Jersey Musem, Art Gallery & Victorian House has been awarded a top ‘Gold Accolade’ in the VisitEngland 2021-22 Visitor Attractions Accolades and is a winner alongside the likes of Chatsworth House, The National Horse Racing Museum at Newmarket and Chester Zoo. Both La Hougue Bie and Hamptonne Country Life Museum have also been named as ‘Hidden Gems’.

The annual awards follow on-site assessments as part of the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and are given to those who have scored highly and go the extra mile in providing a quality visitor experience. In awarding the three accolades to Jersey Heritage, a spokesperson for VisitEngland described them as “testament to the high standards achieved, which our assessor felt were truly deserving of recognition”.

Although Jersey Heritage sites have won VisitEngland awards in the past, Hilary Grimes, Jersey Heritage’s Head of Visitor Services, said it was especially pleasing this year as visitor numbers start to return to pre-Covid levels.

She said: “These awards are about providing an outstanding experience for visitors and mean a huge amount to our team at Jersey Heritage. The past couple of years have been really tough on our industry and to have come out the other side of the pandemic with these accolades is a tribute to our amazing staff and volunteers. Without them, our heritage sites would not be able to offer the incredible visitor experience that people enjoy and we thank each and every one of them for all their hard work and commitment to sharing Jersey’s heritage with the general public.”

VisitEngland offers expert advice, support and quality assessments for tourism and hospitality businesses in England. However, Jersey Heritage has been signed up to the quality assessment scheme for a number of years and is held up to the same standards.