St Aubin

St Aubin was Jersey's main port before St Helier took the trade, and it kept the buildings that came with that: merchants' houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries climbing the hill behind a stone harbour, now largely restaurants and bars. St Aubin's Fort stands on an island in the bay in front, reachable on foot at low tide. The railway walk to Corbière starts from the old station building on the waterfront.

History

At the start of the 17th century St Aubin had no quay and no road, and in 1648 the States ordered a pier built. As the island's only large port it was the centre of international trade, notably in the Newfoundland cod fishery, until St Helier's harbours were developed after 1840, and a road finally linked it to St Helier in 1844 (Wikipedia, Saint Aubin, Jersey).

What to look for

• The merchants' houses - the seventeenth and eighteenth-century buildings behind the harbour.
• The harbour - the stone pier that served the island's main port.
• St Aubin's Fort - the island fort in the bay, walkable at low tide.
• The old station - the railway walk's starting point on the waterfront.

When to go

May to September is the busiest season. The fort is reachable only at lower tides. The harbour dries at low water.

Before you go

The harbour dries completely at low tide. The fort is not open inside, only approachable. Parking on the waterfront is difficult in season.

Nearby

The Railway Walk runs west, and St Brelade's Bay is beyond it.

Key facts