The castle at Mont Orgueil, in Gorey, Jersey, dates back to the early 1200s. This is a popular place for tourists, and locals to visit. It is often referred to as Gorey Castle, by the locals.
Gorey is on the east coast of Jersey, and there are many buses running there from St. Helier - route no. 1.
Below are some photos of Mont Orgueil.
Jersey Weekly is a local magazine, published in Jersey. It features a comprehensive guide to upcoming events.
Spring Specials is a booklet, published in Spring, which lists lots of tasty menus with special prices.
Find out where to eat out, read the online copy here:
Spring Specials
These offers run from 1st March to 14th April, 2011.
If you want to find out what events are taking place in Jersey, I can recommending checking the following websites for information.
This boat show is held on May bank holiday at the Elizabeth Marina in St. Helier, Jersey.
Below are some of my photos taken at the event in 2009.
Visit the official Jersey Boat Show website. Entry to the boat show is free, and all are welcome.
The photo below shows HMS York (D98) destroyer in St. Helier Harbour.
Surfing is possible in this bay, on the west coast of Jersey, so long as the conditions are good.
Surfing is a popular sport in Jersey, and has been for a long time. The Jersey Surfboard Club are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2009.
Some areas of the beach are covered by life guards during the summer, and you should only surf in the designated areas.
Current surfing conditions can be checked on-line here.
There's also a web-cam which provides a live view of the surf in the bay, you'll find that on this page.
Even if you don't like to get wet, St. Ouen's Bay is highly recommended for taking in the setting sun, photography, bird watching, walking, etc.
This partly runied castle lies in the far north-western corner of Jersey. The castle is thought to have been built during the 14th century for Sir John des Roches.
As you can make out in the above photo, the castle is built on top of the rocky cliffs, with the sea on the north side. The main gate entrance is mostly still in tact, whilst the less substantial walls on the north side are mostly gone. Although you can still find the footings of the missing walls.
Thanks to the steep cliffs on the north side, and the strong granite walls on the south side, this castle would not have been so easy to capture. However, because it is built on very solid granite, there would have been no water well. This seems to be a major flaw, in that any attacking force could have simply waited for the castle's water supplies to run dry, before demanding a surrender.
The finer details of this castle's design are not known, due to its age and lack of proper records.
This is a nice spot to visit around sunset, with good views across the water to Guernsey and the other islands.
Further reading and photos:
Grosnez Castle on Wikipedia
Grosnez Castle on Typepad
Photo on The Funky Site
The Prodigy.I have just been taking a walk across the rocks at La Pulente beach, which is at the far south end of St. Ouen's Bay in Jersey. I spotted quite a few pairs of Oyster Catchers which were feeding in the exposed rock pools.
Here's some of the bird photos I took. Click on the photo for a bigger version.
This defensive tower sits on a small rocky outcrop, about 2km offshore. It is located off the east coast of Jersey, and is accessible on low-tides, by foot, from La Rocque harbour.
The ocean tides in this area a particularly dangerous, so you would be well advised to check tide times before venturing out there, and making sure you start walking back to shore before the tide turns.
The base of Seymour Tower has space for a battery of canons. The tower itself is square, unlike most of Jersey's coastal towers which are round.
It was built as part of the island's defences after the French made an invasion landing is this area.
The tower is in the care of the Jersey Heritage Trust, and can be rented out for short stays, and activities. It has been recently fitted-out with basic facilities, such as bunk-beds and a cooker.
Plémont is a very unique and secluded cove, which can be found on the north coast of Jersey. It has views across the English Channel to the other islands, such as Sark, and a nice cafe with indoor and terrace seating. A must-see if you're visiting Jersey on holiday.
The small sandy beach is covered by the high-tide. When the tide is low, you can explore the rocks and a near-by cave.
There is a cliff top footpath, this can be followed east or west. Be aware that the paths are very steep in places.
Swimming is safest on a low tide, but there is a lifeguard in attendance during the warmer months. Body boarding is possible at times.
There is minimal car parking near the beach and cafe, and a larger parking area at the top of the hill.
The photo below shows a section of the cliff paths. The greenery is some young ferns.
The Jersey Oyster Company is the largest oyster farm in Great Britain. Most of their oysters are exported to France. They also ship them to Whitstable and Colchester in the UK. Most of those find their way to tables in London restaurants.
The farm is located on Jersey's east coast, in the Royal Bay of Grouville. They also produce muscles which are served up in local restaurants.
There is evidence which shows that Jersey people have eaten oysters from these beaches for the last 6,000 years! Although, originally they would have been fished for and not farmed.
The Jersey Oyster Company was originally called "Le Société de Produits Ostréicole Jerrais" when it first started in the year 1973.
St. Helier now has a Rickshaw "taxi" service. Right now the operator has just the one Rickshaw which operates on a fixed cycle route between the St. Helier waterfront and St. Aubin. The owner does plan to have more Rickshaws, and hopes to be able to operate a service throughout the town.
Unfortunately, the one Rickshaw they have was already out and about when I took the above photo! But, you can see the other four wheeler bikes which are available for hire. These ones are self-ride.
You'll find a long cycle path which runs along the coast, at the top of the sea wall, from the waterfront to St. Aubin.
There are lots of nice cafes, bars and restaurants in St. Aubin, with views of the small harbour and fort.
If you enjoy cycling, you will be pleased to know that the whole of Jersey is accessible on a bike. But, be aware that there are many steep hills and plenty of cars to contend with in built-up areas.
Elizabeth Marina is Jersey's newest marina, which was opened in 1998. It has plenty of modern facilities, including electricity and water for each berth, and security cameras. Disabled access is good, with long ramps providing access to the pontoons.
Most vessels in this marina are the more expensive pleasure boats and yachts. The photo below shows a pair of brand new Fairline motor yachts.
At present there is a new Radisson SAS hotel being constructed, right next to the Elizabeth Marina. This hotel won't be open until late 2007, or 2008. However, there are plenty of other hotels nearby. These include the Pomme d'Or Hotel and the Grand Hotel.
You can find out more about St. Helier's main harbour, and nearby services on this page.
The above satellite photo shows the Elizabeth Marina, outlined in red. Elizabeth Castle can be seen, not far offshore. The castle can be accessed on foot, when the tide is low. On a high-tide there are amphibious vehicles which ferry passengers to the castle.
Rozel is situated on the north coast of Jersey, in the parish of St. Martin. This is a very small fishing port, and has quite a unique appearance and plenty of character.
The photo below was taken on a warm day in June 2007, as you can see there was a lot of sea mist around, which adds to the mystique and charm of Rozel.
The short pier, which harbours several small fishing boats, is constructed from the local volcanic rock. Several cafes, restaurants and hotels can be found here.
Rozel provides for fairly safe swimming, bathing and canoeing. Just like all of Jersey's beaches the water is very clean, you might even see the odd dolphin. The water is generally quite cold, but you may find warm patches of water near rocks which have stored the heat of the sun.
The Jersey Live Festival of Music 2007
Jersey Live will take place on the 1st and 2nd of September, in Trinity, Jersey.
The bands and DJs confirmed to play, so far, include:
The Fratellis
Kasabian
The Enemy
New Young Pony Club
The Rakes
Super Furry Animals
Digitalism
The Veez
Steve Lawler
Goose
Boys Noize
Optimo
Alterkicks
and more to come!
This is Jersey's highlight of the festival calendar. This year is set to be the biggest and best, so far.
Kempt Tower is down in St. Ouen's bay, in the Les Mielles area. It is open to the public, except in the winter.
The former fortification now acts as a visitor centre, with information on the local wildlife, and fauna.
It lies within a conservation area near a sandy beach. There are ponds and sand dunes to explore, which are home to many species of bird and wild flowers.
The tower was built in 1834 as a defensive fort, by the British Navy. A canon would have been positioned on the roof of the structure, with accomodation for troops on the first floor and storage space for ammunition on the ground floor.
This is the last surving Martello tower in Jersey. Although there are many other similar towers dotted around the coast.
Le Don Hilton is owned by the Jersey National Trust, and is located in St. Ouen's Bay on the west coast of Jersey.
The small cottage is also known as La Caumine a Marie Best. It was constructed in the 18th century, and is made from granite and concrete. It is now painted distinctively in white.
The building was originally used as a guard house, but is now available for overnight stays and barbeques. If you wish to stay there, you will need to book it with the National Trust.
Anyone can wander around, and take a look, at any time. It's easy to find when walking or driving near the beach in St. Peter.
If you would like to make use of this unusual building, please visit this page to make a booking.
The cottage is situated right on top of the sea wall. You will find cafes and surfing facilities near by, plus some other Jersey heritage sites close by.
This castle is know locally as Gorey Castle. It was built in the 13th Century and is an important part of the island's hertiage.
Gorey Castle was built to defend against the invading French. It overlooks a small harbour and pier. You will find a series of small hotels, restaurants, shops and pubs along the pier.
The east facing Royal Bay of Grouville sits alongside, and the Jersey Potteries can be found in Gorey Village.
The castle has recently undergone a major renovation and is now free of scaffolding!
This is one of the best castles in Great Britain and is open all year round, although it is not open every day in the Winter months. Be aware that the castle closes during high winds, for safety reasons.
Various attractions are laid on, including falconry and children's activities.
Find out more at www.jerseyheritagetrust.org
St. Helier harbour is comprised of a commercial port and various marinas for yachts and boats. There's also a lifeboat station and maritime museum, which is open all year round.
The photograph below, shows the older part of the harbour with Fort Regent in the background.
Elizabeth Marina
This is Jersey's newest marina, which was opened by HRH Prince Andrew in 1998. It has modern facilities, including electricity and water for each berth, and a pump out service available. The marina is monitored by CCTV for security purposes.
The newly constructed building, in the background of the photo, is the Harbour Reach apartment block.
Ferry Terminal
The Elizabeth Terminal, and other smaller terminals, are used by ferry operators. They operate on routes between Jersey, Guernsey, Poole, Portsmouth, Weymouth, St. Malo, Carteret and Granville. Car and passenger ferries operate on these routes.
If you are holidaying on Jersey, you might like to take a day trip to France. Journey time by ferry is approximately 1 hour. St. Malo is a very popular tourist destination.
Local Amenities
The Harbour is located in Jersey's main town of St. Helier. So, pretty much all services are available within walking distance, including banks, shopping areas, hotels, cinemas, gyms, swimming pool, the general hospital and tourist attractions.
Jersey Tourism's information centre is near by, you can visit them online at www.jersey.com.
