Castle Cornet

Castle Cornet
Part of Guernsey, Channel Islands
Saint Peter Port Harbour, Saint Peter Port
Castle Cornet stands on the former tidal island of Little Russel.
Location of Cornet Rock (red) within Saint Peter Port (white)
Type	Norman castle with keep
Height	Up to 13 metres (43 ft)
Site information
Owner	Bailiwick of Guernsey
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Partially restored
Site history
Built	c.1206 - 1256
In use	Until mid 19th century
Materials	Diorite Ashlar Mortar Timber
Battles/wars	French Invasion of 1338 English Civil War
Events	Hundred Years' War Napoleonic Wars German Occupation of Guernsey

Castle Cornet is a large island castle in Guernsey, and former tidal island, also known as Cornet Rock or Castle Rock, its importance was as a guardian not only of the Island, but of the roadstead. It became part of one of the breakwaters of St Peter Port's harbour, the main one in the island, since 1859.

The island measures about two hectares in area, with a length of 175 metres and a width of 130 metres. It lies not quite 600 metres east of the coast of Guernsey.

Formerly a tidal island, like Lihou on the west coast of Guernsey, it was first fortified as a castle between 1206 and 1256, following the division of the Duchy of Normandy in 1204. The wardenship of Geoffrey de Lucy (1225-6) has been identified as a time of fortification in the Channel Islands, with timber and lead been sent over from England for castle building in Guernsey and Jersey. There now existed a keep, chapel, two courtyards and curtain walls. In 1338 when a French force captured the island Cornet was besieged and captured on 8 September, and the garrison of eleven men at arms and fifty archers were massacred. The Island was retaken in 1340 with the castle recaptured in August 1345 after a three-day attack by professional soldiers and the local militia. The French had spent their seven-year improving the defences, including probably the barbican. In 1358 the French returned and the castle taken again, with the French evicted the next year and an island traitor executed.

In 1372 Owain Lawgoch a claimant to the Welsh throne, at the head of a free company, on behalf of France, attacked Guernsey, popularly called “La Descente des Aragousais”. Owain Lawgoch withdrew after killing 400 of the Island militia, without capturing the besieged Castle Cornet, which he found to be strong and well supplied with artillery. Yet another assault by the French in 1380 saw the castle captured for a short period before the French were yet again evicted by island forces. Improvements were made with the Carey tower constructed around 1435. A French assault in 1461 was repulsed.

The cost of construction of works, repairs, maintenance and the garrison was paid for from revenues raised in the Island by the Warden or as sometimes called, Keeper of the Castle under royal warrant.