All Topics  
Castle Cornet

 
Castle Cornet

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Castle Cornet
 
 
  Topics Castle Cornet Topic Home

Castle Cornet is a large castle
Castle

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territor...
 in Guernsey
Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Isles Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets....
, and former tidal island
Tidal island

A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide....
, which is now part of one of the breakwaters of St Peter Port's harbour
St Peter Port Harbour

St Peter Port Harbour is located in St Peter Port. It was a natural anchorage used by the Roman Empire but it is now Guernsey's main port for passengers....
, the main one in the island.

History
Formerly a tidal island, like Lihou
Lihou

Not to be confused with Lihou Reef and CaysLihou /'li.u/ is a small tidal island that is part of the Channel Islands. It lies off the west coast of Guernsey and is the most westerly point in the Channel Islands....
 on the west coast of Guernsey, it was first fortified as a castle between 1206 and 1256, following the division of the Duchy of Normandy
Duchy of Normandy

The 'Duchy of Normandy' stems from various Denmark, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish invasions of France in the 8th century. A fief, probably as a county, was created by the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in 911 out of concessions made by Charles the Simple, and granted to Rollo of Normandy, leader of the Vikings known as Nort...
 in 1204.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Castle Cornet'
Start a new discussion about 'Castle Cornet'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Castlecornet
Castlecornet
Castlecornet1672
Castle Cornet is a large castle
Castle

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territor...
 in Guernsey
Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Isles Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets....
, and former tidal island
Tidal island

A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide....
, which is now part of one of the breakwaters of St Peter Port's harbour
St Peter Port Harbour

St Peter Port Harbour is located in St Peter Port. It was a natural anchorage used by the Roman Empire but it is now Guernsey's main port for passengers....
, the main one in the island.

History


Formerly a tidal island, like Lihou
Lihou

Not to be confused with Lihou Reef and CaysLihou /'li.u/ is a small tidal island that is part of the Channel Islands. It lies off the west coast of Guernsey and is the most westerly point in the Channel Islands....
 on the west coast of Guernsey, it was first fortified as a castle between 1206 and 1256, following the division of the Duchy of Normandy
Duchy of Normandy

The 'Duchy of Normandy' stems from various Denmark, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish invasions of France in the 8th century. A fief, probably as a county, was created by the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in 911 out of concessions made by Charles the Simple, and granted to Rollo of Normandy, leader of the Vikings known as Nort...
 in 1204. In 1339 when a French force captured the island
English Channel naval campaign, 1338-1339

The English Channel naval campaign of the years 1338 and 1339 saw a protracted series of raids conducted by the nascent French navy and numerous privately owned raiders and pirates against English towns, shipping and islands in the English Channel which caused widespread panic, damage and financial loss to the region and prompted a serious re...
 and occupied it for several years, Cornet was besieged, captured and the garrison massacred.

With the advent of cannon and gunpowder, the castle was remodelled between 1545 and 1548. Prof. John Le Patourel, in The Building of Castle Cornet mentions that in 1566, iron and hammers were taken to "Creavissham" (i.e. Crevichon
Crevichon

Crevichon is an islet off Herm, immediately to the north of Jethou, in the Channel IslandsAccording to Dr S.K. Kellett-Smith, it means "isle of crabs, crayfish or cranes"....
), and that island quarried for the castle.

It served as official residence
Official residence

An official residence is the House at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside. They may or may not be the same location where they conduct their work-related functions....
 of the Governor of Guernsey
List of Governors of Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Empire crown dependency off the coast of France.Holders of the post of Governor of Guernsey, until the role was abolished in 1835....
 until 1672 when the keep was catastrophically destroyed. A bolt of lightning struck the magazine of the castle, destroying the keep and a number of living quarters. The Governor at the time was Lord Hatton
Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton of Grendon

Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton , succeeded his father, Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton, as Baron Hatton and also as governor of Guernsey in 1670....
. His mother, wife and a number of members of staff were killed in the explosion.

It became integrated into the breakwater after the period of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts involving Napoleon I of France First French Empire and changing sets of European allies and opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815....
.

Along the breakwater, a pond for toy yachts was constructed in 1887 for the jubilee of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
, which served as a seaplane base during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
.

In World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, it became occupied by a small group of German troops. It was presented to the people of Guernsey in 1945 by the Crown
The Crown

Throughout the Commonwealth realms, the Crown is an abstract metonymy concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government....
.

Present day


Nowadays it incorporates the following museums:
  • The Story of Castle Cornet
  • Maritime Museum
  • 201 Squadron RAF
    No. 201 Squadron RAF

    No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands....
     Museum
  • Royal Guernsey Militia Museum - including artifacts from Royal Guernsey Light Infantry
    Royal Guernsey Light Infantry

    Royal Guernsey Light Infantry was a regiment in the British Army that was formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916 to serve in World War I....


It also has a restaurant, and hosts outdoor theatre performances during the summer months.

External links