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

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.
26 pureJersey
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
There are many other prehistoric graves
and tombs on the island which you can visit
at all reasonable times. For details go to:
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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
www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
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.
1 book online at www.jersey.com 27