What is a Geopark?
Every Geopark is unique. There are 169 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries around the world. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.

“UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

A UNESCO Global Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty. These features are representative of a region’s geological history and the events and processes that formed it. It must also include important natural, historic, cultural tangible and intangible heritage sites.

The UNESCO Global Geoparks celebrate the links between people and the Earth. Jersey hopes to be recognised as a unique place by being awarded Geopark status.

Visit the UNESCO Global Geoparks website.

Jersey Island Geopark

A Geopark is about more than rocks. Jersey is a strong contender for this special designation because of our Island’s exceptional geology and our important cultural heritage which forms the outstanding surroundings we enjoy every day. Whether exploring Jersey’s diverse landscapes or seascapes there is lots to discover and inspire you.

Link to Jersey Geology Trail

Jersey’s Geological Heritage – Sites of Special Interest (SSI)

The Island of Jersey has a geology that is significantly different to that of the United Kingdom and even from that of the other Channel Islands. Many of the island’s geological sites are of regional and international significance and some have attracted global attention. 

In recognition of this, the States of Jersey has designated 22 of the island’s most important outcrops as Sites of Special Interest (SSIs) so that they may be protected from development and preserved for future public enjoyment and research purposes. The booklet below offers an introduction to all of Jersey’s geological SSIs with the aim of promoting knowledge of their existence to residents and tourists and highlighting their importance to amateur and professional scientists. 

All the Island’s geological SSIs are covered here along with information about their location plus basic descriptions and photographs which highlight each site’s significance and its salient features. 

Written by Dr Ralph Nichols and Samantha Blampied

Read the Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark prospectus.

The Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark Visitor Centre introduces the story of Jersey’s geological heritage and is the Island hub for information on exploring Jersey to see first-hand how geology has shaped and influenced the Island we know today.

GEOPARK AMBASSADORES

Geopark Ambassadors represent some of the organisations working with Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark. They champion Jersey’s unique landscapes and seascapes through their roles within our community and their passion for Island life.

Each Ambassador was asked about what makes this Island such a remarkable place.

VIDEO LINK TO RALPH

Other Resources

Read the Geodiversity Audit for Jersey by the British Geological Survey.

MINERALS OF JERSEY

Minerals are made from elements like silicon, oxygen, aluminium, iron and other metals. They are the fundamental building blocks of all rocks. As magma (molten rock) cools, minerals such as quartz and feldspar form crystals. The longer the cooling process takes, the larger the crystals. Minerals can also be carried through rocks by water, forming crystals as the water evaporates.

JERSEY SHALE FORMATION

The shales are the oldest rocks in the Island. You can see them in the west, across the centre and in the south of Jersey. They were formed by mud, silt and sand brought together on the sea floor about 600 million years ago. These sediments were transformed into rock by being pushed together, hardened and folded.

JERSEY VOLCANICS

Volcanic lavas and ashes can be seen along the north and northeast coasts of the Island. These andesites and rhyolites formed as a result of volcanic eruptions occurring 580 million years ago.

JERSEY GRANITES

Jersey is famous for its granites, which have been favoured as a building material for thousands of years. These major intrusive or ‘plutonic’ rocks were formed between 580 and 480 million years ago by molten rock cooling and solidifying between the Earth’s surface. They are only visible once the overlying rocks have been eroded away. The dark rocks known as gabbros are the oldest, and are rich in iron and magnesium. The true granites, visible along the northwest and southwest coasts, are lighter in colour, and consist of three main minerals: quartz, feldspar and mica. On the southeast coast, where granites have broken through the Earth’s surface into older gabbros, a mixed rock called diorite has formed.

ROZEL CONGLOMERATE

Formation Conglomerate can be seen along the northeast of the Island and is made up of beds of pebbles which have been cemented together. They were formed around 400 million years ago and are the youngest hard rock formation in Jersey. Conglomerate is also known as ‘pudding stone’ because the rock formation is made up of lots of pebbles, probably from eroded and worn mountains. Streams with fast flowing water carried the pebbles and sand down valleys and left them behind before they cemented together.

JERSEY’S OFFSHORE REEFS

Jersey is surrounded by offshore reefs bursting with marine life, Les Pierres de Lecq to the north, Les Écréhous to the northeast and Les Minquiers to the south. Local fisherman enjoy fishing around these reefs which often prove dangerous to larger ships.

HOW OLD IS THAT ROCK?

At low tide Les Minquiers reef is bigger than Jersey. On this large reef, the rock is mostly made up of types of granite. These granites have features older than the Jersey granites. Could this mean that Les Minquiers reef is older than Jersey?

SEA LEVELS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The world’s climate fluctuates as a result of changes in the sun’s activity affecting the polar ice caps, the dome-shaped sheets of ice found in Greenland and Antarctica. These effects occur gradually over time, making sea levels change as ice caps melt or cool. This cycle of cold and warm periods has repeated itself several times over the past two million years. Since 10,000 years ago, sea levels have risen to make Jersey an Island once more.

GLACIAL

In a cold period, global temperature becomes cooler causing the ice caps to grow. This traps much of the world’s water, causing sea levels to drop as much as 200 metres. Just imagine the English Channel disappearing with Jersey and Guernsey as only hills in a vast coastal plain.

INTERGLACIAL

In a warm period, global temperature becomes warmer causing the ice caps to melt. Sea levels rise as freshwater is released back into the oceans. Evidence for past changes in sea level and the shifting of the Earth’s tectonic plates can be seen today in the many raised beaches in Jersey. The highest raised beach in the Island is at South Hill.

To explore the Island’s heritage of Jèrriais also known as Jersey French, our Island’s mother tongue, we have highlighted some special parts of Island life. This #landscapelanguage series can be found on Jersey Heritage’s Instagram (@jerseyheritage) featuring images by local photographer Lucy Le Lievre.

LES HUTHETS

Les Hurets is the often overlooked, rather bare headland on the north coast above Bouley Bay. This place’s name in Jèrriais, Les Huthets, translates to ‘high, rocky, stony and barren ground’…our ancestors certainly got that one right! ~ in life there are downs and ups ~ dans la vie y’a des flias et des huthes. ~

ÎLET

Where can you find this islet? Here is a clue…home to miner bees and at least two trees, this remarkable green-headed rock’s name in Jèrriais is îlet.

CAÛCHIE

Many bays around the Island feature a pier, or caûchie in Jèrriais. These extensions of the coast were mostly built in the 1800s to create protected pockets of water for seafarers. Today, our piers still prove popular for fishing, boating and more recently cold-water swimming. The caûchie at Grève de Lecq, pictured, was almost completely destroyed during storms in the 1890s.

ROTCHI

You can’t go far in the Island without seeing a large rock, or rotchi in Jèrriais. The correct word for rock in Jersey’s traditional language actually varies depending on which side of the Island you find yourself in! Can you guess if rotchi is for rocks in the east or west?

BOUAIS

Our language is deeply intertwined with nature. For example, tree is bouais in Jèrriais. In a small Island where timber is limited, the importance of trees to our ancestors can be seen every day in place names like Five Oaks or Les Ormes (or elms in Jèrriais). Today, trees remain just as vital as we realise their benefits to the planet and our wellbeing. The entire woodland ecosystem plays a huge role in locking up and storing carbon which is important in combating climate change. Research shows that within minutes of being surrounded by trees and green space, our blood pressure drops, heart rate slows and stress levels come down – spending time amongst trees is good for all of us.

FORT

As an Island, Jersey has always had to protect itself and the coastline hosts examples of fortifications from many different time periods. The importance of these defences can be seen in the similarities between language used then and now. For example Fort, is also Fort in Jèrriais. Fort Leicester, pictured, was built in 1836 to guard a certain bay in partnership with L’Étacquerel Fort to the east. The defensive position was named after the Earl of Leicester centuries before a fort was constructed. Today, both forts are available to enjoy as unique Heritage Lets.

BOUAÎS’SIE

In a small Island where timber is limited, the importance of trees to our ancestors can be seen every day in place names like Seven Oaks or La Rue de Sapins (sapin in Jèrriais means fir, spruce). Au temps pâssé (Jèrriais for in times past), wood from trees would have been used as fuel for fires to heat homes during the colder winter months. This practice continues today with more considerations and actions being made about replanting trees. These logs are from a wooded area, or in Jèrriais ~ bouaîs’sie.

USS’SIE

Features like an arch, or uss’sie in Jèrriais, can be seen around the Island in old buildings. This example is an arch at Manor Farm, La Route de Vinchelez in St Ouen – a farm which is still used today to grow delicious genuine Jersey produce.

GRANNIT

A building block of Island life – quite literally – types of granite, or grannit in Jèrriais, can be seen in almost every corner of Jersey. Formed hundreds of million years ago by molten rock cooling and solidifying between the Earth’s surface, this intrusive rock has stood the test of time. Jersey granites have been used as a building material for thousands of years. To build walls, slipways, places of worship, schools, houses and traditional farm buildings like the one pictured at Manor Farm, St Ouen. Look out for granite features when you are out and about.

GRAVYI

You can find gravel, gravyi in Jèrriais, in lots of places: gardens, driveways, indoor plant pots or stuck in your shoes! At sea, our ancestors even named the gravel banks, like ‘Les Graviers du Petit Port’.

BATÉ

As an Island surrounded by the sea, Jersey has a deep connection to maritime heritage. A boat, or baté in Jèrriais, was an essential possession for lots of our ancestors in order to make a living – catching fish to feed their families and navigating Jersey’s offshore reefs.

MONTÉE

This slipway, or montée in Jèrriais, at L’Étacq in the west of the Island was built in the 1860s. Most of the protective seawalls in Jersey were not built until the early 19th century – initially in St Ouen to prevent the ongoing loss of farmland. Slipways were constructed in each parish, designed mainly to allow access to the shore to gather vraic (seaweed) or to launch a small boat. The cobbles, or setts, used to build slipways were traditionally laid at a raked angle to prevent cartwheels and horses hooves from slipping. Today, the Island’s slipways give Jersey’s seaside a unique character and offer the perfect platform for a quick dip.

CORPS DÉ GARDE

As an Island, Jersey has a complex military history. Guardhouses, or corps dé garde in Jèrriais, were used by the local militia to keep a watchful eye over Jersey’s coastal waters and look out for smugglers, pirates or possible invaders. Defence posts like the corps dé garde located above Bouley Bay were built during the 18th century and can be found all over the Island.

L’ÊTACQ’SÉ

Head to the northern end of St Ouen’s Bay and you’ll find the Island’s oldest bedrock beneath your feet at L’Étacq, or L’Êtacq’sé in Jèrriais. This place name, like others in Jersey, is Old Norse for stack or large rock. It’s likely that Viking raiders did what we all tend to do – chose a fitting name for a new place according to a distinctive feature. For L’Étacq this is the stack which also has it’s own name Le Grand Étacquerel.

ISLAND SOUNDS

L’ÎLE FAIT LA VIE

As an Island shaped by time and tide, Jersey has a unique playlist. The music playing here is made up of sounds recorded around the Island. Listen. Êcoutez. What can you hear? Can you pick out all the different sounds?

Soundscape by Sam Hills.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Sea waves and weather ambience from multiple locations, including: Green Island, Bouley Bay and Anne Port.

Harbour ambience from Gorey Harbour

Cave ambience from La Corbière

Farm ambience from Oakwood Farm (St Mary) and Les Cotiles Farm (Trinity)*

Farm animal noises from Oakwood Farm (St Mary) and Les Cotiles Farm (Trinity)*

Chruch bells from St Nicholas Chruch (St Clement)

Birds at Val de la Mare Reservoir

Molluscs at Green Island at low-tide

Seagulls at Green Island

Waterfall from Bouley Bay and Plemont

Fishing boat noises in St Helier Marina **

Jèrriais pâle entouor la fèrméthie en Jèrri – talks in Jèrriais about farming in Jersey ***

Sweeping at Les Cotils Farm (Trinty)****

Waxing a surfboard in St Clement

Fire crackling in St Clement

Clock chiming in St Clement

Footsteps in St Clement

Traffic in St Clement

* Sound by Time Le Gresley and Mick Binet

** Sound by Josh Dearing The Jersey Catch

** Sound by Winston Le Brun

**** Sound by Mick Bine

ISLAND LIFE UNDERWATER

LA VIE D’L’ÎLE SOUOS L’IEAU

Many Islanders have seen dolphins or seals around Jersey but what else lives beneath the surface? In Jersey, our seascape has lots of different types of seaweed that provide homes for some amazing creatures. The seagrass, kelp forests and maerl beds around the Island also all absorb blue carbon which help mitigate global climate change. Check out what happened when a few of these creatures got captured on camera by Samantha Blampied using some tasty bait just above the seabed. Watch Èrgardez this fantastic footage of cuttlefish, catsharks, stingrays and tope.

The Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) is working to learn more about the Island’s seascape. Learn more about their Jersey project and other work on their website.https://player.vimeo.com/video/477609699?h=b27a808021&dnt=1&app_id=122963

HISTORY OF GEOTOURISM

L’HISTOUAITHE DU GÉOTOURISME

Watch this video to see how people explored our Island in the past and how you can explore Jersey today. The video runs for 6 minutes 25 seconds. Film by Submarine Creative.

ACTIVITIES

There are lots of ways you can explore the Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark, here are just some ideas to get you out and about.

WALKING

You will find an extensive network of footpaths as well as winding country lanes, breathtaking cliff paths and beautiful beaches to explore and all within easy reach.

Walks can vary in length from short leisurely strolls to more challenging hikes along the cliff paths. Follow the links below to find a walk best suited to your level of ability. Some paths may be suitable for wheelchair users.

Walking is a great way to explore the outdoors allowing us to wander through Jersey’s spectacular landscapes, enjoying this Aspiring Geopark’s natural and built heritage. More information on walking in the Aspiring Geopark can be found by clicking on the links below:

Jersey Walk Adventures – Discover Jersey’s very own wilderness on foot with expert local guides who have explored this wonderful coast for many years. Revel in the stillness and expanse of an area that is covered twice a day by some of the highest tides in the world. Here marine life must survive the extremes of being submerged under water or marooned high and dry.

Jersey’s Countryside Map – From Jersey’s footpaths to individual ecological and geological sites of special interest (SSI) to our network of green lanes, Jersey’s countryside map invites you to discover the Island’s diverse natural landscapes.

Move More Health Walks – Enjoy short, easy and free walks run by Move More Jersey designed to improve mental and physical wellbeing and provide the opportunity for support and encouragement to walk. This is especially useful for those with lower physical ability or long-term health conditions.

Jersey Heritage – Explore the Island’s history and stories with a range of self-guided walking routes and audio tours.

National Trust for Jersey – The Trust maintain many local footpaths through a variety of the Island’s natural habitats such as coastline, valleys, woodland and heathland for the public to enjoy. Try one of their self-guided walks.

CYCLING

See the Aspiring Geopark on two wheels. Cover more miles by exploring the Island via Jersey’s cycle routes and green lanes. Enjoy taking in the sites from the slow lane or challenge yourself with an uphill climb, there are routes for all abilities.

For information and ideas on cycling in the Aspiring Geopark visit the following websites:

–        EVie bikes – Sustainable transport, put some power behind your pedalling and hire an electric bike to cover more kilometres.

–        Visit Jersey – Be inspired by Visit Jersey’s cycle routes and top tips for cycling around the Island.

STRETCHING

Find your flow in nature and return to your breath. Let your troubles float away as you reconnect with your body through gentle movement and perhaps testing your balance. More information on opportunities to stretch in the Aspiring Geopark can be found by visiting the link below:

Bunker Yoga – Celebrate the natural world and all of its cycles of life. Delia at Bunker Yoga aims to reemphasise the importance of this to others through the practice of yoga at locations that bridge the gap between indoor and out.

Jersey Heritage – Join a Wellness Wednesday yoga session.

PADDLING AND CRUISING

Explore the parts of the Aspiring Geopark that lie offshore. You could take in the scenery at your own pace on a guided kayak, test your balance on a paddle board or visit a deserted sandbank by getting a lift to the furthest corners of the Aspiring Geopark. Learn about how to explore the Island’s seascapes safely by looking at these activity providers:

Jersey Seafaris

Jersey Kayak Adventures

DIVING

Escape to another word and experience what Island life is like underwater. Dive into exploring Jersey’s surrounding waters by visiting:

Bouley Bay Dive Centre – Situated in Bouley Bay is Jersey’s longest established dive centre offering a full range of dive courses, equipment sales, rentals and servicing.

SURFING

Head over to the west coast of the Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark to watch the waves at St Ouen’s Bay. Well known across the Island as a surfer’s paradise take in this idyllic Bay from the sea waiting to catch your next wave. More information about surfing in the Aspiring Geopark can be found by clicking on the links below:

Jersey Surf School – Jersey’s longest running surf school.

The Surfyard– Surf school and shop located right in the middle of one of the finest bays in Northern Europe, and at the heart of Jersey’s surf culture.

CLIMBING

Take yourself to new heights and challenge yourself. With one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, Jersey offers the perfect natural playground to practice climbing and coasteering. Discover a whole new landscape uncovered as the tide rises and falls every 12 hours. More information on climbing and coasteering opportunities can be found at:

Jersey Adventures – provider of outdoor and adventurous activities.