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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 [email protected], 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
