News

Jersey Heritage is extending the opening times at its historic sites this winter to offer more opportunities for Islanders and visitors to enjoy the Island’s history.

The ‘Jersey Heritage Report on Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery in Jersey’ is published today (14 October) to coincide with Black History Month. It details the Island’s links to the transatlantic slavery trade and considers how that knowledge could be shared in the future. It is the first of a series of reports that will share research about previously excluded voices from the Island’s history.

This year’s event, which is sponsored by Ogier, takes place over the weekend of 16-17 October between 10am-5pm. It will be a slightly smaller version of itself but will include dancing, delicious local food and plenty of fun family activities, as well as the all-important apple pressing by Jersey Heritage volunteers.

Islanders who discover something in Jersey that might be of historical interest have a new person to contact, following the appointment of Perry Mesney as Jersey Heritage’s Finds Liaison Officer (FLO).

Jersey Heritage is celebrating a year of development and innovation at the Archive despite the global pandemic, with staff adapting and providing online solutions to ensure continued access to the Island’s records.

How do you squeeze 600 million years of history into a short walk along St Ouen’s Bay? The answer is to make every step represent half a million years!

Dav Smith, from University of York’s Archaeology Department, and fellow archaeologist Susan Brook are at the Castle this week surveying historic buildings so that all the necessary conservation information is available for when funding is granted to start phase one of the vital restoration project.

‘People! Power! Protest!’ opens on Monday, 19 July and will explore the story of protest in Jersey, from the Corn Riots of 1769 to the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020.

Islanders can show their love for Elizabeth Castle this September by taking part in the Hawksford Castle Chase 2021, which is on again after a break last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

One of Jersey’s Senior Youth Workers has joined the Jersey Heritage Board of Trustees as its first Board Apprentice and will be experiencing how issues, such as ethics and diversity, affect the charity’s work.

Jersey Heritage is excited to announce that an important 18th century painting of an Island scene is being donated to the charity and will be added to its collections for posterity.

The Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark Visitor Centre, sponsored by Saltgate, introduces the story of Jersey’s geological heritage.

Adventurous tales from Jersey’s maritime history will be brought to life over half-term, along with the story of one of the most famous ships of all time, the Titanic.‘Stories from the Sea’, or ‘D’s Histouaithes dé la Mé’ in Jèrriais, is sponsored by Ogier and will be taking place daily at the Maritime Museum between Monday, 31 May and Sunday, 6 June 2021.

The 15th century thatched buildings at Hamptonne Country Life Museum are being rethatched for the first time in 30 years.

Much-needed additional funding for staff means Jersey Archive can now open for an extra day every week, increasing from three days to four days. From 17 May 2021, the Archive will be open to the public from 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Mondays to Thursdays, with a morning opening on the third Saturday of each month.

Black and white memories of Liberation Day 1945 are on-screen in full colour at Jersey Museum & Art Gallery to mark this year’s 76th anniversary of the special day in Jersey’s history.

Jersey Heritage has purchased a large part of the Le Câtillon I hoard, discovered in the Island in 1957, and says it highlights the need for modern legislation to protect portable antiquities found in the Island.

A trio of new heritage walks that start and finish at cafés in the Island are being launched by Jersey Heritage.

During the Easter holidays, families can follow a new Fairy Folklore Adventures trail, kindly sponsored by Ogier. The trail is across all Jersey Heritage sites and there are 18 fairy doors to discover.

Jersey Heritage is proud to announce that Jersey Archive has retained its status as a fully accredited archive under the criteria required by The National Archives Accreditation Scheme.