Its capital, St. Helier, is 100 miles (160 km) south of Weymouth, England. Jersey is about 10 miles (16 km) across and 5 miles (8 km) from north to south. The Ecrehous rocks (6 miles northeast) and Les Minquiers (12 miles [19 km] south) are in the Bailiwick of Jersey.

THE TWELVE PARISHES

Jersey has twelve Parishes. Each Parish is divided into Vingtaines (or Cueillettes in St Ouen). A Parish is a corporate body separate from its Parishioners. The Parish owns all public by-roads within its boundaries. The by-roads are administered by the Roads Committee as agent of the Parish. Individual electors of the Parish have no rights of ownership as such in Parish property.

The governmental body for the Parish is the Parish Assembly, traditionally known as the “Assembly of Principals and Officers of the Parish”. When dealing with the ecclesiastical affairs of the Parish, the Rector presides; when dealing with all other Parish affairs, the Connétable presides.

ST. HELIER

St Helier Town is renowned in Jersey for being the heart of the finance industry and being the capital of Jersey St Helier is the most urban of the parishes. Highlights in St Helier are the Jersey Museums including Elizabeth Castle, Fort Regent Sports Centre, Town Library, Cineworld, Aquasplash Swimming Complex, lots of restaurants, nightclubs, bars, coffee shops, main High Street shops along with two Markets.

GROUVILLE

Grouville is one of the most Easterly parishes and is commonly known as Gorey which is the main village. The parish is home to the Royal Jersey Golf Course and is overlooked by the impressive Mont Orgueil (or Gorey Castle).

ST. BRELADE

Bordered only by St Peters, St. Brelade is one of the most beautiful parishes with gorgeous beaches including St. Brelade’s Bay (where Hotel L’Horizon and St. Brelade’s Bay Hotel are located), Portelet and Ouaisne (pronounced Way-Nay).

ST. LAWRENCE

St Lawrence is a large parish situated in the centre of Jersey. Some of the attractions of the parish include Coronation Park (Millbrook Park), St Matthews Glass Church, Hamptonne Country Life Museum and Jersey War Tunnels.

ST. JOHN

Situated towards the North of the island it offers some of the best views in Jersey from its cliffs. St John’s is a rural parish with a small village consisting of a café, pharmacy, butchers, pub, doctors, Church and States Primary School.

ST. MARY

North West of the island is St Marys, a large, quiet parish with a small population. The attractions in St Mary’s include La Mare Vineyards – a working distillery producing cider, wine, Jersey black butter, chocolates and lots more Genuine Jersey produce.

ST. MARTIN

On the East coast, St Martin is a large, widespread parish with a lovely coastline; it claims the beautiful Rozel Bay and is home to many potato farmers. St Catherine’s Breakwater is popular with fishermen and sailors.

ST. PETER

Situated on the West coast, St. Peter is a large parish, a lot of which is occupied by the Airport.

ST. CLEMENT

St Clement is the smallest parish in Jersey and borders St Saviour and Grouville. The parish runs along the South East coast and has some of the more popular beaches in the East, namely Green Island and La Rocque.

ST. OUEN

One of the most dramatic looking parishes, St. Ouen (pronounced “one”) is the most North Westerly parish and has the wonderful Five Mile Beach which is a haven for surfers.

TRINITY

Trinity is mainly rural. It has the highest point in Jersey, Les Platons, which is well used by mountain bikers and motorbike trials. The famous Durrell Wildlife Park is in Trinity along with the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society headquarters where a world-class music festival is held on the first weekend in September every year.

ST. SAVIOUR

St Saviour is a mainly inland parish, bordered by St Helier, St Clement, Grouville, St Martin and Trinity.