In September 2019, Debra and I cruised the British Isles for 14 days on the Pacific Princess. We sailed round trip from Dover, with port stops in England, the Republic of Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this awesome cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in St. Helier, the first port of call on our cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in St. Helier, the first port of call on our cruise.
St. Helier, Jersey (September 9, 2019) Debra and I spent the last few days sightseeing in the county of Kent in southeast England, with Dover as our “home base.” We didn’t sightsee on our own, but instead with friends from England. Nothing like having “locals” as our tour guides!
We set sail from Dover, the embarkation port for our 14-day cruise, last evening and navigated about 200 nautical miles to St. Helier at a leisurely speed of 16 knots per hour. We arrived early this morning.
St. Helier, named for a Belgian saint who lived as a hermit on an islet in St. Aubin’s Bay, is the capital of Jersey (pop. 107,000), the largest of the eight inhabited Channel Islands (click on inset photo to see the Channel Islands). Jersey is just 19 miles from the coast of France; you can travel back and forth by ferry.
Although Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, it is still small, measuring just 10 miles east to west and six miles north to south. But the island packs a lot to see and do in a small footprint, with rocky coves and jagged cliffs, sandy beaches, historic villages, 32 acres of parkland and gardens, a zoo, museums, and a medieval castle. St. Helier is a great place from which to see the island.
The port at St. Helier is too shallow for larger cruise ships, so the Pacific Princess anchored in St. Aubin’s Bay and brought passengers ashore on tender boats.
We set sail from Dover, the embarkation port for our 14-day cruise, last evening and navigated about 200 nautical miles to St. Helier at a leisurely speed of 16 knots per hour. We arrived early this morning.
St. Helier, named for a Belgian saint who lived as a hermit on an islet in St. Aubin’s Bay, is the capital of Jersey (pop. 107,000), the largest of the eight inhabited Channel Islands (click on inset photo to see the Channel Islands). Jersey is just 19 miles from the coast of France; you can travel back and forth by ferry.
Although Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, it is still small, measuring just 10 miles east to west and six miles north to south. But the island packs a lot to see and do in a small footprint, with rocky coves and jagged cliffs, sandy beaches, historic villages, 32 acres of parkland and gardens, a zoo, museums, and a medieval castle. St. Helier is a great place from which to see the island.
The port at St. Helier is too shallow for larger cruise ships, so the Pacific Princess anchored in St. Aubin’s Bay and brought passengers ashore on tender boats.
I was on my own today, as Debra opted for a day of R&R on board the ship after a couple full days of sightseeing in Dover and a busy itinerary ahead. I mapped out a walking tour of St. Helier (under three miles) before we left Phoenix, and after a light breakfast in the ship’s Panorama Buffet, I joined fellow passengers on one of the many tender boats. It was a 15-minute ride to the port. The water was calm, the temperature was in the upper 50s (mid 60s in the afternoon), and the sky was blue with a few puffy clouds. As I like to say, it was picture-perfect weather for sightseeing!
I took the photo above from Albert Pier, which was where the tender dropped us, looking towards the retail district of St. Helier. I walked along the pier towards town, but veered west at La Route de la Liberation, as my first destination was Elizabeth Castle. I LOVE CASTLES! and whenever I can, I visit whatever castle is nearby.
Elizabeth Castle
It was low tide when I arrived mid-morning, which meant that I could walk a cement causeway that connects the beach with L’Islet, the rocky tidal island that the castle was built on – a distance of about seven-tenths of a mile. You can see the causeway depicted in the inset photo (click to enlarge) – the white line that leads from the coast south to the castle.
“Low tide” didn’t mean dry. I walked across wet sand and seaweed that had washed across the causeway, and even brought some of both back to the ship on and in my shoes. I picked up a couple of seashells along the way, and what I thought was the exoskeleton of a cuttlefish. As I walked along the causeway towards the castle, the image that came to mind was of a sandcastle (albeit a large one!) on a beach.
Elizabeth Castle
It was low tide when I arrived mid-morning, which meant that I could walk a cement causeway that connects the beach with L’Islet, the rocky tidal island that the castle was built on – a distance of about seven-tenths of a mile. You can see the causeway depicted in the inset photo (click to enlarge) – the white line that leads from the coast south to the castle.
“Low tide” didn’t mean dry. I walked across wet sand and seaweed that had washed across the causeway, and even brought some of both back to the ship on and in my shoes. I picked up a couple of seashells along the way, and what I thought was the exoskeleton of a cuttlefish. As I walked along the causeway towards the castle, the image that came to mind was of a sandcastle (albeit a large one!) on a beach.
Construction of the first fortification, built on the highest point of the island, began in the mid-1500s and was completed in the 1590s. It served as the residence for the Governor of Jersey and as a defensive garrison protecting England from invading armies. Sir Walter Raleigh, an English adventurer and writer, was Governor from 1600 to 1603; he named the castle “Fort Isabella Bellisima” in honor of Queen Elizabeth I. The fortification was extended and developed over the next several centuries, and the last addition was made by the Germans when they occupied Jersey during World War II.
I went on a self-guided tour of Elizabeth Castle, following a route recommended in a brochure I bought when I purchased my entrance ticket. Before I started, I asked a docent about the incoming tide, and was told that I could walk to shore on the causeway if I left by 1 p.m. I made a mental note.
The tour started in the Outer Ward, where I passed by a guardhouse built in the 19th century. Just past the guardhouse was a belfry, which you can see in the photo below. The bell was rung to warn when the tide would cover the causeway. I was gone before the tide came in today, so I can’t tell you whether this early-warning system was still active or not. At the right in the photo, where the flag flies on a tall mast, is Fort Charles, which was built in the 1640s as a separate outpost. It was integrated with the castle about 40 years later.
The tour started in the Outer Ward, where I passed by a guardhouse built in the 19th century. Just past the guardhouse was a belfry, which you can see in the photo below. The bell was rung to warn when the tide would cover the causeway. I was gone before the tide came in today, so I can’t tell you whether this early-warning system was still active or not. At the right in the photo, where the flag flies on a tall mast, is Fort Charles, which was built in the 1640s as a separate outpost. It was integrated with the castle about 40 years later.
Elizabeth Castle was protected by cannons placed along several bastions near the outer walls. Just past the second gate was the West Bastion, built in 1660 atop a jagged cliff as a battlement for cannons to fire on ships in the bay. Some of the cannons on display were original to the castle. Although you can’t see this in the photo, there were “loops” in the wall – small openings that soldiers used to fire down on the enemy trying to scale the cliff.
I'm not a war hawk, mind you, and the only military maneuvers I've been on were playing Battleship and Risk. But standing on the West Bastion, I could imagine myself the commander of the castle. I gazed over the wall to see a flotilla of enemy ships in the bay and a regiment of naval infantry on the shore, ready to assault MY CASTLE. And in that moment, in my mind's eye, I shouted "Fire!" and cannonballs rained down on the ships and musket balls on the infantry. My enemy was devastated, and I was triumphant!
Well...back to reality.
I took these photos of the Outer Ward from the Upper Keep. You can also see the tidal pool and St. Helier in the background.
Well...back to reality.
I took these photos of the Outer Ward from the Upper Keep. You can also see the tidal pool and St. Helier in the background.
I walked from the Outer Ward to the Lower Ward, seeing the barracks where officers and soldiers lived and the Parade Ground where soldiers trained. Today, the buildings that surround the Parade Ground house exhibits, not soldiers. At the top right-hand corner of the Parade Ground, between the two taller buildings, was a bunker built by the German coastal defense in 1943.
I took the photo of the Parade Ground from the Upper Ward. From this vantage point, I could visualize a company of soldiers training. Left-right-left, or whatever military cadence was used centuries ago, as they marched back and forth between the buildings.
The Captain’s House, home to the castle’s commander, and the Governor’s House were built in the early 1600s on the Upper Ward. So was the Upper Keep, a raised area defended by four cannons. The photo to the left, taken from the Lower Ward, shows the Upper Ward. The photo to the right shows the outer wall that protected the Upper Keep.
The Captain’s House, home to the castle’s commander, and the Governor’s House were built in the early 1600s on the Upper Ward. So was the Upper Keep, a raised area defended by four cannons. The photo to the left, taken from the Lower Ward, shows the Upper Ward. The photo to the right shows the outer wall that protected the Upper Keep.
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I spent a couple of hours walking around the castle. Primarily a fortification, rather than royal residence, Elizabeth Castle was much different than many of the castles I've toured. I could easily have spent more time, as there was so much to see, including an exhibition hall, which I rushed through, filled with informative storyboards. Mindful of the rising tide and other sites I wanted to see in St. Helier, I left Elizabeth Castle and walked back across the mostly dry tidal pool and into town.
Town Center
I made my way to Liberation Square, where there was a sculpture of a group of Islanders releasing a billowing flag. The sculpture, by Philip Jackson, commemorated the liberation of Jersey on May 9, 1945 after five years of German occupation. It was unveiled on the 50th anniversary in 1995. Across the street from the sculpture was Pomme D’or Hotel, which was used as the headquarters of the German occupation forces. I smiled at the juxtaposition of the sculpture and hotel -- the triumph of the allied forces represented by the sculpture and defeat of the axis forces represented by the hotel.
Town Center
I made my way to Liberation Square, where there was a sculpture of a group of Islanders releasing a billowing flag. The sculpture, by Philip Jackson, commemorated the liberation of Jersey on May 9, 1945 after five years of German occupation. It was unveiled on the 50th anniversary in 1995. Across the street from the sculpture was Pomme D’or Hotel, which was used as the headquarters of the German occupation forces. I smiled at the juxtaposition of the sculpture and hotel -- the triumph of the allied forces represented by the sculpture and defeat of the axis forces represented by the hotel.
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I headed north on Church Street (aptly named) in search of the Anglican Parish Church of St. Helier. (Did I mentioned that I ALSO LOVE CHURCHES?!) This church was once near the shoreline of St. Helier but is now well inland as land was reclaimed over the years. The church traced it roots to the 11th century, and some portions of the original church were incorporated within the present-day building. I placed these two photos of the church side by side so that you could get a better idea what the façade looked like, as it was difficult (for me, at least) to get a single shot of the church.
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I was fascinated by the collection of head stones outside the church. They were literally stones, some engraved with initials and dates, including the two in the photos below: “JGD 1803” and “RCD 1758.” Lord only knows who JGD and RCD were. Perhaps, with a common last initial, they were related. But whoever they were, I paid my respects to both this day.
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I walked to nearby Royal Square, where I saw a statue of King George II (1727-1760). I had to wait a while to take this photo, as there was a pigeon roosting on his head when I first entered the square. Poor King George!
There were a couple of restaurants on Royal Square, and I decided on the Cock & Bottle after a quick internet search. I sat on the patio and enjoyed a Jersey fish pie (King prawns, clams, salmon, and mussels covered with mashed potatoes), a side of green beans and peas, and a Liberation lager, which was brewed in the Channel Islands. The food was deeelishous!!
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Fully sated, it was time to head back to the ship, which was scheduled to depart St. Helier at 4. On my way to Albert’s Pier, I spotted two sculptures that I thought were good photo ops: Jersey Cows and a very colorful gorilla. The sculpture of the cows, La Vaque de Jerri, was created by John McKenna as a tribute to the island’s bovine breed. The gorilla was part of a larger display of 40 life-size gorillas across the island that was a fund-raising activity for the Jersey zoo.
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A final thought about my day in St. Helier: One of the things I enjoyed most was being on my own in a foreign country. I don’t mean without Debra (who really enjoyed her day of R&R, by the way), but rather sans a tour guide. I was gratified to walk around a foreign city with no more than a list of things to see, the Google Map app, and my wits, and to have the confidence to zig or zag along the way whenever I saw something of interest not on my itinerary. I’ve done this in other European cities we’ve visited and have always enjoyed the experience!
Back on board the Pacific Princess, Debra and I had a casual dinner at the Panorama Buffet, which was where my day started. Then we listened to music in one of the lounges, saw a show, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we sailed to Portland, England, our next port of call.
Back on board the Pacific Princess, Debra and I had a casual dinner at the Panorama Buffet, which was where my day started. Then we listened to music in one of the lounges, saw a show, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we sailed to Portland, England, our next port of call.
