Jersey is the one dot of Britain where you can still find brilliant beaches, warm weather and great food

THERE’S still one dot of Britain where you will find warm weather, brilliant beaches and great food in the depths of autumn.

While Brits tuck in for the winter, locals in Jersey are still taking a dip in their island’s crystal-clear seawater come November.

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This jewel, just 14 miles off the French coast, has it all — and it couldn’t be easier to get to.

More than 20 UK airports serve Jersey, with return flights going for as little as £50 return and lasting just an hour. Car ferries from Poole and Portsmouth take around four-and-a-half hours.

The magnificent St Brelade’s Bay offers some of the best beaches. The grand L’Horizon Beach Hotel and Spa stretches along the front of this idyllic cove, giving its guests magnificent views of the bay.

The nearby Oyster Box restaurant serves up a smashing fish and chips — or delicious oysters and lobster if you feel like splashing out.

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Take an hour’s walk down the coast and you will reach La Corbiere, home to a picturesque lighthouse visitors can wander out to at low tide via a precarious stone walkway.

Turn the other way and a short bus journey takes you into the main town of St Helier.

Out in the bay, Elizabeth Castle can be reached by foot or a floating bus that the kids will love.

The giant fort is a nod to Jersey’s colourful past, acting as the last bastion against French invaders.

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But it could not counter the threat of Nazi invasion during World War Two and the five-year occupation is a huge part of the islanders’ psyche.

The Jersey War Tunnels are a fascinating look at life on the Channel Islands — the only UK territories occupied by Germany — under the Nazi jackboot.

The Germans governed from the island’s most famous hotel, the Grand Jersey.

Today, it is a much more welcoming prospect. Try the seven-course tasting menu that charts a course through its most famous grub — ­Jersey beef and its sublime seafood and shellfish.

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With the island only nine miles by five, most spots are only a short hop away. Take the kids to Jersey Zoo, which is widely acknowledged as one of Europe’s best.

There you will see gorillas, orangutans and flamingos.

Nestled between St Brelade’s Bay and St Helier is the small port of St Aubin.

Little pubs and restaurants dot the harbour.

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Stop off at La Belle Gourmande and have a gin cocktail, along with the trendy little bistro’s brilliant tapas dishes.

While Jersey, for all intents and purposes, looks and feels British, it’s a fiercely proud and independent island with a rip-roaring history.

Brit police and postboxes are all nods to the UK but the indelible influence of France is all around.

Road names have a distinctively French ring and some islanders still speak their own version of the Norman language Jerriais.

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But while history is a big part of this place, it is the food, drink and landscapes that will bowl you over.

When the throngs of summer travellers have long departed back to the UK, an autumn break in Jersey offers you an extra couple of weeks of sunshine.

The 100 miles down to the French coast makes all the difference and the Channel Islands have long been known for their sunnier climates.

And with beaches and food like this, there’s no excuse not to explore this jewel in the English Channel.