History & Heritage
Jersey lies in the Bay of Mont St Michel and is the largest of the Channel Islands. It 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 celebration of Jersey’s colourful heritage. 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.
