Ferry from Jersey

Jersey History

Jersey possesses a truly fantastic local history so if you like your sightseeing then Jersey is surely the place for your holiday this year. Why not book your ferry to Jersey online right now. Jersey lies in the Bay of Mont St Michel and is the largest of the Channel Islands. Jersey has been an island for approximately 8,000 years and at its extremes it measures 10 miles east to west and six miles north to south. The earliest evidence of human activity in the island dates to about 250,000 years ago when bands of hunters used the caves at La Cotte de St Brelade as a base for hunting mammoth. There was sporadic activity in the area by nomadic bands of hunters until the introduction of settled communities in the Neolithic period which is marked by the building of the ritual burial sites known as dolmens.

Islanders are constantly thinking of new and more exciting ways of bringing their rich history to life so visitors can also join in the colourful heritage celebration ofJersey . There's nothing dry and dusty about the way past, present and future are merged in the island's award-winning museums and castles.

A visit to any of its heritage attractions will show that Jersey knows exactly what history is really about – people. From the superb medieval castle of Mont Orgueil, to Hamptonne where you will be greeted by the "Good Wyf" with all the latest gossip from the 17th Century farming community, Jersey’s attractions are very much about allowing visitors a glimpse of what island life was like in the past and immersing them in the experiences of their ancestors.

This is very much apparent at Jersey’s largest testament to its World War II Occupation – the Jersey War Tunnels. A network of tunnels first created to protect arms and troops from bomb attacks by the Allies; it was then converted into an elaborate hospital to deal with casualties from any counter-invasion. In 2001, it became a superb multi-million pound interactive exhibition that tells the true-life stories of the islanders and foreign prisoners who were involved in the hospital’s construction, as well as the families who lived through the trying years of occupation.

Ferry from Jersey

Jersey War Tunnels

The Jersey War Tunnels are a superb example of Jerseys wartime history being a permanent reminder of the German Occupation which lasted almost five years until the island's liberation on 9th May 1945. The tunnel complex, formerly known as Höhlgangsanlage 8 (Ho8), now plays host to a series of galleries detailing Occupation history through the diverse experiences of those who lived through it. Visitors will be led through the events of evacuation, deportation, captivity and siege, to eventual liberation. The tunnel complex of Ho8, which took almost three and a half years to build, was excavated by forced and slave labourers from all over Europe, some of whom died from the terrible hardship they were made to endure. In addition to the main 'Captive Island' exhibition, Jersey War Tunnels are home to the Garden of Reflection, War Trail, Visitor Centre, Research Centre, Shop and Cafe. The latest addition to the tunnels is a sculpture by internationally renowned artist, Paul de Monchaux. Entitled 'Silence' it has been commissioned to commemorate the suffering endured by forced and slave labourers who worked on the construction of the Ho8 complex.