Kustverdedigingswerken in Jersey

Coastal Fortifications

Jersey’s strategic position in the English Channel has left a legacy of defensive architecture spanning eight centuries. This collection features medieval strongholds like Grosnez Castle, 16th-century tidal fortresses, and 19th-century granite Martello towers designed to repel French invasions. The list also highlights the island's more recent history with well-preserved German bunkers and observation towers from the 1940s Atlantic Wall, including specialized casemates and heavy artillery positions integrated into the rugged coastline.

Coastal Fortifications — Kaart

Luc Van Braekel / CC BY 2.0

A

Elizabeth Castle

Elizabeth Castle is a castle and tourist attraction, on a tidal island within the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey.

B

Saint Aubin's Fort

A 16th-century fort situated on a tidal island. Accessible on foot at low tide via a causeway, it features a 1740s pier and a granite tower once used for coastal defense.

C

Fort Regent

A 19th-century Napoleonic-era fortress overlooking St Helier. Built between 1806 and 1814 to protect the town from French invasion, it still retains its original granite ramparts.

D

Grosnez Castle

The ruins of a 14th-century castle located on the northwestern tip of the island. It features a prominent gatehouse and defensive walls overlooking the cliffs.

E

La Crête Fort

A small 19th-century fort built on a secluded headland to defend Bonne Nuit Bay. It now serves as a unique holiday rental managed by Jersey Heritage.

Man vyi / Public domain

F

Coastal fortifications of Jersey

Jersey is a heavily fortified island with coastal fortifications that date from different periods such as the English Civil War, the…

G

Fort Leicester

A 19th-century coastal battery overlooking Bouley Bay. Named after the Earl of Leicester, it was designed to defend the island's northern coast against naval forces.

H

L'Etacquerel Battery

An 18th-century defensive battery located on the heights above Bouley Bay, part of the island's coastal defense network during the Napoleonic Wars.

I

Lewis Tower

A granite Martello tower built in 1835 at St Ouen's Bay. It is part of the island's 19th-century coastal defense system and is currently used as self-catering accommodation.

J

Refuge Tower

Built in 1896 in St Clement's Bay, this small tower was designed to provide a safe haven for people caught by the rapidly rising tide on the rocky shoreline.

K

MP7 - Mont-Orgueil

A German Marine Peilstand (Direction Finding) tower from WWII. This multi-story concrete bunker was used for naval range-finding and observation near Gorey.

L

Jäger Casemate K2 - 10.5cm gun

A well-preserved WWII German bunker at St Ouen's Bay designed to house a 10.5cm K331(f) field gun as part of the Atlantic Wall defenses.

M

634 bunker - 6-Sch. Mach.Gun

A Regelbau 634 bunker featuring a six-loopholed armored turret for a machine gun, constructed by German forces during the 1940-1945 occupation.

N

633 bunker - M19 Mortar

A Regelbau 633 bunker specifically designed to house an M19 automatic mortar, representing a key component of the German coastal defense system.