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WALKING ON JERSEY

Walking on Jersey is incredibly varied, but most people concentrate on the island’s coastline

The walks in this guidebook are mostly short and straightforward, chosen to reflect the diversity of the landscapes and seascapes, along with the history, heritage and natural history of Jersey. Almost all the walks link directly with one or two other walks, allowing all kinds of extensions to the routes. All the walks are easily accessible by bus services, so a car is not necessary.

Jersey has an area of only 116km2 (45 square miles) and walkers are never more than 3.5km (2 miles) from the sea. Within this limited area this guidebook offers around 225km (140 miles) of incredibly varied walking, with a coastal walk alone measuring almost 80km (50 miles). If explorations are extended to Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm, then the interest and enjoyment is doubled. Complete coastal walks around the five main Channel Islands are now being promoted as the ‘Channel Island Way’, measuring 178km (110 miles).

In the past the Channel Islands were not really viewed as a walking destination; rather, they were a holiday destination where people simply couldn’t help walking. These days, one third of visitors state that their main reason for visiting the islands is to walk. The sight of golden beaches, rugged cliffs, flowery headlands and lush woodlands proves irresistible for exploring on foot. There are so many things to see along the paths, tracks and roads – interesting places to visit and always the offer of food and drink.

The walks are mostly circular and almost every stretch along the coast features a contrasting exploration inland. It has to be said that there are few paths and tracks inland, and while some roads can be quite busy, there are plenty of quiet country roads too, specially designated as ‘green lanes’, where priority is given to walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. A few of the walks are entirely inland, because it is important to appreciate the inland countryside and its farming traditions just as much as the popular coastline. Almost every route passes some sort of attraction, ranging from castles to historic houses, churches to craft centres. Many attractions seem to exist purely because they have a captive audience of visitors, and those that are on or near the walks are noted, with brief details given. Many of them have an entry charge and may be well worth an hour’s exploration.

A designated ‘green lane’ gives priority to walkers and cyclists, with a 15mph speed limit for vehicles

Paths on Jersey are mostly on firm, dry surfaces, but some stretches may be muddy after rain. Some paths on steep slopes are equipped with plenty of wooden steps, and most of these have been made slip-proof. Most of the time, a pair of comfortable walking shoes are fine for walking, and hefty boots are not required. If boots are worn, lightweight ones will suffice. There are some signposts, but most paths are obvious even without markers, and it is usually made clear if a path is private. Roads on Jersey usually bear their names at one end or both, which saves confusion when they form a dense network.

What to take

Generally speaking, Jersey’s weather is a little milder than the weather you would expect in the south of England. There are no hills and walkers rarely find themselves much above 100m (330ft) above sea level. The most basic walking gear will suffice, with comfortable footwear and clothing to suit hot and cool conditions, including sun protection for sunny days and waterproofs in case of rain. It is increasingly common to see heavily-booted walkers with poles and packs trudging round the island, but Jersey is a gentle landscape, and even if foul weather were to interfere with a walk, it is very easy to cut walks short, bail out by bus and retreat to your lodgings.

Waymarking and access

Jersey is intensively cultivated, with large areas of tillage given over to potatoes and other crops, while pastures are grazed by Jersey cows. Almost 90,000 people live on the island, the road network is remarkably dense and car ownership is very high. Add to this the huge number of visitors, and it is a wonder there is room to breathe, let alone walk. However, there are plenty of paths, tracks and quiet roads available for walkers, and while signposts and waymarks are few, routes that are freely available to the public are usually quite obvious. The best maps of Jersey show many of these routes, but by no means all of them. In practical terms, with this guidebook to hand, Jersey can be explored thoroughly using the available access.

A newly-planted wooden signpost, keeping visitors on course to enjoy their walks

Special mention needs to be made of the inter-tidal zone. Jersey has one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, up to 12m (40ft) at spring tides. The sight of sandy beaches and jagged rocks emerging from the sea as the tide recedes encourages many people to explore to the water’s edge, especially in the south-east. To a certain extent this is to be encouraged, but it must be done with caution. Obtain a copy of the tide tables and study them carefully. Walking out as the tide recedes is unlikely to be a problem, but when the tide is advancing it is possible to be cut off before realising it. Trying to get from beach to beach around the foot of cliffs can be dangerous and can lead to an inconvenient stranding, or death by drowning. In short, don’t wander around the inter-tidal zone without having a clearly visible route back to dry land.

Maps

The maps in this guide are extracted from the States of Jersey 1:25,000 Official Leisure Map of Jersey which, in terms of style and content, is similar to the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps of Britain. In fact, the map was originally compiled by the Ordnance Survey, but has since been digitised and updated by Digimap, www.digimap.je, for the States of Jersey. It is the most detailed map of the island, showing everything down to field boundaries and even the back gardens of houses in towns and villages. The walking routes in this guidebook are shown as a highlighted overlay on this map.

There are plenty of other maps of Jersey, including free maps suitable for general touring, which often highlight attractions so boldly that they obscure other details in the vicinity. By all means amass a collection of free maps, picking them up from Jersey Tourism or from hotels and visitor attractions around the island.

Getting around Jersey

By car

Cars can be taken on the Condor ferries to Jersey, and it is possible to hire cars on Jersey, either pre-booked or on arrival. Jersey cars carry a ‘J’ before the number on their registration plates, but hire cars are also stamped with a prominent ‘H’ for ‘hire’ or, according to local drivers, ‘horror’, because of the way they perceive the driving skills of visitors! Jersey’s roads are narrow and the maximum speed limit is 40mph, dropping to 15mph on ‘green lanes’. Roads can be very congested, especially at peak times around St Helier, and parking is very limited in some areas. The bottom line is, you won’t be going anywhere fast!

An extreme form of transport, a DUKW trundles off the beach and into the sea

A car is essential if you choose accommodation away from a regular bus route, but if you are based in St Helier, or on a regular bus route, then it is best to use buses to travel round the island. Drivers should obtain and study the free leaflet ‘Parking and Driving in Jersey’. If you do not understand the ‘filter in turn’ rule that applies in Jersey, then think twice before driving there.

By bus

Jersey has an excellent bus network provided by LibertyBus, and it is worth visiting the bus station, Liberation Station, to pick up timetables and enquire about tickets at the earliest opportunity. All the routes in this guidebook were researched using buses, and the author heartily recommends this mode of travel. The timetables come in summer and winter versions, although there are only minor differences between them.

The bus routes are numbered and generally fan outwards from St Helier, running from early until late. They reach various far-flung parts of Jersey, where they turn round and come back to town. A few of the bus routes cross over each other. Tickets can be bought on the bus for single journeys and there are two prices, depending on whether the journey is short or long. Save money by buying tickets at the bus station, for unlimited travel spanning periods of one, three or seven days, offering progressively better value. In general, you need to make three or four long bus journeys per day for these tickets to pay for themselves, otherwise singles work out cheaper. Alternatively, invest in an ‘AvanchiCard’, which works more or less the same way that an ‘Oyster’ card works in London.

Full details of all bus services on Jersey, including timetables, an online Journey Planner, and fare information, are available at www.libertybus.je. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01534 828555. Bus stops around Jersey have unique numbers, either on the bus stop or painted on the road. Simply text one of these numbers to 66556 to receive details of the next available bus service. Live bus times can also be checked on mobile devices.

Tourist information

The first point of contact for all tourism-related enquiries is Jersey Tourism, Liberation Place, St Helier, JE1 1BB. Tel. 01534 448800, email info@jersey.com, website www.jersey.com.

Jersey Tourism provides plenty of free printed materials, including accommodation brochures and leaflets about attractions and events and ‘what’s on’ guides. There are also books, maps and gifts on sale. Its website includes plenty of information about walking opportunities, including the popular Jersey Walking Weeks that are a feature of spring and autumn each year. These events offer visiting walkers the chance to explore the island in the company of Jersey people, led by knowledgeable local guides.

The black and white Noirmont Tower off Noirmont Point dates from around 1810 (Walk 3)

Emergencies

The police, ambulance, fire and coastguard services are all alerted by dialling 999, free of charge, from any telephone. Alternatively, the European emergency number of 112 can be used. Jersey has two police forces, having retained an ‘honorary’ police force dating from the 15th century, whose officers are attached to the island parishes, www.jerseyhonorarypolice.org.

The emergency services sometimes call for the assistance of the Channel Islands Air Search, a voluntary organisation that maintains a light aircraft, available on stand-by 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering an ‘eyes in the sky’ capability around the islands. See www.ci-airsearch.com.

Using this guide

The walks in this guidebook start with a town trail around St Helier, allowing visitors to become acquainted with some of the heritage features and services of the largest town in the Channel Islands. Walks 2 to 16 are arranged clockwise round the coast of Jersey, and most of them are circular, made up of a coastal stretch and an inland stretch. They are all fairly short and easy, with the most rugged being along the north coast. As all the walks are arranged side-by-side they can be linked to form longer walks. Walk 17 is different, and is entirely dependent on a favourable tide; therefore it might not be possible to attempt while you are on the island. Walks 18 to 24 explore the inland parts of Jersey, though as has already been observed, no part of the island is more than 3.5km (2 miles) from the sea.

All the walking routes are accessible by bus services, and if any other bus services cross them, these are mentioned. Places offering food and drink are mentioned, but as opening times vary it is wise to carry something to eat and drink. If there are any visitor attractions on the routes, these are given a brief description, and if contact details are provided, opening times can be checked. Bear in mind that some attractions take an hour or two to explore properly, and this eats into the time spent walking. A very short walking route with two or three major attractions and a good restaurant can take all day to complete if walkers really want to make the most of these opportunities!

Some walkers visit Jersey simply to walk all the way round the coast, and this is an admirable plan. Walk 25 explains in very brief detail how to do it, by referring readers back to Walks 2 to 16. Each of these walks includes a stretch of coast, but at the point where these routes head inland, it is possible to link directly with the next walk in the book and the next stretch of coast. An annual sponsored walk aims to cover the coast in one long day, while average walkers would take three or four days to walk round the island. During the Jersey Walking Weeks, a guided five-day circuit is offered.

Walkers who have also obtained a copy of the Cicerone guide Walking on Guernsey can combine coastal walks around Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm with a coastal walk around Jersey, thereby completing the ‘Channel Island Way’ (see Appendix A). The full distance is around 178km (110 miles).