Island 240 - La Roche Rondel, Jersey, Channel Islands

I confess to not having realised I had visited this island until several weeks later, while doing some research about another island off Jersey!

The tower at Archirondel was constructed on a tidal island, that can't have been much more than a large rocky outcrop, called La Roche Rondel, between November 1792 and 1794. It cost £4000 to build, has four levels and was used as a garrison for artillery soldiers.  It is one of 23 Conway Towers built on Jersey between 1778 and 1801. It was the 22nd to be built and is mainly built of rhyolite, which was quarried at La Crete. The tower was altered by the Germans during their Second World War Occupation.

I'm not sure if it was at this time or later when the southern arm of the St Catherine's Breakwater was being constructed that the area between the rock and the mainland was filled in.  The St Catherine's Breakwater was planned to enclose a naval base at a time when there was a threat of invasion by the French.  It was started in 1847 and construction continued until 1855.  However only the northern breakwater was completed because the British eventually realised that the water wasn't deep enough for warships.  The northern breakwater is half a mile long.  The southern one where Archirondel Tower is very short.

Archirondel Tower is now painted in red and white stripes on its seaward side to act as a navigational daymark.  When we visited in early July 2104 it was being used as a venue for an art exhibition.  I would have had a look around it but I was dripping wet, as it had been raining all day, and the people standing by the door all looked very smart.  I found the nearby geocache instead and then beat a hasty retreat to the nearby beach café.

Jersey Heritage maintains the tower and you can rent it out as a self-catering property.  However although it has electricity and lighting, it has no running water (therefore no loo!), so it is pretty basic.

We were nearing the end of our circuit of the Jersey Coast Path, which we started in Gorey.  It is a lovely walk and highly recommended, even in the rain!

I loved Jersey and will be back one day to visit Les Ecrehous, Les Minquiers and to walk out to the Seymour and La Rocco Towers. 

Archirondel Tower on a rainy day