freedom Holidays 

Country Holidays 

Hoseasons 

Macoles Self Catering holidays 

Jersey Heritage Trust 

01934 415 000 

0870 402 0291 

08716 661 947 

08457 112 233 

0844 800 1441 

01534 869078 

01827 722 574 

0800 096 0085 

01942 824 824 

0845 800 1010 

0870 888 025 

0870 240 2426 

0871 434 1410 

Cork: 021 485 1700 

Local No: 1890 303 303 

01534 725259 

08700 781 200 

01502 502 588 

01534 488100 

01534 633304 

www.airwaysholidays.com 

www.channelislandsdirect.co.uk 

www.jerseytravel.com 

www.condorbreaks.com 

www.discoverjersey.com 

www.jerseyandguernsey.com 

www.jerseytravelservice.co.uk 

www.modernhotels.com 

www.premierholidays.co.uk 

www.prestonholidays.co.uk 

www.travelsmith.co.uk 

www.bakersdolphin.com 

www.crystalholidays.co.uk 

www.channelescapes.com 

www.davidurquharttravel.co.uk 

www.co-opbreaks.co.uk 

www.littleescapes.com 

www.saga.co.uk 

www.shearings.com 

www.sundecker.com 

www.thomsoncities.co.uk 

www.travelsphere.co.uk 

www.3xtravel.co.uk 

www.travelnet.ie 

www.freedomholidays.com 

www.country-holidays.co.uk 

www.hoseasons.co.uk 

www.macoles.com 

www.jerseyheritagetrust.com 

Year-round air & sea packages, short break, flight & accommodation only 

Hotel only, air & sea packages including low cost airlines 

Year-round air & sea packages, short break, flight & accommodation only 

Year-round sea packages & short breaks 

Year-round air & sea packages, short breaks, flight & accommodation only 

Year-round air packages, short breaks & accommodation only 

Year-round air & sea packages, short breaks & accommodation only 

Year-round air & sea packages 

Hotel only, air & sea packages including low cost airlines 



Year-round air & sea packages, short breaks & accommodation 

Air & Sea packages 

Family activity breaks 

Year-round air & sea breaks of any duration 


Year-round air & sea packages & short breaks 

Year-round sea packages 

Year-round air & sea packages for blind and visually impaired travellers. 

Air packages for over 50’s 



Year-round packages by air 


Year-round packages by sea 

Year round air and sea packages. 


Self Catering Specialists 

Self Catering Specialists 


Year-round accommodation at various Heritage sites. 


Guernsey 

France 

England 

Alderney

Spring-Summer Pure Jersey Part 1 with adverts:jersey Cover AW

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