Description of the attraction
Elizabeth Castle is located on a small rocky islet near Jersey. At low tide it can be reached on foot, at high tide you will be taken there by a castle ferry.
The construction of the castle began in 1594 and lasted for several years. The then Governor of the island, Sir Walter Reilly, named it "Fort Isabella Bellissima" - "Fairy Elizabeth" in honor of Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain.
Elizabeth Castle was used for military purposes during the Civil War. King James II spent some time here, and the governor of the island proclaimed him king, despite the fact that the monarchy in Great Britain was abolished at that time. Parliamentary troops landed in Jersey in 1651. Artillery fire destroyed the old church, which contained food and ammunition supplies, the castle was forced to surrender. The current parade ground and the surrounding buildings were built on the site of this destroyed church.
In the 19th century, a grandiose project for the reconstruction of the harbor appeared, according to which the castle was to be connected to the coast. The project was never implemented, but the breakwater connects the islet on which the castle is located, and the Hermit's Rock, where the refuge of St. Helier is located. The saint, after whom the capital of Jersey is named, is the patron saint of the island. From his cliff, he was the first to notice the approaching Viking ships and gave a signal to the inhabitants of the island to take cover. On the day of the commemoration of the saint, many pilgrims visit his refuge.
