Historical sites on the Islands of Guernsey

St Peter Port

Guernsey, in the English Channel near the French coast, is one of the Channel Islands, known for beach resorts and coastal cliffs. 

Castle Cornet, a 13th-century harbour fortification in the capital of St. Peter Port, now contains history and military museums. 

St Peter Port 

Situated on the east coast of Guernsey with views out to neighbouring islands, Herm and Sark, St Peter Port was once a natural anchorage used by the Romans. 

A quay was added to the harbour in the late 13th century which was expanded in the 16th and 18th centuries. 

During WW2, the German forces, who occupied the islands, improved the defences of the harbour by building several steel and concrete bunkers and casemates, most of which are still located on the Castle pier. 

Castle Cornet 

Castle Cornet

Standing at the mouth of St Peter Port harbour, Castle Cornet is an 800-year-old castle with hundreds of years of the island’s history. 

The story of the castle and other aspects of Guernsey's past can be found in the four museums housed within the Castle: 

The Story of Castle Cornet; 201 Squadron (RAF) Museum; Royal Guernsey Light 
Infantry Museum and the Royal Guernsey Militia Museum. 

The Old Government House Hotel & Spa 

The Old Government House Hotel & Spa, which is located near the main harbour, was once a former Governor’s residence. Between 1940 and 1945 during the German occupation of Guernsey, the property was taken over by German forces during the Occupation and was initially used as a military headquarters, before becoming a housing unit for soldiers. 

La Vallette Bathing Pools 

Since 1865, La Vallette bathing pools have offered a safe and contained area for saltwater swimming. Located on Guernsey’s east coast, the water in the pool comes directly from the sea at high tide. 

In its earlier years, the pools were visited by writer Victor Hugo and Renaissance painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. 

In partnership with the Guernsey Museums and the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny, Art for Guernsey has brought together a collection of Renoir’s works painted during his stay in September 1883. 

The one-off exhibition will celebrate the 140th anniversary of Renoir’s stay on Guernsey and will run from 30 September to 15 December 2023. 

WW2 Bunkers 

Fort Hommet was a heavily defended headland with 12 German defensive structures. 

One bunker, which was built to house a 60cm searchlight, was transformed by Hubert Le Galloudec who created a shrine within the bunker, decorated with shells collected from local beaches. 

The Fort Hommet Gun Bunker is a fully restored gun casemate and is one of 21 ‘Fortress’ bunkers built in Guernsey, open for visits on Saturday afternoons in the summer. 

The Headquarters of the German Naval Commander in the Channel Islands were established at La Collinette, on the side of the property. 

They were operative from February 1944 and handled all the radio signals for the German Forces in the Channel Islands. 

There are three main bunkers, which nowadays, have been put to more modern use comprising the hotel workshop, a sound recording studio and a museum, which replicates exactly the appearance of the bunker during the war years. 

 www.visitguernsey.com 

 Jordan Forgie at jordan@wearelotus.co.uk