Saint Peter Port Harbour

Saint Peter Port Harbour is located in Saint Peter Port. It was a natural anchorage used by the Romans which has been changed into an artificial harbour that is now Guernsey's main port for passengers. Loose cargo and liquids/gas are shipped to/from St Sampson's harbour.

Castle Cornet has formed the harbour main defence for centuries. The castle was formerly a tidal island, but since 1859 a breakwater has connected it to the enlarged harbour.

The earliest evidence of shipping was the discover of a wreck in 1982 in the entrance of the harbour, which has been named “Asterix”. It is thought to be a 3rd-century Roman cargo vessel and was probably at anchor or grounded when the fire broke out.

The first breakwater, from before the 13th century was a mole, made of loose stones, where the Albert Pier now stands. In 1605, a Royal Charter authorised a pettie Custume tax on imports to Guernsey to pay for harbour development.

The English Civil War saw the harbour in the firing line in 1643 between the Royalist held Castle Cornet and the Parliamentarian held town. Cannonballs fired from the castle caused some damage to the town.

In 1831 gas lamps replaced oil lamps on quays, in 1857 electric lights were demonstrated. The harbour piers were extended by 1864 to allow ships to berth at any state of the tide. Problems were experienced with many piers, quicksand, subsidence and bulges were often solved with piles and by reducing the weight through making problem piers hollow. Dredging in 1899 and removal of some rock from the harbour bed, improved services.

Since 1881 the harbour has housed the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station, originally in a building on the Castle Pier.

The First World War saw the establishment of a French seaplane base, on the pier close to Castle Cornet, in St Peter Port. The pilots flew on constant watch for German submarines.

On 28 June 1940, German commanders sent a squadron of bombers over the islands and bombed the harbours of Guernsey and Jersey. In St Peter Port, the main town of Guernsey, some lorries lined up to load tomatoes for export to England were mistaken by the reconnaissance for troop carriers. Forty-four islanders were killed in the raids. The BBC then broadcast the message that the islands had been declared "open towns" and later in the day reported the German bombing of the island.

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Wikipedia