Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Saint Helier (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Elizabeth Castle, Saint Thomas Church, and Parish Church of St Helier. Also, be sure to include Fort Regent in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Saint Helier (Saint Helier).
Table of Contents
Elizabeth Castle
16th-century fortress on a rocky islet. Elizabeth Castle is a castle and tourist attraction, on a tidal island within the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. Construction was started in the 16th century when the power of cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil was insufficient to defend the Island and the port of St. Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships armed with cannon.
It is named after Elizabeth I who was queen of England around the time the castle was built.[1]
Address: Elizabeth Castle, JE3 8AF St Aubin's Bay
Saint Thomas Church
Church in Saint Helier, Jersey. Saint Thomas's Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in St. Helier, Jersey. It is the largest church in the Channel Islands, and first opened its doors in 1887.[2]
Address: Val Plaisant, JE2 Jersey
Parish Church of St Helier
Cathedral in Saint Helier, Jersey. The Parish Church of St Helier is the parish church of the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. It is a Church of England church, one of the twelve 'Ancient Parish Churches' of Jersey, and serves as the Island's civic church and Pro-Cathedral.[3]
Address: Church St, JE2 3NN Jersey
Fort Regent
Leisure centre in Saint Helier, Jersey. Fort Regent is a 19th-century fortification, and leisure centre, on Mont de la Ville, in St. Helier, Jersey. The fort is in close proximity to the fortified South Hill, Engineers Barracks at La Collette, and overlooks the 16th-century Elizabeth Castle and harbour to the west.
The fort's main features are substantial curtain walls, ditches, a glacis, redoubts, bastions, and redans (or demi-bastions). A parade ground was in the centre, which is now built upon, and covered with a roof.[4]
Address: Fort Regent, JE24UX St Helier
Jersey Opera House
Theatre in Saint Helier, Jersey. The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in La Vingtaine de la Ville, Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The theatre building is administered by the States of Jersey but is managed by Jersey Opera House Limited. The current theatre director is Jasmine Hendry.
The current building is a 1922 reconstruction (by Jesty & Baker) of the 1900 original building by Adolphus Curry (1848-1910), with additional extension facilities provided since. The façade has been described as "imposing and slightly Frenchified".
Its chandelier has 10,200 pieces and is carefully cleaned about every five years.[5]
Address: 3 Gloucester Street, Saint Helier
Saint Helier Marina
St Helier Marina is one of three marinas located in Saint Helier, and is operated by Ports of Jersey.
The marina is mostly used for berthing private yachts using a series of pontoons.
Since 2008, the marina has been the venue for the annual Jersey Boat Show.[6]
The Nigel Mansell Story
Specialty museum, Museum
Address: La Route de St. Aubin, JE2 3SD Saint Helier
Government House
Building in Jersey. Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. The building is situated in the parish of St Saviour in Jersey. It is also used for ceremonial functions, receptions and meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state. It is also the official residence of the Duke of Normandy as head of state when staying in Jersey.[7]
Le Hocq
Park in Jersey. Le Hocq is an area in the parish of St. Clement, in the south-east of Jersey, Channel Islands. Le Hocq is a Jèrriais name, and means 'the headland' or 'the cape' in English.
The fortified Jersey Round Tower at Le Hocq, was built in the 1780s.
Alongside the tower is the Millennium Cross of St. Clement, one of twelve granite wayside crosses erected to mark the millennium in 2000-2001.
The headland juts out onto the rocky Le Hocq Beach (a part of St. Clement's Bay). King's Rock, Queen's Rock and Prince's Rock are sizeable rocky outcrops which form a rough number 7 shape. The peaks of King's and Queen's Rock are vegetated - mostly grass and hardy small plants, and on all of these rocks are evidence of bird (likely seagull) settlement - eggshells and feathers have been found on Prince's Rock. All of these rocks are scalable, though with some difficulty, and should not be attempted unless you know what you are doing. King's Rock, the tallest, would not measure more than fifteen or twenty metres high.
The rest of the beach, stretching east, is sandy, but with many rockpools, with opportunities for winkle picking and shrimp catching close to the shore, and more serious fishing pursuits out at sea. Closer to land there are stony patches. Just below Le Hocq Tower, west of the groyne of boulders, is a more pleasant sandy beach, which stretches round the headland to a very stony stretch of beach which reaches as far as Rocqueberg (Witches' Rock) and La Motte (Green Island).
Behind the beach there is the common, broken in two by the slip which runs from la Grande Route de la Côte (the coast road) to the beach. On the slip are small boats, and a little refreshment kiosk.
Further inland is the parish hall (Salle Paroissiale) of St. Clement, and then a meadow featuring an original railway bridge from the days of the Jersey Railway, and a small brook which is unfortunately silted up for much of the year, before reaching Le Rocquier secondary school. Just across the road from the beach is Le Hocq Pub - open for drinks and meals all year round, and then La Rue du Hocq continues all the way up as far as the St. Clement inner road.
Le Hocq tower is depicted on the 2010 issue Jersey 1 pound note.[8]
Parish Church of St Clement
Anglican church in Jersey. The Parish Church of St Clement is the parish church of the parish of Saint Clement in Jersey. It is one of the twelve "Ancient Parish Churches" of Jersey.
In ancient Latin documents the church is referred to as Ecclesia Sancti Clemtentis de Petravilla in Gersuis which translates to "the Church of St. Clement on the estate of Peter in Jersey".[9]
King Street
King Street, also known as Rue de Derrière, is one of the two parts of the high street of Saint Helier in Jersey.
It is a pedestrianised shopping street which runs from Charing Cross at its west end to Queen Street at its east end. It includes a spur that links to Broad Street which is also called King Street in English, but Ruette Haguais in gallicised Jèrriais.[10]