Jersey is suitable as a year-round destination and generally enjoys slightly milder weather than the south of England, but the weather is still highly variable and impossible to forecast accurately. Winters are mild, but there may be frosts and, very occasionally, snow. Very bad weather at any time of year can upset ferry schedules, while fog affects flights. The peak summer period can be very hot and busy, which may not suit those looking for peace and quiet. The shoulder seasons, spring and autumn, are generally ideal for walking, with bright, clear days and temperatures that are neither too high nor too low. In fact, these are the times of year that the Jersey Walking Weeks are arranged, featuring plenty of guided walks led by local experts.
Visiting walkers can join local walkers during the spring and autumn Walking Weeks
Accommodation
Jersey offers every type of accommodation to suit every pocket, but over the past few years prices have risen as hotels have moved up-market. Choose an accommodation base carefully, thinking primarily about how you intend to organise your walks. If you are hiring a car, then any base anywhere on the island will be fine. If you intend using the bus services to travel to and from walks, then the best base would be somewhere central in St Helier, handy for the bus station. An annual accommodation guide is produced, which can be obtained by post from Jersey Tourism, or browsed online at www.jersey.com.
Visitors who want to hire unusual historic properties should look at some of the holiday lets available through Jersey Heritage and the National Trust for Jersey. A number of interesting old military properties have been converted into self-catering accommodation for families and groups; however, they are not advertised widely and do not feature in the usual holiday brochures.
Health and safety
There are no nasty diseases on Jersey, or at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Domestic water supplies are fed from either reservoirs or underground sources, sometimes augmented by a desalination plant. Treated water is perfectly drinkable, but some people don’t like the taste and prefer to buy bottled water, which is quite expensive. There are no snakes and no stinging insects worse than wasps and bees.
In case of medical emergency, dial 999 (or the European emergency number 112) for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency, there are chemists, doctors, dentists and a hospital. A reciprocal health agreement is in place between Jersey and the UK, which covers serious accidents, injuries or dramatic deterioration in health. However, it does not cover medical repatriation, which can be expensive, so it is wise to have appropriate health insurance for this. The European Health Insurance Card is not valid in Jersey.
Food and drink
Jersey has long prided itself on being intensively agricultural, though this is waning and farmers face an uncertain future. In the past, the island was famous for its cider-apple orchards, but these were largely cleared as farmers began to experiment with potato-growing. The name ‘Jersey’ immediately conjures images of delicious ‘Jersey Royal’ potatoes, which were originally known as ‘Jersey Royal Fluke’. This variety was developed from two potatoes that were given to Hugh de la Haye in the early 1800s. The potato even has its own website, www.jerseyroyals.co.uk.
The name ‘Jersey’ also conjures images of contented brown cows giving rich, creamy milk for butter and ice-cream. Jersey cows have a long pedigree and have always been immensely important on the island. Laws were passed in the 18th and 19th centuries to restrict the importation of cattle, so that the unique qualities of Jersey cows were protected. Jersey herds are admired and renowned world-wide, and they too have their own website, www.jerseydairy.je.
Jersey Royals, best eaten freshly-picked while on Jersey, with a knob of Jersey butter
Some Jersey foodstuffs are enjoying a revival, most notably ‘Black Butter’, which is neither black nor butter, but a concoction of cider-apples, liquorice and spices, with an intriguing flavour that goes well with sweet or savoury foodstuffs. A German tourist observed, ‘It tastes like Christmas!’ Black Butter is produced by La Mare Wine Estate along with wines, spirits and a range of quality mustards, preserves, biscuits and chocolates, www.lamarewineestate.com.
Naturally, Jersey offers good seafood, but one of the greatest delicacies is unlikely to be savoured by visitors. The ‘ormer’, or abalone, is a marine mollusc that can only be gathered at certain times and there are plenty of restrictions in place to conserve the species. As a result it tends to be eaten primarily by Jersey folk, with nothing left over for commercial restaurants.
Of course, Jersey also imports plenty of food and drink, both British and international goods, from simple, low-priced products to expensive quality items. On the whole, expect things to cost a little more than in Britain, and bear in mind that most supermarkets and shops are in St Helier, and not every village has a shop. On the other hand, pubs, restaurants, cafés and snack kiosks are regularly encountered while walking round Jersey, and places offering refreshments are mentioned in the route descriptions. Food offered ranges from basic snacks to haute cuisine, and as it is easy to get from place to place for food and drink, you need only be guided by your palate and spending limits.
Granite cliffs and wooded slopes below La Grosse Tête are best seen from the sea (Walk 4)
Parlez-vous Franglais?
For centuries the language commonly spoken around the Channel Islands was a Norman-French ‘patois’ which had distinct forms from island to island. The Jersey form is known as Jèrriais, and while it is rarely heard, it is still spoken and many people are keen to preserve it. Sometimes it is referred to as ‘Jersey French’, but a French person would struggle to understand it. It also goes by the name of ‘Jersey Norman French’ and ‘Jersey Norman’. It should not be confused with ‘Jersey Legal French’, which is mostly modern French, with a few archaic Jersey words, used for drafting legal documents.
Visiting walkers may hear nothing of the language, but will be very aware of the roots of the language preserved in place-names all over the island. Some modern signs are bilingual, in English and Jèrriais. The latest banknotes produced by the States of Jersey are trilingual – English, Jèrriais and French – so that ‘one pound’ is also rendered as un louis and une livre. Visitors with a good knowledge of French will probably pronounce the place-names with a French accent, but in fact the ‘correct’ pronunciation would be different. In all other respects, English is spoken, written and understood everywhere, but there are also sizeable Portuguese (mostly Madeiran) and Polish communities on the island, as well as resident and visiting nationals from many other countries. It is increasingly common to hear French, German, Dutch and Japanese spoken on the streets. If assistance is needed with the pronunciation of a place-name, the best person to ask is a Jersey person!
Money
The States of Jersey issue their own banknotes and coins, which are inextricably linked to Sterling and come in exactly the same denominations. However, Jersey one and two pound coins are rare, while Jersey one pound notes are common. Bank of England Sterling notes and coins can be spent in Jersey, and currency issued by the States of Guernsey is also accepted. In theory, Sterling banknotes from Scotland and Northern Ireland are accepted, but this depends on whether the person to whom you are offering them is familiar with them. Some businesses will accept Euros, but the rate of exchange may be poor. Change given at the close of a transaction may be a mixture of Jersey and British currency. Remember that Jersey currency is not legal tender in Britain, though British banks will change notes at face value. It is common for visitors approaching the end of a holiday in Jersey to request