The island has an area of 116 square kilometres, and is situated in the English Channel, around 12 nautical miles north of Normandy, and 87 nautical miles south of the UK. Jersey is designated a separate possession of the Crown and isn’t actually a part of the United Kingdom . Confusingly, Jersey has an international identity all of its own and different from the UK, although it does belong to the Common Travel Area. Jersey isn’t a full member of the European Union.

The countryside, with its open fields, woodland, cliffs and headlands, trees and hedgerows, is a major part of the Jersey way of life. The island has strict planning laws in place to restrict future development.

Jersey History

Jersey has had a chequered history. Norman rule of the island lasted until 1204, when King John decided to take on France - and lost. The Channel Islands were made to pledge allegiance either to England or to France – they opted for England.

In 1461 French troops seized Mont Orgueil Castle itself and ruled from it for seven years, but the occupation that was to leave the greatest mark on Jersey's landscape was the German occupation of 1940 and 1945. Churchill decided that the Channel Islands could not be defended and the islanders had to decide whether to evacuate to England or stay and face an uncertain future. Around 8,000 islanders were evacuated, 1200 were deported to German camps and more than 300 islanders were sent to prisons or concentration camps in mainland Europe. The history of the German occupation is told at the Jersey War Tunnels.

Food and drink

World famous for it's new potatoes, Jersey is also blessed with a plethora of eating places, and can cater to most tastes. The best selections are French, Italian and Portuguese although you can find decent Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants too. If fast food is your thing, and you’re desperate for a fix, there is even a McDonalds at the airport.


Fresh seafood is very popular in Jersey, with scallops, oysters, spider crabs and lobster featuring on many menus and also available from the local fish market.

Themed ‘food weeks’ are popular, especially October’s ‘Tennerfest’ where for around a month you can try out selected restaurants for a fixed amount and sample new delicacies. (Vegetarians, however, aren’t overly well catered for, except in one or two specific vegetarian restaurants.) For a small island, Jersey has its fair share of bars and clubs. Prices aren’t cheap, despite the low duty on alcohol, and closing times are 11 pm for pubs and 2am for clubs.

Among other traditional dishes are cabbage loaf, Jersey wonders (les mèrvelles), fliottes, bean crock (les pais au fou), nettle (ortchie) soup, vraic buns.
Shopping

Another of Jersey’s attractions is its reputation as a low-duty area and that nothing you buy is subject to VAT, which makes bargain hunting so much cheaper! As well as St Helier you can find great shopping in Red Houses, St Brelade and Gorey, St Martin. As you’d expect, you can pick up spirits, cigarettes, jewellery and perfume at a really good price, but it’s also worth looking at the local produce - knitwear, pottery, wooden crafted items and flowers.

The shops are open broadly the same hours as in the UK with most closing around 5:50 pm. The open markets and some of the shops also close on Thursday afternoons. In summer some stores stay open late. St.Helier has a mix of the usual High Street stores and smaller local shops. Visit the island out of season and there are often even more bargains are to be had. There are plenty of shopping opportunities out of town, where specialist outlets sell items such as jewellery, pottery and woollen goods.

Examples of some of Jersey’s traditional crafts can be found in specialist workshops across the island. For leather goods try L'Etacq (St Ouen) whilst Grouville is home to Jersey Pottery. It also has a fantastic restaurant and lovely gardens.

Places to go

Jersey is a fabulous place for walking – there are 70 miles of footpaths, all managed and maintained by the Countryside Management Team. They take you along stunning north coast cliff paths, as well as inland through some of the most beautiful parts of the island.

Les Landes on the northwest coast is a vast expanse of maritime heathland which features a variety of habitats and is home to rarities such as the Dartford Warbler. The reserve was designated a Site of Special Interest in 1996. If nature reserves are something you love to explore go to L’Ouaisné Common which was once a dune system but is now becoming more heathland since a defensive sea wall was constructed in the area during World War II.
The sand dune system at the southern end of St Ouen’s Bay, known as Les Blanches Banques, is also recognised as a Site of Special Interest. For plant lovers, there are more than 400 plant species there, 16 of which are nationally endangered species.

For a touching reminder of the traumas faced by islanders during the Second World War, don’t miss the Jersey War Tunnels - an old underground hospital that is now home to WW2 memorabilia. The tunnel complex itself was hewn out of the rocks by forced labour during the German Forces occupation of Jersey.

And certainly don’t miss the Jersey Zoo, founded by the late Gerald Durrell of 'My Family and Other Animals' fame.

While you’re in St Helier, visit Elizabeth Castle a remarkably imposing fortress that stands on an island in the bay, only accessible by a causeway at low tide. The castle managed to resist Cromwell's forces for seven weeks in 1651, and also Germans during WWII.

Things to do

There are plenty of opportunities to take part in water sports on Jersey. The most popular areas for these are the beautiful beaches at St Brelade's Bay west of St Aubin.


The beaches to either side of St Helier in the south are stunning, and great for windsurfing and other sporting activities. The gorgeous stretches of beach west of St Aubin's Bay and east to La Roque Point are the most picturesque. If you’re taking part in any water sports though, be aware that there can be some very strong currents. The best surfing opportunities are to be found on the west coast; in particular you might like to try it off the sandy beaches of St Ouen's Bay.

Jersey also has two famous 18-hole golf courses: La Moye in St Brelade and Royal Jersey in Grouville. If you want to play a few rounds they will need to see proof of handicap or membership of a recognised golf club. If you’re an enthusiastic amateur though, you can always play at Les Mielles or Les Ormes for 18 holes or enjoy a nine-hole game at Wheatlands or Greve D'Azette.

After all that activity, you might want to relax and try some of the local wine at La Mare Vineyards, close to Devil's Hole. The vineyards are in the grounds of an 18th-century farmhouse.

What’s on in Jersey

The Jersey Boat Show, is already a major event on the British boating calendar, and although it’s only been running for a couple of years already attracts thousands of visitors. The three-day show, which takes place in May, happens right in the heart of St Helier. As well as boats and nautical appeal, the show also offers a taste of Jersey history, as well as food, drink and entertainment.


Moonlight Parade

Jersey is well known for its Battle of Flowers, a carnival that’s been held every year since 1902. The Battle of Flowers takes place in August and is one of the most spectacular carnivals in Europe, and showcases a massive spectacle of flower-decorated floats, musicians, dancers and entertainers. The carnival is great fun and has a family atmosphere that proves a great draw to locals and tourists alike. It’s one of the highlights of Jersey’s summer events calendar. The Moonlight Parade is part of the Battle of Flowers and involves some of the flower covered floats festooned with thousands of illuminated lights. The parade provides a magical finale to the Battle of Flowers floral extravaganza.

Jersey Live is a boutique music festival set in the Jersey countryside that’s been taking place every September since 2004. The festival has been branded as having one of the best crowds on the festival circuit. It is renowned for good behaviour and lack of trouble. Not just a festival for quaint country folk though, it attracts some big names – Basement Jaxx; The Prodigy; Kasabian; Snow Patrol; The Kooks; Dizzee Rascal; The Fratellis; The Zutons; Razorlight and many more.

Basics

The island is lucky enough to be blessed with mild winters and cool summers. For information about the weather please visit www.worldweather.org

Jersey issues its own banknotes and coins but you can also use English, Scottish and Guernsey currency. However, you can’t use Jersey currency outside Jersey: Most cash machines dispense sterling and banks are open the same hours as the UK. For the latest exchange rates please visit www.xe.com

The official language in Jersey is English, although French is widely spoken and all the streets are names in French. You might also hear an unusual French hybrid language called Jèrriais, which is an ancient Norman French language influenced by many other languages from Norse Viking to Frank. It’s quite rare to hear it these days.

The maximum speed limit on the Island is 40mph, and some of the narrower 'Green Lanes' have a speed limit of 15mph. There are plenty of good car hire companies on the island. Public transport can be somewhat unreliable.

Jersey Airport is located in the parish of Saint Peter and is 7.4 kilometres (4.6 miles) west northwest of Saint Helier.

For current visa requirements please go to www.projectvisa.com