Maritime Museum and Occupation Tapestry Gallery
Royal Square
Central Market and Fish Market
Jersey Museum and Art Gallery
Elizabeth Castle
Jerseyâs capital is home to two of the best museums on the island, a spectacularly located historic castle and a central square steeped in history. Although the traffic in the capital is worse than anywhere else on the island, the main shopping thoroughfares, with large stores, boutiques and lively food markets, are pedestrianised. The walk takes you through the historic centre, west to Elizabeth Castle and back along the waterfront.
The townâs origins date back to the 6th century when Helerius, a monk from modern-day Belgium, founded a hermitage on a small rocky outcrop on a tidal islet in St Aubinâs Bay, today known as the Hermitage Rock. Helerius devoted his life to prayer and fasting, but in AD 555, after 15 years on the island, he was beheaded by a band of passing pirates. A small monastic settlement rose up here, and in the 12th century, an oratory was dedicated to St Helier.
Growth over the centuries was slow and it was not until entrepreneurial Huguenot refugees arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries, bringing their skills with them, that the town saw any real expansion. Further growth came about in the late 18th century, funded by all the profits from privateering during the French and American wars. In the post-Napoleonic era, the population was swelled when hundreds of officers from the English army settled in the town. Retired on half pay, they were lured to Jersey by the climate, the low cost of living and the desirable lifestyle. Regency and Victorian houses were constructed, land was reclaimed from the sea, and by 1840 St Helier had taken over from St Aubin as the islandâs main harbour.
The stunning setting of Elizabeth Castle.
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Hermitage Rock.
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Liberation Square
Start at Liberation Square 1 [map], which was opened by Prince Charles on 9 May 1995, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the island from German Occupation. It was here that jubilant crowds greeted the British liberators after five long years under German rule. To mark the 70th anniversary of Liberation in May 2015, Jersey and the other Channel Islands celebrated with a host of entertainment and activities, stretching over five weeks.
The prominent Liberation Sculpture commemorates the event with a bronze group of figures, holding up the Union flag. From left to right the figures represent a Jersey couple old enough to have witnessed the Occupation, a liberator, a Jersey fisherman and a farmer with his wife and children. Overlooking the square on the north side, the Pomme dâOr Hotel was the headquarters of the German navy during the Occupation.
The bronze Liberation Sculpture in Liberation Square.
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The square used to be the terminus of the Jersey Railway which served the south and east coasts, and it was from the rear of the building on the west side that some 2,200 residents were deported to Germany in September 1942.
Alongside Liberation Square is Liberty Wharf, a covered shopping mall of independent boutiques and major brand stores within original granite warehouses.
The little tourist trains departing from Liberation Square are fun for families and cover two routes, with guided commentaries: the Promenade Tour to St Aubin, following the bay all the way, and the Town and Maritime Tour, taking in the harbour area and Waterfront.
The trains link St Helier with the Funbike site at West Park (St Aubinâs Bay) and the cycle depot in St Aubinâs. There is a regular daily service between April and October. For more information, visit www.littletrain.co.uk.
Hop on board Le Petit Train for a tour round town.
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The Maritime Museum on New North Quay.
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Maritime Museum and Tapestry Gallery
Across the busy A1 south of Liberation Square, and looking like something out of Disneyland, the worldâs largest Steam Clock is modelled on a 19th-century paddle steamer. Local vessels and shipbuilders are commemorated on benches around the harbour.
The nearby Maritime Museum 2 [map] (www.jerseyheritage.org; late AprâOct daily 10amâ5pm, NovâMar Sun only), housed in a restored warehouse on New North Quay, explores every aspect of the islandâs links with the sea. Jersey was one of the largest shipbuilding centres in Europe, its shipyards around the coast producing over 800 wooden sailing ships in the mid-19th century. From the 1860s the trade suffered from the advent of iron and steam.
This first-rate museum offers a host of hands-on exhibits and other activities for visitors of all ages. You can feel the pull of the currents and the power of the sea, design a boat and listen to songs and salty tales of the past. Among the highlights are a full-size replica of the bow of the Jersey-built brig, the Orient Star, and the âVoyages Globeâ, a giant animatronic globe illustrating the journeys of Jerseyâs ships all over the world. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays you can watch the declining art of boat-building as volunteers repair and maintain the museumâs fleet of historic vessels. Examples of the restored boats can sometimes be seen in the marina outside the museum. ...