Jersey roads

Before Don

Until the early 19th century the only roads the Island could boast of were numerous narrow communications winding in and out in an aimless manner, in general "sunken below the level of the land, and flanked on each side by high mounds" in the same fashion as is presented even now by the majority of the by-lanes.

These apologies for roads were divided in all into three classes : Le chemin du roi, with foot walks 16 feet wide between the hedge banks; Le chemin de huits pieds, or cross-roads, 8 feet wide, and Le chemin de quatre pieds, or extremely narrow bridleways, to which may be added sheep tracts, which at that time abounded to a considerable extent — each unpassable in dirty weather, and allowing as a rule, only the passage of one vehicle at a time. Although the towns of St Helier and St Aubin were only some 3½ miles apart, and were within sight of each other, there was no other means of communication between them than by crossing the beach for a few hours a day between high tides.

Branchage

These matters had not been entirely overlooked by the States of Jersey. One of the principal summer events of the Island in those days was that connected with the law of Branchage. On Midsummer day, with great pomp and ceremony, walks through the parishes took place, conducted by the respective Constables and the 12 principal landowners of each district. These, whose particular duty it was to look after the state of the roads, hedges, and banks, met the Bailiff and Viscount, who were accompanied by three or more Jurats, all mounted, at the parish boundaries, from whence they proceeded with the Viscount at the head.

He carried his staff of office erect, with the base resting on the pummel of his saddle; the law being that if the staff touched a branch of any tree the owner thereof, whether present or absent, was summarily condemned to a fine, the overseer of the parish being under a like penalty if the roads or hedge banks were found in an unsatisfactory condition. To this day two annual Visites du Branchage (albeit not on horseback) are conducted to ensure that the island's roads remain unrestricted.

Don's constructions

To the soldierly eye of General Don such a state of affairs was no longer satisfactory, and within a few weeks of arriving in the island he commissioned the start of many of the main roads that the Island now possesses, primarily for the convenience of the marching of his troops. The plan for the roads was not General Don's; it had already been drawn up by the Rev Francois Le Couteur, but Don usually gets the credit.

The roads were to a considerable extent constructed by paid military labour. That from St Helier to St Aubin was the first to be commenced, in the middle of November 1806. After this, other roads were undertaken. Contributions were freely asked and as freely given towards the expense of this work, books for the entries of subscriptions being left by the Governor's orders in 1809 at the three banks then open in St Helier — among which were the Old Bank and the Commercial, established respectively in 1797 and 1808. Bazaars and lotteries were held to support the work. The first prize in the St Aubin's Road lottery out of the £72,000 proposed to be raised in this manner, reaching the handsome sum of £12,000, though the name of the winner is unrecorded.

As might be expected, the completion of these undertakings took several years work (St Aubin's Road, for example, was not opened until 1810), and was not achieved during the residence of General Don.

Old St Helier street names

Most of St Helier's roads which now have English names formerly had French names, many of which are not direct translations. See list.

History

• A more detailed history of Jersey's roads

Featured roads and streets

Numbered streets are shown on the map

Town of St Helier

	Albert Street	Anley Street -1	Ann Street	Aquila Road -2	Bath Street -3
	Beach Road	Bellozanne Valley	Belmont Road -4	Beresford Street -5	Bond Street
	Broad Street -6	Burrard Street -7	Castle Street	Cattle Street	Charles Street -8
	Charing Cross -9	La Chasse	Cheapside	Chevalier Road	Church Street
	Clare Street	Clarence Road	Clarendon Road	Colomberie	Commercial Buildings
	Kensington Place	Conway Street -10	David Place -11	Devonshire Place -12	Don Road
	Don Street -13	Dorset Street -14	Duhamel Place	Dumaresq Street -15	Elizabeth Place -16
	Esplanade	Route du Fort	Gloucester Street	Great Union Road -17	Green Street
	Grosvenor Street	Halkett Place -18	Halkett Street -19	Hilgrove Street -20	Hill Street -21
	Hue Street -22		Old St John's Road	King Street -23	Library Place -24
	Market Street	Midvale Road	Mont Millais	Minden Place -25	La Motte Street -26
	Mulcaster Street	New Street -27	Old Street	Ordnance Yard	The Parade -28
	Peirson Place -29	Peirson Road	Pier Road	Pomona Road	Queen Street -30
	Queen's Road	Regent Road	Roseville Street	Rouge Bouillon -31	Royal Square -32
	Sand Street	Seaton Place	Snow Hill -33	St Aubin's Road	St Mark's Road -34
	St Saviour's Road and Hill	Stopford Road -35	The Tunnel	Union Street -36	Val Plaisant -37
	Vauxhall Street -38	Victoria Street -39	Vine Street	The Weighbridge	Wellington Road
		York Street	Mount Bingham	South Hill	Robin Hood
	Columbus Street	Metivier Lane	Journeaux Street -40	Peter Street	Byron Road
	Hilary Street	Grenville Street	Poonah Road	Caledonia Place	Waterloo Street -41
	Oxford Road	Pitt Street	Philips Street	Dicq Road	Le Geyt Street
	Providence Street	Wesley Street		Cannon Street	Clearview Street
		Marett Road	Seale Street -42	Commercial Street

Out of town

	Mont Cochon	Route des Cotils, Grouville	Route de Fauvic, Grouville	Rue du Galet	Grands Vaux
	La Hague Lane	Grande Route des Mielles	Mont Neron	Boulevard Avenue	Route du Nord
	Route des Quennevais	Longueville Road	Victoria Avenue	St Aubin's High Street	Green Road
	St Peter's Valley	Langley Park and Langley Avenue	Waterworks Valley	Route Orange	Red Houses
	Vallee des Vaux