Our researched list of interesting, weird and wonderful Jersey facts that you never knew.
Current Jersey Facts
- Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands and is divided into 12 parishes.
- Jersey is nine miles (14km) east to west and five miles (8km) north to south (45 square miles) making it smaller than Greater London! However, a whopping 20 miles (32km) of its coastline is made up of fine sandy Jersey beaches.
- At a distance of only 14 miles (22km) to the East, the coast of Normandy, France is closer to Jersey than mainland Britain, which is 100 miles (160km) away to the North of the island. The close proximity to its neighbour has meant ties with France going back a thousand-odd years. Until the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Channel Islands formed part of the Duchy of Normandy. Once King Harold met his gruesome end at the hands of the Norman army, and William the Conqueror became monarch of England, the islands became part of the Anglo-Norman realm. It stayed that way until 1204, when King John lost Normandy to France. As the Channel Islanders chose to remain loyal to the English crown, he granted them self-governing privileges, amounting to a certain financial and political independence.
- Jersey has a population of around 107,800 with 46% of population born on the island. The other largest ethnic groups on the island are the British at 33%, Portuguese at 8%, Polish at 3% and Irish at under 3%.
- Jersey is not tax-free – income tax, duties paid on certain goods (3% goods and services tax (GST) and by other taxes and revenues are in place, however VAT is not charged in Jersey.
- Jersey is the only place where you’ll see a pound note. Although the currency is sterling, the island also has its own Jersey pound.
- Jersey has one of the largest tides in the world. At low tide, twice a day, the island almost doubles in size, with miles of extra sandy beach and rockpools galore – a perfect playground for kids and great for small marine creatures who thrive in the warm shallow water. At Portelet Bay you can walk to Île au Guerdain, (otherwise known as Janvrin’s Tomb, after a plague-ridden sea captain was buried there), and along the causeway at St Helier to Elizabeth Castle. Just watch out for the sudden rush of water at your feet as the tide advances.
- Black butter (du nièr beurre), is an island speciality, which bears no resemblance to the familiar dairy product, as it’s actually an apple preserve made with cider. Making black butter was a way to use up the enormous bounty of apples harvested from the orchards each autumn, and cooking it was part of the rural tradition.
- The Jersey Royal potato has been elevated to higher status with its Protected Designation of Origin, meaning no one can nick the name for another product (in the same way as Champagne, in France). Jersey’s climate and soil conditions, along with the vraic (seaweed) farmers use as fertiliser, has helped to produce this particular type of papery skinned, flavourful potato since the late 1800s.
- Jersey cows are kept for their sumptuous buttery milk rather than beef. They are bred all over the world and now the second most widely bred cattle species.
- Red squirrels are thriving on the island and it could well become the only place in the British Isles you’re likely to see one if they cease to exist in on the mainland in the next 30-35 years.
- Jersey Bank holidays are the same as in the UK with the addition of – 9th May Liberation Day (commemorating the arrival of the British Forces at the end of WWII).