CHANNEL ISLANDS: Jersey

Location - Western Europe; Capital - Jersey - St Helier; Population - Channel Islands - 155,000; Jersey - 90,000; Currency - Pound MORE UK - LONDON

Strictly speaking the Channel Islands aren't part of the United Kingdom, rather they are a Crown dependency of the UK. Jersey is the largest of the five main islands, located close to the French coast in the, erm, Channel hence the name - January 2014.

Jersey has its own version of the Pound and it's worth exactly the same, but you'll find it difficult to use them in the UK

Words are in English, French and the local French dialect Jerriais. The watermark is the famous Jersey cow..

The Liberation Sculpture in Liberation Square is likely one of the first sights you'll see - St Helier

It celebrates the liberation of the Channel Islands from WWII German Nazi rule in 1945. They're waving the Union flag - St Helier

Behind the Liberation Sculpture is Liberty Wharf, home to boutique shops and Mimosa, the most popular bar in Jersey (in 2014 at least) - St Helier

Opposite the square at Weighbridge Place is the Jersey Museum covering the island's history - St Helier

Locals play a very French game of boules - St Helier

Head seawards from the museum to the Steam Clock, whose design is based on a paddle steamer - St Helier

Along St Helier Marina is the Maritime Museum and Occupation Tapestry Gallery - St Helier

The Maritime Museum looks over St Helier Marina's yachts and boats - St Helier

Above St Helier Marina, the glowing dome above Fort Regent changes colour every few seconds - St Helier

Elizabeth Marina is a couple of minutes walk from St Helier Marina - St Helier

A statue suspended outside the Tourist Office at Liberty Wharf - St Helier

The covered Central Market is a colourful affair selling flowers, fruit & veg, second hand books and household goods - St Helier

As you'd expect on an island, Jersey has a bountiful Fish Market. OK it's a bit empty here but the best time to visit a fish market is always first thing in the morning - St Helier

A 19th century obelisk in Library Place - St Helier

A statue of King George II in Royal Square, where witches were burnt centuries ago - St Helier

A bright painting in the multi-storey car park adjoining Fort Regent - St Helier

Not much remains of the 18th century Fort Regent, built on a granite hill (left). The Fort has been converted into a leisure centre - St Helier

Back on the waterfront, La Fregate Cafe is designed to look like an upturned boat - St Helier

At low tide a causeway to Elizabeth Castle reveals itself. Get your timing right! St Helier

Construction on the castle began in the late 16th century - St Helier

Sir Walter Raleigh lived in the castle when appointed Governor of Jersey from 1600 to 1603, and named it after Queen Elizabeth I - St Helier

Unfortunately the castle, along with several other attractions in Jersey, is closed to visitors in the winter - St Helier

Havre de Pas, east of the centre, has a few hotels, bed & breakfasts as well as some classy buildings - St Helier

A monument to the shipbuilders of Jersey, on the coastal path just off Havre de Pas - St Helier

The coastal walkway (called Boulevard) fringes Greve d'Azette Bay - St Helier

I hired a bike for the day and headed westwards along St Aubin's Bay

First Tower is one of many fortifications built for the defence of the island. It's one of around 30 towers built at the end of the 18th century - St Aubin's Bay

The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles occupied by Nazi Germany in WWII. The Jersey War Tunnels were built using forced labour during the five year occupation

The tunnels were originally intended as protection from invasion, serving as a barracks and storage depot. But as the Germans faced defeat it became an emergency hospital - Jersey War Tunnels

A small WWII cemetery lies on La Route du Fort in St Helier

Back at St Aubin's Bay is the silhouette of St Aubin's Fort - St Aubin

The result of me messing around with the Impressive Art retouch button on my Lumix. Like it! St Aubin

16th century St Aubin's Fort is closed to the public - St Aubin

St Brelade's Parish Hall was formerly a train station - St Aubin

St Aubin's harbour

The rocky coastline at St Aubin

An orange glow sunset over St Aubin's Bay

La Tour de Vinde is a Martello Tower built by the British in the early 19th century - Noirmont Point

Noirmont Point is a headland on which the Germans constructed an artillery battery called Battery Lothringen during WWII

An artillery gun at Noirmont Point, with St Helier in the background

Ammunition bunker - Noirmont Point

Battery Lothringen's underground German Command Bunker has been converted into a museum - Noirmont Point

In June 1940 the British government announced that the Channel Islands would not be defended in the event of an invasion. Days later Jersey fell to Nazi Germany - Noirmont Point

The museum is closed in the winter but luckily some workers doing a spot of renovation allowed visitors in for a look around - Noirmont Point

The Battery No. 1 Gun was recovered from the sea at Les Landes in 1992 and returned to Noirmont Point

Portelet Tower is a Martello Tower on Ile au Guerdain - Portelet Bay

The attractive seaside resort of St Brelade's Bay on the south west coast

It was such a mild January day I was wearing a tshirt! (But true to form the next day was crap) - St Brelade's Bay

I'd never heard of stand-up paddle surfing until I saw this - St Brelade's Bay

Preparing myself for another steep cycle climb on the outskirts of St Brelade's Bay

A distant Corbiere Lighthouse as seen from Petit Port - Corbiere

I'm not sure what this site is, on the path from Petit Port to Ouen's Bay. Possibly a defensive bunker/German bunker? Petit Port

The path emerges at the southern side of St Ouen's Bay

La Rocco Tower was built in 1796 to defend the island during the Napoleonic wars - St Ouen's Bay

La Rocco Tower and Corbiere Lighthouse through the seaspray at St Ouen's Bay

More surfing action, this time at St Ouen's Bay

The sweeping St Ouen's Bay, looking north towards Les Landes. It's a popular place for families at the weekend

La Caumine à Mary Best, or Le Don Hilton, is an 18th century former guardhouse - St Ouen's Bay

The Channel Islands Military Museum is housed in a bunker within Hitler's Atlantic wall defence system - St Ouen's Bay

The northern tip of St Ouen's Bay

There's fantastic views of St Ouen's Bay from Les Landes. What looks like inland water is actually sheeting to protect the Jersey potatoes

The perfect spot for a panoramic view - Les Landes

A WWII artillery gun at Les Landes

On a clear day it's easy to see the fellow Channel Islands of Herm (left) and Sark (right) as well as Guernsey (off picture) - Les Landes

Passing another tower on the bus ride along the east coast to Gorey - Royal Bay of Grouville

Jersey has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world; at high tide all this rocky beach as well as the Tower is under water - Royal Bay of Grouville

Mont Orgueil Castle dominates the skyline on the route to Gorey

Mont Orgueil Castle was built in the 13th century to protect from French invasion - Gorey

Over the centuries the castle was extended, including modifications made by the Germans in 1940 to artillery positions and observation decks - Gorey

Wound Man is a sculpture depicting the many injuries a soldier might suffer in battle - Gorey

Mont Orgueil Castle is one of the few attractions open in the winter (weekends only) - Gorey

Three dimensional holographic images of the Queen were commissioned to mark 800 years of Jersey's allegiance to the Crown - Gorey

The Tree of Succession traces the French and English crowns from the 12th to 15th century - Gorey

More great views, this time from the top of the castle looking down on the Castle gardens and ramparts, Gorey pier and harbour, and the Royal Bay of Grouville - Gorey

Think of Jersey and two things spring to mind (or maybe four if you include its tax-free status and Bergerac). One is the Jersey potato, here being worked on the slopes at Gorey. The other is the distinctive Jersey cow - La Hougue Bie

From Gorey I walked upwards and inland until I reached La Hougue Bie. The village is the site of a Neolithic burial chamber dating back to 3500BC, its entrance pictured here. But hey it's winter so it's closed..

Built on the mound above the chamber is Notre Dame de la Clarté - La Hougue Bie

Also at La Hougue Bie is a former German command bunker (the raised entrance) used during the German Occupation. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the statue honours those forced to labour for the Germans during WWII

On the north coast of the island is the beach resort of Greve de Lecq

The Greve de Lecq Barracks were built in 1810 to house soldiers to fight a potential French invasion - Greve de Lecq

Stuck in the local car park, Greve de Lecq Tower was built in the 1770s. Many towers are whitewashed on their seaward side to serve as a navigational aid - Greve de Lecq

Le Moulin de Lecq pub-restaurant, complete with a 6m wide waterwheel, was formerly a flour-grinding watermill 600 years ago which was still in operation in 1929 - Greve de Lecq

One of the last places I visited was St Saviour's Church, famous as the resting place of local actress Lillie Langtry

Lillie Langtry was also famous for being a mistress of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII - St Saviour's Church

A fantastic view of Jersey on a flight from Fez to London back in December 2013. The arc on the middle-left is St Aubin's Bay with St Helier at its base; at the top left of the bay is Noirmont Point

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LINKS

www.jersey.com - Jersey tourist board

www.libertybus.je - Jersey bus timetables

www.visitchannelislands.com - Guide to the Channel Islands

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