Lighthouses of Jersey

Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, located in the English Channel off the west coast of France's Cotentin peninsula. Together with a scattering of small islets and reefs, it forms the Bailiwick of Jersey, a dependency recognizing the British queen in her capacity as Duke of Normandy. Legally, Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom, and it is not part of the European Union, although it falls within the EU customs union and common travel area.

Jersey is accessible by air or by ferry from several ports in southern England and in neighboring France.

Aids to navigation in Jersey are operated by the local harbor authority, Jersey Harbours.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume A of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 114.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Channel Islands
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Phares d'Europe
Photos posted by Robert Carceller and Alain Guyomard as part of their Phares du Monde web site.
Lighthouses in Jersey
ARLHS listing for Jersey; members have provided photos of most of the lights.
Lighthouses in Jersey
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Leuchtürme auf Briefmarken
Lighthouse postage stamps from around the world, including many of the Channel Islands lighthouses, posted by Klaus Huelse. Huelse also has a page of historic postcard views, Britische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten.

La Corbière Light
La Corbière Light, St. Brélade, July 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Em Baker

Lighthouses
* La Corbière
1874 (John Coode). Active; focal plane 36 m (119 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 5 s on, 5 s off. 19 m (62 ft) concrete block tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Fog horn (4 blasts, long-short-long-short, every 60 s); the signal is the Morse code for "C," representing the name of the lighthouse. Em Baker's photo is above, Janine Dalton has a good closeup photo, Trabas also has a fine postcard photo, Wikimedia has numerous photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Wikimedia has an article on the lighthouse and the point, and Bing has a satellite view. This was the first British lighthouse to be built using concrete. The lighthouse is perched atop a rock just off the southwestern tip of Jersey. It is accessible by a causeway at low tide, but visitors must take care not to be stranded when the tide returns. Parking provided. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-001; Admiralty A1620; NGA 8100.
* [Sorel Point]
1938. Active; focal plane 50 m (163 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 5.5 s off. 3 m (10 ft) cylindrical concrete "pillbox" tower. Dave Medcalf's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, Guyomard and Carceller have a fine photo, ARLHS also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The light, formerly shown through a long window, is now in a small yellow lantern atop the structure. Tower painted in a black and white checkerboard pattern. Located atop the cliff on the northernmost point of Jersey. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-008; Admiralty A1584; NGA 8164.
* St. Catherine's Breakwater (2)
Date unknown (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 18.5 m (60 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a closeup postcard photo, Wikimedia has several photos, ARLHS has a good photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The original lighthouse has been relocated for display outside the entrance to the Jersey Maritime Museum in St. Helier (see below). Located at the end of the breakwater, near the northeastern corner of Jersey. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS JER-014; Admiralty A1586; NGA 8160.

Sorel Point Light, St. John, February 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Dave Medcalf
* Gorey Pier (Range Front)
1966 (station established 1850). Active; focal plane 8 m (27 ft); red or green light, depending on direction, 4 s on, 1 s off. 9 m (30 ft) square skeletal tower with enclosed upper portion and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a good photo, ARLHS has a closeup photo, Guyomard and Carceller have a good photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The rear light is mounted on a stone wall of Mont Orgueil (Gorey Castle). Located at the end of the pier in Gorey, on the east side of the island. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-003; Admiralty A1588; NGA 8152.
* Mont Ubé (Range Rear)
1896. Active; focal plane 46 m (150 ft); red light occulting every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a closeup postcard photo, ARLHS has a good photo, a postage stamp also shows the lighthouse, and Bing has a satellite view. Mont Ubé is well known for its prehistoric monuments. Located on the Rue de la Houguette, 1.9 km (1.2 mi) east of Grève d'Azette and about 100 m (110 yd) south of the A5 highway. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-006; Admiralty A1594.1; NGA 8148.
* Grève d'Azette (Range Front)
1896. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white light occulting every 5 s. 19.5 m (64 ft) square pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a square concrete and stone base. The lighthouse is painted white and also carries a red vertical stripe daymark on the range line. A photo is at right, Colin Park has a photo, Trabas has a closeup postcard photo, Guyomard and Carceller have a fine photo, ARLHS also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the coastal road (A4) about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of St. Helier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-005; Admiralty A1594; NGA 8144.
Demie de Pas
1904. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 1 s off, 1 s on, 1 s off, 1 s on, 5 s off (this flash pattern is the Morse code for "D," representing the name of the lighthouse). Approx. 13 m (44 ft) concrete block tower with gallery and a small lantern. Upper portion of the lighthouse painted yellow-orange, lower portion painted black. Fog horn (3 blasts every 60 s). Trabas has a photo by Thomas Philipp, ARLHS has a distant view, the lighthouse appears on a postage stamp, and Bing has a satellite view. The lighthouse was formerly painted white; the color was apparently changed when the original lantern was removed, sometime after 1984. Located on a rock off the harbor of St. Helier on the southeast coast of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-002; Admiralty A1598; NGA 8140.
Grève d'Azette Light
Grève d'Azette Light, St. Helier, March 2011
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Danrok
* [St. Catherine's Breakwater (1)]
1857. Inactive. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal masonry tower with lantern, painted white. Wikimedia has a 2011 closeup photo, ARLHS has a good photo, and Bing has a satellite view. Originally located on a breakwater near the northeastern tip of Jersey, this lighthouse has been relocated for display outside the entrance to the Jersey Maritime Museum. The lighthouse serves as a memorial to Jersey citizens who died in German prison camps during World War II. Located on the North Quay at St. Helier. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Jersey Heritage Trust. Site manager: Jersey Maritime Museum. ARLHS JER-015.
* Noirmont Point
1915. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 10 m (32 ft) stone tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Lantern removed; light displayed from a short mast. A photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo by Thomas Philipp, another photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a rocky point just offshore at the western end of St Aubin's Bay on the southwestern coast of Jersey. Accessible at low tide by wading. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Jersey Harbours. ARLHS JER-007; Admiralty A1616; NGA 8108.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

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Notable faux lighthouses:

  • MP2 Observation Tower (1941), at La Corbière, built by German forces, has never been an aid to navigation. Overnight accommodations are available in the tower.

Noirmont Point Light, St. Brélade, May 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Graham and Dairne

Adjoining pages: North: Guernsey | South: Northeastern Brittany | East: Basse-Normandie

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Posted August 16, 2004. Checked and revised May 5, 2013. Lighthouses: 9. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.