Castle Cornet

Castle Cornet, guarding the entrance to the harbour of St Peter Port, has been the defensive heart of Guernsey for some 800 years, a magnificent fortress that once stood on its own tidal island before a breakwater joined it to the town. Layer upon layer of history is written in its walls, from a medieval castle to Tudor and later fortifications, and it survived a dramatic explosion that destroyed its keep. Today it is a lively heritage site, its ramparts and courtyards housing several museums, beautiful gardens and fine views over the harbour and neighbouring islands. Each day the tradition of the noonday gun is upheld with ceremony, making the castle a genuinely engaging and historic centrepiece of the capital.

History

The rock was first fortified as a castle between 1206 and 1256, after the division of the Duchy of Normandy in 1204, with a keep, a chapel, two courtyards and curtain walls. French forces captured it in 1338 and held it until 1345, and took it again in 1358 and in 1380, each time to be driven out, while Owain Lawgoch's assault of 1372 failed to take it; the Carey tower was built around 1435. The castle was remodelled for cannon in 1545-1548 and given its Royal Battery and polygonal bastions by 1594. In the English Civil Wars it held out for the King while the island sided with Parliament, firing an estimated ten thousand cannonballs at St Peter Port before surrendering on 17 December 1651, the last Royalist garrison but one in the British Isles. On 30 December 1672 lightning struck the magazine and the explosion wrecked the keep, which was never rebuilt. A breakwater joined the castle to the island in 1859, and in 1947 the Crown presented it to the people of Guernsey (Wikipedia, Castle Cornet).

What you'll find

• The ramparts - the historic fortifications and harbour views.
• The noonday gun - the daily firing ceremony.
• The museums - the several museums within the walls.
• The gardens - the beautiful terraced castle gardens.

When to go

April to October brings the mildest weather and long days for exploring the ramparts, gardens and museums, when the castle is fully open and the noonday gun fired daily; spring and early autumn are pleasant and quieter. The harbour views are finest on clear, bright days.

Good to know

Castle Cornet is a layered historic site with plenty of steps and ramparts to explore, and its several small museums reward unhurried time. As the 800-year guardian of St Peter Port harbour, rich in history and gardens and famed for its daily noonday gun, though, Castle Cornet is a genuinely engaging and rewarding centrepiece of Guernsey.

Nearby

The harbour town of St Peter Port and its seafront lie alongside.

Key facts