Bréhon Tower
Bréhon Tower
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| Herm in Guernsey | |
From afar
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.svg)
 Bréhon Tower
Location in The Channel
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| Coordinates | 49°28′16.4″N 2°29′17.3″W / 49.471222°N 2.488139°WCoordinates: 49°28′16.4″N 2°29′17.3″W / 49.471222°N 2.488139°W |
| Type | Martello tower |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1856-1857 |
| Built by | Thomas Charles de Putron |
| In use | 1744 - 1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
The Bréhon Tower (Fort Brehon) is accessible only by boat and sits on Bréhon rock, an island in the Little Russell channel about 1.5 km northeast of St Peter Port, Guernsey, between the port and the islands of Herm and Jethou. Thomas Charles de Putron (1806-1869) built the oval tower of granite from Herm, completing the work in 1857.
Although not strictly a Martello tower, Bréhon represents the final evolution of the basic design of the Martello tower. In 1914 the War Office transferred ownership of Bréhon Tower to the States of Guernsey. During the German occupation of the Channel Islands, the German military placed anti-aircraft guns on the tower. Today, although the site is open to visitors, the tower is closed. The tower holds a light operated by the Guernsey Harbour Authority. The island is home to a breeding colony of common terns.
An obelisk was erected on Bréhon in 1744 to serve as a sea mark. However the lack of visibility of the obelisk led to its replacement in 1824 by a tower 40 ft high and 34 ft in circumference, topped by a globe.
During the tenure (1803-1813) of Lieutenant Governor General Sir John Doyle, there were plans to erect a guardhouse on Bréhon, but nothing came of these. Doyle was responsible, however, for substantial fortification efforts elsewhere in Guernsey, including the construction of the Martello towers of Fort Grey, Fort Saumarez, and Fort Hommet.
In the 1840s there was a renewed concern about British relations with France, with particular concern for the protection of Alderney and the other Channel Islands because of their strategic importance in the Channel. Lieutenant Governor Major-General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier proposed a number of works, including the establishment of a fort on Bréhon. In 1850 the British became concerned that the French had created fortifications at Cherbourg. This led to the construction of several towers and forts in the Channel area. The Alderney cutter Experiment was wrecked off Bréhon in March 1850; eight people drowned but Guernsey pilot boat Mary of Guernsey saved 20.
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Wikipedia