Elizabeth Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elizabeth Castle |
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| Saint Helier, Jersey | |
Elizabeth Castle at high tide
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.svg)
 Elizabeth Castle
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| Coordinates | 49°10′30″N 2°07′30″W / 49.175°N 2.125°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | People of Jersey |
| Controlled by | Jersey Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | from 1595 |
| Materials | Granite |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Jersey Third English Civil War |
Elizabeth Castle (called Lé Châté Lîzabé in Jèrriais, the local language) is a famous castle and tourist attraction in Jersey. It sits on a special piece of land called a tidal island near Saint Helier. This means the land is an island at high tide but you can walk to it at low tide!
Building the castle started in the 1500s. Back then, powerful cannons were invented. The older castle, Mont Orgueil, wasn't strong enough to protect Jersey anymore. Also, the port of St Helier needed better defense from ships with cannons. The castle is named after Elizabeth I, who was the Queen of England when it was being built.
History of Elizabeth Castle
The tidal island where the castle stands was once called L'Islet, meaning "The Islet." It was home to an Abbey, which is a type of monastery. Later, it became a Priory. During a time called the Reformation, the King took over these religious buildings. After that, the buildings were used for military purposes.
Building the Castle: 16th Century
The Upper Ward
The very first parts of Elizabeth Castle were built starting in 1594. This area is known as the Upper Ward. It includes the Queen Elizabeth Gate. A skilled military engineer from Flanders, named Paul Ivy, led this building work.
The people in charge of Jersey, called Governors, moved their main home to Elizabeth Castle. They used to live at Mont Orgueil.
Changes in the 17th Century
Sir Walter Raleigh was the Governor of Jersey from 1600 to 1603. He officially named the castle Elizabeth Castle. He named it after Queen Elizabeth I of England.
The Lower Ward
More parts of the castle, called the Lower Ward, were built between 1626 and 1636. This area was built where the old Abbey church used to be. The Lower Ward became a large open space for soldiers to parade. It was surrounded by buildings for soldiers to sleep in and for officers. There were also wells and tanks to store water.
The English Civil War
The castle was first used in a real battle during the English Civil War. This war happened in England in the 1600s. The Prince of Wales, who later became King Charles II, visited the castle in 1646. He came back in 1649 and stayed in the Governor's House. The Governor, Sir George Carteret, said Charles was King, even though England had gotten rid of the monarchy (the system of having a king or queen).
In 1651, a windmill was built at the castle. In the same year, soldiers who supported Parliament (called Parliamentarians or Roundheads) landed in Jersey. They attacked the castle with large mortars. These powerful weapons destroyed the old Abbey church inside the castle. This church was being used to store ammunition and food. Because of this damage, Governor Carteret had to give up the castle on December 15, 1651. The castle had been under attack for seven weeks. Parliamentarians controlled Jersey for the next nine years. Then, the monarchy was brought back.
Around 1668, a new entrance called King William's Gate was built. This gate connected different parts of the castle.
The Castle in the 18th Century
Seven Years' War
During the Seven Years' War, French prisoners were kept at Elizabeth Castle. One well-known prisoner was Jean-Louis Le Loutre.
The Battle of Jersey
The castle was involved in another fight in the late 1700s, this time against the French. French soldiers, led by Baron Phillipe de Rullecourt, landed in St Helier on January 6, 1781. The castle's soldiers were stuck there. The governor, Moise Corbet, was tricked into giving up to the French. However, the soldiers inside the castle, led by Captain Mulcaster, refused to surrender.
The French were eventually defeated by soldiers led by Major Francis Peirson. This battle is known as the Battle of Jersey. Both Major Peirson and Baron de Rullecourt were killed during the fight.
Because the island seemed easy to attack, a new, stronger fort was built. This was Fort Regent, built on a hill overlooking St Helier. Fort Regent became the main base for British soldiers.
The Castle in the 19th Century
In the early 1800s, a two-story hospital building for soldiers was added to the castle.
There was a plan in the 1800s to connect the castle to the mainland as part of a big harbor project. But this plan was never finished. A long stone wall, called a breakwater, still connects the castle's island to Hermitage Rock. This rock is where Saint Helier's old home, the Hermitage, is located. Anglers (people who fish) still use this breakwater today.
The Castle in the 20th Century
In 1923, the British government removed its soldiers from the castle. They gave the castle to the States of Jersey (Jersey's government). The States then opened it to the public as a museum.
During the Second World War, the Germans occupied the Channel Islands. They updated the castle with new guns, bunkers, and battlements (parts of walls with openings for defense). After the war ended, the castle was repaired. It was then opened to the public again.
The Castle Today: 21st Century
Every year, on the Sunday closest to St. Helier's Day (July 16), people go on a special walk to visit the Hermitage. As part of this walk, a church service is held outside within the castle. Other fun events, like concerts and historical re-enactments, also happen at the castle sometimes.
On June 4, 2012, a special beacon was lit at the castle. This was to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years as queen. A fireworks show followed this event.
Visiting Elizabeth Castle
Today, Jersey Heritage manages Elizabeth Castle as a museum. You can see many historical displays there. One part is the museum of the Royal Jersey Militia. It has military items from hundreds of years ago. There is also a museum about how cannons and forts have changed over time. It shows cannons from the 1800s and earlier.
Every Sunday when the castle is open, a team of actors recreates what the soldiers' lives were like in 1781. This was the time of the Battle of Jersey. They show how muskets and cannons were fired. They also show what daily life was like for people back then.
You can get to the castle in two ways. At low tide, you can walk across a causeway from St Helier. When the tide is high, you can take a special castle ferry. There are two ferries, named Charming Betty and Charming Nancy. These are wading vehicles, which means they can drive through the water. They can reach the castle no matter how high the tide is, as long as the weather is good. A trip when the tide is high takes about 15 minutes.
