Saint Clement, Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saint Clement
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Jersey parish
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A view over St. Clement towards St. Helier
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Location of Saint Clement in Jersey
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| Crown Dependency | Jersey, Channel Islands | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.2 km2 (1.6 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | Ranked 12th | |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 9,221 | |
| • Density | 2,195/km2 (5,690/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | GMT | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01 | |
| Postcode district |
JE2
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| Postcode sector |
6
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Saint Clement (called Saint Cliément in Jèrriais) is one of the twelve parishes on the island of Jersey. Jersey is part of the Channel Islands. The parish hall is about 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) south-east of St. Helier, the island's capital. Saint Clement has a population of 9,221 people and is the second most crowded parish.
This parish is on the south-east coast of Jersey. It stretches from Le Dicq in the west to near La Rocque in the east. It is the smallest parish, covering only 4 square kilometers (2,440 vergées). Much of Saint Clement is covered by houses built after World War II. There isn't one clear town center, as the parish hall, schools, and church are in different places. Saint Clement also has sports areas like FB Fields and St. Clement's Golf Club.
Contents
What's in a Name?
Before the Normans arrived, the area now known as Saint Clement was called Petravilla or Pierreville. This name came from Peter, a monk who gave his land in Saint Clement to the Mont Saint-Michel abbey.
The parish gets its modern name from its church. The church is named after St Clement, who was the third Pope after St Peter. The church's full name is Saint Clement de Pierreville.
Samarès is a district and suburb in Saint Clement. Its name comes from an old word meaning "Salt marsh." It was first recorded as Salmaresch in 1186.
A Look at History
A lot of Saint Clement's land is lower than the high-tide level. Because of this, it used to flood often before Le Dicq was built to help hold back the sea. You can find remains of a submerged forest under the sand at Grève d'Azette. This shows that the parish has gotten smaller as the sea has risen. Big floods in 1688, 1796, and 1812 even washed away the coast road at Le Hocq. This meant the road had to be rebuilt further inland.
In 1172, records show that a chapel existed in the parish. There was also a priory where the old Priory Inn used to be (now houses).
In the 1500s and 1600s, people believed the parish was a center for witches. They thought that a rock called Rocque Berg (also known as the Witches' Rock) was where witches met for their gatherings on Friday nights.
After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, many French Protestants came to live in the parish. This is recorded in the church's records.
In the mid-1800s, the town of St. Helier started to grow east into the west side of Saint Clement. Today, there isn't much open green space left in the western part of the parish, except for the golf and football fields.
How Saint Clement is Governed
Saint Clement is an important administrative area in Jersey. Jersey is a British Crown dependency. The main leader in the parish is the Connétable of Saint Clement. The current Connétable is Len Norman. He has held this position since 2008. Before that, he was a Deputy for Saint Clement since 1983.
For elections to the States Assembly (Jersey's parliament), Saint Clement is one electoral district. It elects two Deputies. The parish also helps elect eight Senators for the whole island. The current Deputies for Saint Clement are Lindsay Ash and Susie Pinel.
Saint Clement also has its own local government. This includes the Connétable, two elected Procureurs du Bien Public who manage the parish's money, and a Rector for the church. There are also members of the parish Honorary Police (like Centeniers and Vingteniers). Other officials include churchwardens and roads inspectors. The parish is divided into three areas called vingtaines for administration:
- La Grande Vingtaine
- La Vingtaine du Rocquier
- La Vingtaine de Samarès
The main office for the parish government is the Salle Paroissiale, or Parish Hall. It is located at Le Hocq and is the newest parish hall on the island. The old parish hall was at Caldwell Hall.
Geography of Saint Clement
Saint Clement is located in the south-east of Jersey. Jersey is the largest island in the Channel Islands, which are part of the British Isles. Saint Clement shares borders with St. Saviour to the west and north, and Grouville to the east and north. It is very close to the capital, St. Helier, at Le Dicq.
The parish is mostly low and near the coast. However, le Mont de Grouville extends into the parish. The entire rocky area along Saint Clement's coast, which is uncovered at low tide, is a special protected area called a Ramsar site.
Saint Clement has many houses and buildings, as it is part of the growing urban area of St. Helier. This includes housing estates in Samarès, Le Squez, and Pontac. There isn't one clear town center because the parish's facilities are spread out.
Population of Saint Clement
The population of Saint Clement, according to the 2011 census, is 9,221 people.
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1991 | 7,393 | — |
| 1996 | 7,986 | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 8,196 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 9,221 | +12.5% |
Culture and Landmarks
Famous Places to See
The dolmen at Mont Ubé is a very old stone structure. People believe it was left by a group called the Iberians around 3,000 B.C. Remains of an ancient cemetery on La Motte (also known as Green Island) are thought to be from later settlers. Scientists have also studied a Neolithic cairn (a pile of stones) and ancient rubbish heaps on La Motte.
Samarès Manor (called Mangni d'Sanmathès in Jèrriais) is a large house with parts dating back to the Middle Ages. It is the traditional home of the Seigneur de Samarès. The name Samarès means "salt-marsh," and many of the low-lying areas around it used to be coastal marshes.
Le Hocq Tower was built in 1778. It was a coastal defense to protect against the French during a war when they supported the American colonies against the British.
Seymour Tower is located two miles offshore. It sits on one of the world's largest inter-tidal reefs, which means it's only reachable at low tide. This square tower was also built in the 1700s as part of Jersey's coastal defenses.
Sister Cities
Saint Clement is twinned with Cancale in Brittany, France. Being "twinned" means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange. Before 2010, Saint Clement was the only parish in Jersey not twinned with a French town. It is also the only parish twinned with a town in Brittany, not Normandy.
Getting Around Saint Clement
There are two main roads that go east-west through the parish. These are the A5 St. Clement's Inner Road (known as La Grande Route de St Clement) and the A6 St. Clement's Coast Road (known as La Grande Route de la Côte).
The Eastern Cycle Network is a project focused on cycling in the parish. There are plans to build a cycle route from the border with St. Saviour to the border with Grouville. As part of this plan, new cycle paths have opened, such as near Le Rocquier School. Also, a special traffic measure called a modal filter was put in place on Rue de Maupertuis.
Schools in Saint Clement
Saint Clement has two primary schools and one secondary school.
Le Rocquier School is a secondary school located on La Grande Route de St. Clement. The old school buildings were replaced with a new building in 2006.
The parish school of Saint Clement is on Rue de la Chapelle, close to Le Rocquier School. The original school building was from 1901. It was replaced in 2006 with a brand new building across the road.
Samarès School (which used to be called Le Squez School) is the other primary school. It is located further east on School Road.
Places of Worship
The parish church of Saint Clement is a very old Anglican church. It is on La Grande Route de St Clément (the inner road). St. Nicholas is a smaller church, a "sister" church, located on La Grande Route de la Côte (the coast road). It opened in 1927.
The St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church is on La Grande Route de St Clément in Samarès.
The Samarès Methodist Church is on La Grande Route de la Côte. It is the southernmost church in the British Isles. However, since February 2012, there are no longer regular church services there. The building is now used as a community center.
Sports and Activities
Saint Clement has several sports centers.
FB Playing Fields is a large outdoor sports center on the St. Clement's Inner Road. This land was given to the island by Florence Boot. She was the wife of the man who made the Boots pharmacy chain famous. You can play sports like athletics, cricket, football, and netball at these fields. The Jersey Eastern Railway used to run through this area.
The St. Clement's Golf Club and Sports Centre has a nine-hole golf course that is 2,637 yards (2,411 m) long. It also has a smaller three-hole Academy golf course. This center opened in 1913 as the Jersey Recreation Grounds. At first, it only had tennis courts and a bowling green. The St. Clement's Golf Club, the St. Clement's Ladies' Golf Club, and the Jersey Squash and Racquetball Club are all located here.
The government plans to build a new sports facility at Le Rocquier School. This new center will replace the current school facilities and be a hub for public sports in the east of the island. It will include a large sports hall, a 3G football pitch, a special gymnastics area, and a big fitness room. There is also a chance that a new swimming pool could be added.
