Elizabeth Castle

On the coast

Elizabeth Castle

16th century Orders to Elizabeth Castle and Mont Orgueil stating the numbers of soldiers to defend the main gates and canons, the payments of the soldiers, the re-establishment of the Governors guard, which was disbanded by Sir Waltre Raughley (Sir Walter Raleigh), and that the main gates and cannon of both castles are manned

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Elizabeth Castle was built on a tidal island off the coast of Saint Helier in the 16th and 17th centuries when the power of cannons meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil was insufficient to defend the Island and the port of St Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships.

History

Elizabeth Castle. About half a mile out to sea from St Helier lies an islet 60 yards broad and about 500 yards long, which can be reached at low tide by a causeway of shingle across the sands. For 400 years this contained a priory, and for the last 350 years a castle.

The island called L'Islet at the eastern end of St Aubin's Bay became the site of the Abbey (later Priory) of Saint Helier. The monastic buildings were finally taken over by the Crown at the Reformation. Surviving buildings were used for military purposes.

Construction of the castle began in 1594, and continued in the first years of the 17th century under the then governor of Jersey, Sir Walter Raleigh, who named it "Fort Isabella Bellissima" (the most beautiful Elizabeth) after Elizabeth I.

Governors of Jersey moved their official residence from Mont Orgueil to Elizabeth Castle, which was first used in a military context during the English Civil War in the 17th century. Charles II visited the castle in 1646 and 1649, staying in the Governor's House, and was proclaimed King on the death of his father, Charles I, by governor Sir George de Carteret despite the abolition of the monarchy in England.

In 1651, Parliamentary forces landed in Jersey and bombarded the castle with mortars. The destruction of the mediaeval Abbey church in the heart of the castle complex which had been used as the storehouse for ammunition and provisions forced Carteret to surrender, and Jersey was held by Parliamentarians for nine years. The parade ground and surrounding buildings were constructed on the site of the destroyed Abbey church.

The castle was next involved in conflict in the late 18th century, this time it was with the French. Troops under Baron Phillipe de Rullecourt landed in St Helier on 6 January 1781, and the castle garrison was marooned. The governor, Moise Corbet, was tricked into surrendering to the French, but the castle garrison under Captain Mulcaster refused to surrender. The French were eventually defeated by troops under Major Francis Peirson at the Battle of Jersey. Both Peirson and de Rullecourt were killed during the battle.

The perceived vulnerability of the Island led to the construction of Fort Regent on Le Mont de la Ville, overlooking the Town. Fort Regent became the site of the main British garrison.

An ambitious harbour project which would have linked the castle to the mainland was abandoned in the 19th century. A breakwater linking L'Islet to the Hermitage Rock on which the Hermitage of Saint Helier is built remains, and is used by anglers.

The British government withdrew the garrison and relinquished the castle in 1923 to the States of Jersey which opened it to the public as a museum. During the Second World War the Germans modernised the castle with guns, bunkers and battlements. After the Liberation, the castle was repaired and was eventually reopened to the public.

Historic monument

Today, the castle is administered by the Jersey Heritage Trust as a museum site: among the historical displays are the Jersey Royal Militia Museum holding several centuries of military memorabilia. Every Sunday through the season when the castle is open, a team of historical interpreters recreate the garrison of 1781, at the time of the battle of Jersey. Displays are given of musket firing, cannon firing and civilian life.

Jersey Heritage 2025 statement

Jersey Heritage are restoring Elizabeth Castle ‘to ensure it is protected for generations to come’.

The castle sits on an islet about half a mile off Jersey’s south coast by St Helier Harbour and has watched over the Island for more than 400 years. Built across 24 acres and 15 centuries, it is steeped in history. The castle is the biggest heritage site we look after and our most popular site during the summer season.

We have begun an exciting new, long-term restoration project at Elizabeth Castle, which is one of the most iconic landmarks in Jersey and a symbol of the Island’s incredibly rich history.

The castle has many chapters to its story, including residents such as Sir Walter Raleigh, King Charles II and German occupying forces, but its history dates back as far as the 6th century to St Helier, who Jersey’s capital is named after. A hermit called Helibert lived in the hermitage on the islet where the castle is built. He was murdered and later made into a saint called St Helier. Islanders make an annual pilgrimage to the hermitage and it is a fascinating part of the castle grounds for visitors to explore.

The first building on the islet was an abbey, named after Helibert and founded in 1155. It was soon downgraded to a priory and later abandoned. Fast forward to the late 16th century and a fortress was being built, taking over the main defence of Jersey once gunpowder and cannon were introduced and the medieval castle of Mont Orgueil on the east coast was no longer up to the job. Raleigh, who was Governor of Jersey from 1600-1603, later named the new castle after his Queen; Fort Isabella Bellissima, or Elizabeth Castle.

The Castle protected St Helier and offered a safe anchorage for merchant vessels, and also gave refuge to Charles II – the Prince of Wales at the time – in 1645 during the English Civil War. It was extended throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and continued to be a military garrison until 1923, when it was sold by the British Government to the States of Jersey. Most recently, the Castle was refortified by German forces during the Second World War.

Today, Jersey Heritage looks after Elizabeth Castle on behalf of the people of Jersey and the Island’s government has provided us with vital funding to invest in a major, long-term restoration project, which is the latest chapter in the fortress’ history.

There are more than 30 historic buildings in the grounds of the Castle and, although general conservation work to maintain the site as a whole is ongoing, some of the key buildings need more help – this is where the restoration project comes in.

Phase One focuses on the Georgian military hospital and coal store, and the 18th century officers’ quarters. Planning permission has been granted for both of these projects and preliminary work has begun, including the gathering of essential conservation information for the restoration process.

Built in 1735, the Officers’ Quarters was previously used by Jersey Heritage as an exhibition space. As part of the project, the building, which faces into the Parade Ground at the heart of the Castle’s grounds, will be restored and developed and returned to its original use as accommodation. At the moment, it is closed to the public but when it reopens, it will provide opportunities for the Castle to be used in different ways, including by groups during the winter months when the Castle is currently closed to visitors.

The Georgian military hospital dates from the early 19th century and is one of the first buildings that visitors see when they enter the Castle. Our knowledgeable Tour Guides stop here to share some of its fascinating history but the building is currently too dangerous to allow visitors access.

The large 19th century coal store by the hospital is also currently unused. It will be refurbished to create a multi-purpose function and meeting room, with toilet and kitchen facilities. This will provide a location for meetings and events, adding another facet to the Castle.

The guardhouse at the entrance to Elizabeth Castle houses an exhibition to explain the restoration project to visitors and soon they’ll be able to see the progress for themselves as the project gets fully underway. Exciting times lie ahead for this iconic Castle, which remains an integral part of the Island’s story.

Balleine

A detailed history of the castle, taken from The Bailiwick of Jersey by George Balleine
The Hermitage from ''The Bailiwick of Jersey''

Rybot

A booklet written by Norman Rybot in 1934 covered various aspects of the history of Elizabeth Castle, and included a translation of a French history of Saint Helier. Here are links to the chapters of the booklet:

The castle depicted on a Wedgewood plate in the 1770s

Panoramic views from Google

Google's Street View car did not make it out to the castle when it visited in 2010, but there are a number of panoramic views by local photographers

Art collection

The castle is home to a small selection of paintings from the Jersey Heritage collection, featured in the Your Paintings project.

Click on any image to see a full-size version

Lt-Col J K Pipon; John Breden
Militia officer, 1840
Militia officer, 1840
Catherine de Rullecourt, 1779; Momier
General Don; George Watson

Picture gallery

Sisters Claude Cahun and Suzanne Malherbe having fun with the castle pump in 1933

These two photographs were taken around 1872, when work was under way to construct a new and massive harbour for St Helier. One arm was built out from Elizabeth Castle, bridging the gap to the Hermitage Rock and then heading out to sea. That was completed. The other arm, from La Collette, was repeatedly damaged by winter storms before much progress could be made and the whole project was abandoned. These picture were taken while work was under way outside the castle and show temporary buildings which were part of the construction site. In the foreground on the left is a large basin which was probably the inner section of the castle's harbour, little of which now remains. It appears that a retaining wall was built to keep the tide out and the whole area was soon filled in, as shown on the right, to create an open space where the giant blocks which would be used to build the breakwater could be constructed and stored

Two pictures taken in 2016

And a collection of artists' impressions from previous centuries

1817, D A B Gould
Charles Gore
John Boydell
John Thomas Serres
John Wilson Carmichael
Richard Beavis

Click on any image to see a larger version Three official drawings from 1755 showing sections across the castle

A somewhat basic forerunner of what later became known as mini-golf, this attraction at the castle in 1931 was known as 'midget golf'

The back of the castle
View from the castle towards West Park
An etching of the castle from the Penny Magazine in 1836
The castle's small harbour from the sea
The castle's small jetty, one of the island's earliest, shows clearly in this aerial picture
19th century
19th century
The castle floodlit
1594 plan

A view from the rocks at La Collette by E Ogier in the 1870s

The castle garrison in the 1890s
A recent picture taken from a kite
The castle in 1865
The castle from the air
An 1863 painting of the castle by Draper
Laying the foundation stone for the breakwater in 1872
The castle viewed from Westmount
The castle in 1905
Inside the castle
The castle from the air
The causeway connects the castle to the St Helier shore at low tide
A painting of the castle by Wimbush
An oil painting of the castle
A painting by an unknown artist
A flagon once used at the castle
The castle in 1778
A communion plate given to the castle by Sir Thomas Jermyn in 1641
A photograph by Emile Guiton

A painting by Philip Ouless
The castle at sunset
A DUKW amphibious vehicle provides access to the castle at high tide
Another painting of the castle
The castle in 1731
Germans manoeuvre a gun on the castle during the Occupation
The castle viewed from the shore
An 1852 Ouless drawing
The causeway
A view of the castle from the pierheads
A drawing of the castle
The castle floodlit
Sailing vessels pass the castle after leaving St Helier Harbour
The castle viewed from Fort Regent with St Helier Harbour in the foreground
An early 19th century painting by D A B Gould
The castle by Boydell
By James Bridges
A 1906 picture
An 1858 impression of the castle by C Walter Cooper
1800

The castle in 1844
Cannons fire to celebrate the transfer of ownership to the States in 1923
A DUKW amphibious craft in 1978
The Hermitage in 1872
A tableau inside the castle
A second tableau
Looking from the castle towards St Helier's Esplanade
The castle from the east
The castle from the west
A plan of the castle in 1650
The Hermitage from the north
An early mortar weapon
An amphibious DUKW carrying passengers to the castle as the tide floods the causeway
A recent view from the air
The castle in 1735
The jetty attached to the castle rocks which was to have been one arm of a giant St Helier harbour
A painting by James Bridges
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The Viscount, Edmund Nicolle, with the Castle keys
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The handing of the castle keys to the States in 1923
The castle museum
1922
Royal Militia Island of Jersey museum

1973
The Canteen in 1922
The castle is transferred to the States of Jersey in 1923
An Ouless etching from 1852
Aerial view
1933 aerial photograph
Another aerial view
Another aerial view
An 1856 etching
Details of castle buildings in 1922, the year before the UK Government transferred it to the States of Jersey
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
1922 details
Norman Rybot addresses an outing to the castle by members of La Société Jersiaise in 1946

The Castle's cross
The Governor's House
A 1594 plan by the castle's original designer Paul Ivy
A shipment of cannons arrives for the Castle
A shipment of cannons arrives for the Castle
A shipment of cannons arrives for the Castle
A shipment of cannons arrives for the Castle
A cannon is loaded ...
... and the test firing succeeds
1903
19th century drawing
Sentry box
Amphibious vehicle at West Park
Castle cannon in 1934

An unusual view of the castle, its small harbour and breakwater, taken from the Hermitage

1923
A DUKW operating between West Park and Elizabeth Castle
1907
The castle from the sea
1951 aerial photograph by Aerofilms
1786
1930s
1968
1955
1955
1870
1858 drawing by Walter Dendy
1852 by Philip Ouless
A 1651 drawing by Hollar
A 1651 drawing by Hollar
A 1651 drawing by Hollar
A 1651 drawing by Hollar
DUKW in 1969

A 1731 painting of Elizabeth Castle
A photograph of the courtyard at Elizabeth Castle by Emile Guiton
The castle by moonlight
The causeway in 1910
A Chings cigarette card view of the castle
1931
Philip Godfray photograph
1903
1905
The Harbour and Fort Regent viewed from rocks below the castle
Looking down on the causeway to West Park
An 1875 print of a view of the Castle from St Helier Harbour ...
... and another from the same publication
Construction of the breakwater using the crane Goliath
The breakwater from an unusual angle
A tinted 19th century slide

1944 aerial picture
An early plan
A drawing by Paul Ivy, the engineer in charge of the castle's construction
Cannons
Fort Charles
1977
1834 painting by Samuel Austin
1878, by Samuel Philips Jackson
The little harbour in 1931
A Jersey Heritage official visit in 2000
1950 holiday snap
A 19th century model
1594

Elizabeth Castle viewed through the Pierheads before the breakwater was built in the 1870s

The cover and frontispiece of a guidebook first published in 1935 ...
written by Major Norman Rybot it indicates the large numbers of visitors to the castle over the years

Handed back to the States in 1946

After the German Occupation and Liberation the castle was formally returned to the people of Jersey in a ceremony held in 1946, when the structures added by the occupying force also became apparent for the first time, as shown in these Evening Post photographs