Reading the sculpture

Standing about six metres tall, the slender bronze tree is worked with thirty oak leaves and twelve acorns — one acorn for each of Jersey's twelve parishes. Cast in bronze with steel and plaster elements, the tree reads as an upward, reaching form, light and airy against the sky and sea behind it.↗↗↗

The tree rises from a solid granite base, and the work is encircled by a granite bench into whose surface a poem by the Jersey writer Linda Rose Parkes is carved. A granite plaque fixed to the wall spells out the dedication: the sculpture and poem were commissioned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of the people of Jersey, and the tree is described as representing freedom, peace and hope for the future. Take the time to read both the inscription and the carved verse — they give the quiet bronze its full meaning.↗

Where it stands and what is around it

The Freedom Tree occupies the north-west corner of Elizabeth Marina on the St Helier Waterfront (JE2 1QA), overlooking St Aubin's Bay. From this spot you can see Elizabeth Castle out toward the south and West Park to the north, making it a natural waypoint on a seafront stroll around the marina.↗↗↗

It also pairs neatly with another Liberation memorial on the island. Down at Liberation Square, a bronze group by Philip Jackson shows a line of figures releasing doves of peace, unveiled in 1995 for the 50th anniversary. Where that sculpture fixes a single minute of May 1945, the Freedom Tree was made to speak of growth and continuity — together the two works trace how Jersey remembers its Occupation and its release.↗↗

Visiting

The sculpture sits in open public space and is accessible at all times, with no ticket or opening hours to plan around — simply drop by on a waterfront walk. The site has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and the granite bench makes it a pleasant place to pause and take in the marina and the bay. Late afternoon light over St Aubin's Bay tends to flatter the bronze and make for the best photographs.↗↗↗