The cultural landscape of Jersey – its Norman style farmhouses, the narrow winding lanes and small fields, the French street names – reflect a fascinating and complex history that has entwined the Island in the fate of two great nations: Britain and France for over one thousand years.
Even Jersey’s prehistoric period produced a rich legacy of artefacts. Remnants of a great French forest that existed over 10,000 years ago, when the Island was part of the continent can still be seen today at St Ouen when there is a low tide. Flints and crude stone tools were left by hunters in La Cotte a la Chevre (Goat’s cave) now perched 60 feet (18 m) above the sea level on the north coast of St Ouen and La Cotte de St Brelade is one of the most important Palaeolithic sites in Europe. La Hougue Bie is another very impressive prehistoric burial chamber some 30 feet (9 m) long, four feet (1.2 m) high and roofed with flat, rectangular capstones. Made of earth, limpet shells and rubble it houses a Neolithic passage grave built about 3000 BC.