The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 2.3 miles (3.7km)
Time to walk: Just a stroll & it took us nearly a full day as you could easily spend 3 hours in the Museum alone
Difficulty: Flat & all on hard surfaces
Dog Friendly?: A town walk with visits inside buildings so not really suitable
Parking: n/a
Public toilets: Cafes etc en route
Map of the route:
In March 2026 we visited Jersey for the first time on a 3 night, off-season deal
The weather was mixed so one Day 1 we decided to spend the evening exploring the town itself & then finish it off on Day 2. There’s so much to see & do, plus also explore the history & occupation of this stunning island. On Day 3 we did an amazing beach & old railway line walk which is coming soon
Jersey is an autonomous & self-governing British Crown Dependency 14 miles off the coast of France. At 45 square miles it’s the largest of the Channel Islands. Although not a sovereign state, Jersey has its own legal, fiscal & governmental systems
Historically part of the Duchy of Normandy, Jersey remained loyal to the English Crown when the English kings lost mainland Normandy, but it never became part of the Kingdom of England. From then until the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Jersey was at the frontline of Anglo-French Wars & was invaded a number of times
The island was invaded & occupied by Nazi German forces during World War II until 9th May 1945 when it was liberated. Liberation Day is celebrated annually
The island has a large financial services industry, as well as agriculture & tourism. Whilst its currency is pound sterling, the bank notes are issued locally. Hold a note up to the light to spot a local resident in the hologram
We’ll investigate more history as we explore so…
Let’s Walk!
1. Our Walk begins in Liberation Square next to the Liberation Statue which was unveiled in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of Liberation Day after five years of occupation during WW2
We stayed at the wonderful Pomme D’or Hotel on the Square. The original site of the Pomme d’Or had been occupied since 1802, & initially stables were built on it. In 1837, the owners demolished the stables & built a hotel in their place. It was named the Pomme D’Or after a local cider produced nearby
In 1852, the French author Victor Hugo (Les Miserables) stayed at the hotel during his exile from France. Following the end of the First World War, the hotel had become dilapidated until 1932 when the Seymour family bought it & renovated it – it’s still owned by the family today
When the Germans invaded in 1940, the Pomme d’Or was requisitioned by the Nazis as the Kriegsmarine Naval Headquarters. The Reichskriegsflagge was flown from the hotel’s flagpole
During the Liberation of the Channel Islands, soldiers of the British Army climbed to the balcony & removed the Nazi flag & replaced it with the Union Jack. Since then, the act of raising the Union Jack on the hotel balcony has been ceremonially repeated yearly as the focal point for Jersey’s Liberation Day celebrations
The hotel as some wonderful photographs of that day when the Nazi flag was torn down in the foyer
2. The main building on the Square is Liberty Wharf, a Victorian building that was once a huge abbatoir. It’s worth a wander through & there are several restaurants & bars
Facing Liberty Wharf turn around & walk over the road to the opposite side of the square where you’ll find a stone arch known as the Great War Arch…
3. Turn around again & behind you now is the wonderful Jersey Museum, Art Gallery & Victorian House where you could easily spend a full day…
There’s another great statue outside
4. This is an amazing, free museum & we really recommend watching the film in the foyer before beginning your explorations. The museum is spread over several floors, the first telling the story of when it was a gaol & how the inmates used to carve stones…
We were amazed to discover a link to Horncastle where I was brought up & was home to renowned hangman William Marwood. There’s a ‘Cat o nine Tails’ & one of Marwood’s nooses here
Marwood was born in 1818 in the village of Goulceby in Lincolnshire & was originally a cobbler like his father, of Church Lane, Horncastle
See this link to my walk around the town where I grew up & his workshop which is still there
At the age of 54 he persuaded the governor of Lincoln Castle Gaol to allow him to conduct an execution. The efficient way in which he conducted the hanging of William Frederick Horry on 1 April 1872 assisted him in being appointed hangman by the Sheriffs of London & Middlesex in 1874, in succession to William Calcraft, at a retainer of £20 a year plus £10 per execution
Marwood developed the “long drop” technique of hanging, which aimed to ensure that the prisoner’s neck was broken instantly at the end of the drop, resulting in instantaneous death
This was considered more humane than the slow death by strangulation caused by the “short drop” method, particularly distressing to prison governors & staff who were required to witness executions at close quarters following abolition of public executions by the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868
So…I go all the way to Jersey & come across someone from the small town where I grew up…
5. The Museum tells the story of Jersey through the ages including many finds like flints etc & this Gold Torque piece of jewellery…
And don’t forget to look for Lily Langtry’s ‘gifted’ jewellery case
But perhaps the most touching part of this building is the exhibition that tells the story of the German occupation in World War II, when so many of the locals risked their lives. The narrative tells us that, when the Island was liberated, people came out of their houses for the first time in years & couldn’t believe what had happened to their beloved island
The Germans were forced to clean up what they had constructed, including the barbed wire, & one film says…”We didn’t supply them with gloves”…this collections of helmets is very poignant
The other major part of the Museum walks you around the beautifully restored, gas-lit Victorian House to learn the story of a Victorian family in crisis as Dr Charles Ginestet abandons their beautiful home & flees to France to start a new life
6. This next part of our walk was done early evening & then carried on the next day. So come out of the Museum, turn right & then right again along Mulcaster Street, named after Captain Mulcaster who refused to surrender Elizabeth Castle (which sits out in the Bay) before the Battle of Jersey in January 1781
Note the wonderful decor of the Lamplighter pub on the right
It features an intricate facade which was created in 1877 by a prison officer. Now the ornate carvings & paintwork have been restored to their former glory thanks to local tradesmen & a mural artist…& it’s stunning
7. Turn left along Bond Street which gets its name because the merchants houses had cellars where bonded stores were kept…
Now turn right into the churchyard…
8. Look for a plaque in the grass on the right which marks the tomb of Baron de Rullecourt who was working as a soldier for hire, when he was placed in command of French Royal Army troops during the failed French invasion of Jersey in 1779
Two years later, he launched another invasion attempt on Jersey. Rullecourt’s second-in-command, Mir Sayyad, advised him to ransack the island & to kill all its civilians, but instead he captured the island’s governor Moses Corbet, & used him as a tool to try & engineer a British surrender. But the British troops on the island refused to surrender, & Rullecourt was mortally wounded in the following battle in which the British outnumbered the French. Rullecourt died a day later of his wounds, in the modern-day Peirson Pub. He had failed in his attempt to bluff the British into surrender
9. If it’s open, pay a visit to the church where you’ll get a really great welcome from the volunteers…
Helier was a Belgian saint who lived as a hermit for some ten years on an islet in St Aubin’s Bay. In AD 555 he was martyred by Saxon pirates, beheaded by their leader who feared his men would be converted by Helier’s preaching. In consequence Helier soon came to be venerated by the Islanders, & eventually was adopted as the Patron Saint of both Jersey & its capital
The site of the church would have been the closest accessible location on dry land to the site of Helier’s martyrdom. It is believed that a chapel was erected on the site of the present building very shortly after Helier’s death, but the present church was begun in the 11th century. The earliest record is in a document regarding the payment of tithes signed by Duke William II of Normandy, which – because William signed himself Duke rather than King – it’s assumed to pre-date the Norman Conquest
10. Come out of the church & turn right to exit the churchyard, crossing Church Street..note the street sign ‘Church Street, Rue Trousse Cotillon’ which means ‘bundle up your petticoat’. Why was it called that? Well a stream once flowed here so you’s better gird them up to keep them dry
Walk straight across into one of the most important areas of Jersey…Royal Square
11. Royal Square was the Town Market Space until 1802 & is also the site of the 1781 battle against the French forces, a pivotal moment in island’s history.
The battle took place here on 6th January 1781 between 600 French invaders & British troups. It was a short, but violent battle where both commanders were killed. Victory went to the British & this was the last land battle to be fought on British soil
There’s so much to see here so it’s best to have a wander – we went clockwise…
So wander into the square & look at the ground ahead of you…can you spot the large ‘V’ & then the letters spelling ‘Vega’?
The stonemason employed was Joseph Le Guyader who had recently worked on the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart at St Aubin, where he incorporated a symbolic anchor of coloured granite into the façade to show compassion for the lives lost at sea in the South Atlantic during the early stages of the war
After more than four years of Occupation & with Germans all around, he decided to show his patriotism. The Allied forces were winning the war, & Joseph resolved to commemorate this for posterity by laying a large ‘V’ for victory in the paving. As the work progressed, he moved his equipment & materials around to hide his work beneath, finally revealing it at the time of the Liberation
Of all the memorials in Jersey, this is perhaps the best appreciated: one man’s act of defiance
12. Turn around to see the 17th century Corn Exchange…
Moving clockwise note the old Police Station in a building that was originally the meat market…
13. This building has several interesting features including the ‘Police Alarm’ which was installed in 1901 & was one of several that covered the town. Each box contained a telephone with a detachable ear piece, writing platform & batteries
Note the sundial which dates back to the reign of George III
14. Walk up the left side of the square where there’s several restaurants & pubs…
The Peirson on the left has a plaque telling you about its roll in the Battle of Jersey. At the time of the battle the building was the house of Dr Phillipe Lerrier Major Peirson who was killed in the battle. Look for the patches on the wall that cover marks made by the bullets fired during the battle
15. Walk across to the golden statue on your right..
…which is of King George II who in 1750 contributed £200 towards the improvements of the harbour. But it’s the plinth & the mark at the foot of this monument that’s of more importance
The mark is commonly know as a ‘Benchmark’ from which distances in Jersey were measured
16. Stand on the granite plinth…
Where you are now standing was from this stone that Charles II was proclaimed King of England in 1649 following the execution of his father, Charles I
To your right is a stunning building with a Coat of Arms over it…the State Chambers & Royal Court
Next door, in front of the library, is a bust of Lord Coutanche, Bailiff of Jersey during the war…
17. Leave Royal Square by the narrow passage alongside the Peirson & turn right along King Street. The joy of doing this part of the walk at night was seeing the art-deco buildings lit up
At the junction turn left & then right along cobbled Hilgrove Street, locally know as French Lane
18. On your left’s the Prince of Wales pub which is a proper local – note the cobweb fanlight above the door…
Don’t be afraid of the warnings 😉
19. So at this point we ran out of light, & also the Market was closed, so let’s start again the following morning outside the entrance,,,
The Central Market has served people for over 200 years &, once you enter, you can see why – it’s amazing
There’s food, drink & so much more plus, of course, Jersey flowers which can be sent all over the UK at a price!). We suggest you wander up & down but, in the centre’s the ornate fountain designed by Abraham Viel, one of three identical ones built by John Dyson in Yorkshire
20. Close to the fountain, near to the Market Street exit, look for a Post Box outside a shop which was once a Post Office. This is the first pillar box of its kind in the British Isles designed by Anthony Trollope in 1852
21. Leave the Market close to the post box along narrow Market Street…
Bearing left into Halkett Street. At the end look down the street to the right to see the huge Wesley Grove Methodist Church
22. If you fancy a quick diversion to see one of St Helier’s most famed sights then head to the corner of Bath Street & Peter Street to see La Vaque de Jerri, a tribute to the island’s well-known breed of cattle to commemorate the 50th anniversary of The World Jersey Cattle bureau
Over the road on the right’s Beresford Market (the wonderful fish market.) which has been on the site since 1841, although the present building dates back to the 1930s. Go in & chat…they’re really welcoming
Wander through this great market, but what we surprised was how little of the produce here was from local waters – even the samphire came from Israel
23. After passing through the fish market turn left at the Minden Place exit & look for a plaque on the wall on the left to Captain Le Geyt, the first Postmaster General…
Continue along the street passing the Art Deco Jersey Telecoms building
24. Walk straight ahead into Burrard Street. General Burrard was the successor to the Duke of Wellington who gave land to the town in 1812 to provide access to the markets
At the next junction note the granite slabs on the corner which sit above the town’s stream (Le Grand Douet) which flows into the sea
25. Carry on straight ahead & Burrard Street becomes Union Street, passing the Magistrates Court…
At the end you’ll arrive at The Parade which was once the drilling ground for the island’s garrisoned troops in the early 19th century & is now one of St Helier’s most popular public parks
Before the General Hospital was built close by, this was an area of sand dunes outside what was then a very small town, but one that had started to grow. The west end of the town had first began to be developed around the 1660s. By the 18th century the rise in population prompted the building of the General Hospital, which was originally more of a poorhouse than a hospital for the treatment of illness as it is today
26. Turn right & pass General Dods statue. He was the Governor of Jersey during the Napoleonic Wars & was responsible for building Fort Regent & many of the roads on the island
Ahead you’ll see the imposing building that’s All Saints Church which was built in the 1830s
27. At the end of the Parade turn back along the road past the General Hospital…
The hospital was originally a poorhouse from 1793, with the foundation stone being laid in 1765. The building was requisitioned by the military in 1779 as there were no barracks on the island
It was largely destroyed by fire in 1859 &, until 1868, when St Saviour’s Hospital was opened, it also served as a lunatic asylum
28. Continue ahead to the Cenotaph which is quite similar to the one in Whitehall…
On the right’s a reminder of the island’s French connections as the Town Hall wouldn’t look amiss in a Francais Village
29. Walk ahead & bear right along Dumaresq Street…
At the junction look out for Le Crapaud. the native toad & the name for the Jersey locals
He’s a big boy
30. Continue through Charing Cross. We can highly recommend Eddie’s Fish & Chips. Where the road splits is a granite cross celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee
Bear right along Broad Street past the Post office to the Obelisk which was built in honour of Peter Le Sueur, the five times Constable of St Helier in the 1804s. He built the sewer system of the town
31. You’re now in the financial district of Jersey which is well known worldwide. The junction of roads is called Library Place & one of its corners is called ‘Le Coin Anes’ where the donkeys were held for market
A little further on is Le Coin Cocnons where the pigs were kept
Go back to Broad Street & bear left down Conway Street…
At the end bear left to return to Liberation Square where we started this walk
So that’s it…our look at St Helier
Like we said you could easily spend a couple of days exploring with all the details in the Museum
Plus, if the tide is low, why not have a walk out along the Causeway to Elizabeth Castle which is accessible at low tide close to Liberation Square
Construction was started in the 16th century when the power of the cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil was insufficient to defend the Island & the port of St Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships armed with cannons
It is named after Elizabeth I who was queen of England around the time the castle was built.
It’s well worth a walk out but the sheer size of it can only be seen from aerial photos
St Helier is fab so…
Go Walk!