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| One
of the defences built onto granite |
Mont
Orgueil
When
King Philippe Augustus invaded Normandy in the 13th century, King
John of England ordered that money was raised to defend the islands.
The
castle was built at Mont Orgueil because of the prime position of
the site. Sea and cliffs protected the castle on three sides.
Also,the
granite that the castle was built on meant that it was virtually
impossible to undermine.
New
Weaponry
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| The
lower level of Mont Orgueil |
By
the 16th century, Mont Orgueil was out of date. New weapons were
introduced, meaning that Mont Orgueil was now susceptible to attack
from ship-mounted guns.
A
new castle needed to be built that was out of the range of new weapons
like cannons and gunpowder.
Elizabeth
Castle
Work
began on Elizabeth Castle during the 1550's, when a gun platform
was built on the highest part of the islet.
40
years later, Queen Elizabeth sent her military engineer over to
construct a new castle.
Throughout
the 17th and 18th centuries the castle developed and grew in size.
By the 1640's the castle had been extended twice.
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| Elizabeth
Castle |
Decommissioned
Mont
Orgueil remained the island's secondary defence until 1907, when
it was given to the people of Jersey as an historic monument.
Elizabeth
Castle was bought by the States of Jersey in 1923, also for use
as an historic monument.
They
have both continued in this capacity, except for a few years during
the occupation when the Germans refortified both castles.
Find
out about a rural Jersey farmhouse on the next page
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