A
Visit to Elizabeth Castle
(Isle of Jersey)
by Bluebottle
By far
the most prominent structure in St Helier is Elizabeth Castle, located on a
tidal islet in the middle of St Aubin Bay. This is quite a recent castle, with
the earliest fortification dating back only to 1551, renamed by Sir Walter
Raleigh in 1600 to Elizabeth Castle in honour of the queen. The initial gun
battery expanded over time to become a vast 15-acre complex.
The
castle remains accessible by causeway at low tide and is cut off for 8 hours a
day, with the causeway up to 12 metres (40 foot) underwater, as Jersey has the
third largest tidal range in the world.
During
Jersey's occupation during the Second World War the Germans built bunkers and
gun emplacements on the castle site, with a concrete observation tower built in
the upper keep with anti-aircraft gun on top. In fact it is the last castle to
see active combat, undergoing bombing raids on 10 August 1944. Of older
historical significance is St Helier's Hermitage. Originally on a separate
islet but later joined by recent 19th-century harbour works is the rock on
which St Helier lived, now the site of a 12th-century chapel. St Helier was
decapitated on the rock in 555AD and according to legend, picked up his severed
head and walked 200 yards before dying.*
Elizabeth
Castle is now a major tourist attraction; visitors can travel by an amphibious
bus if the causeway is underwater or they would prefer to avoid the 0.7
mile/1.1km walk.
*A
boss move. Ed.
View
of the Day
By Angel Lia Dan
Somewhere in the Himalayas, a few years ago. Looks like
fun.
Featured
Cat: TJ
Caption Challenge
Tell us what he's thinking. (I'd really like to know
sometimes.)
Comment
Section
Paigetheoracle remarks: 'Take me to your toed
dishligns, I have something of import to share with your masters!'
'At once excellency!
On Youtube, candycline394 says: I know some people watch the [dolphin] video and think this is nothing special but when you're there and you get to see the dolphin with your own eyes it's pretty cool.
Us: We think so, too, so now you get to see it, too.
Video
of the Day:
Bluebottle got a view of the sea off the coast of
Jersey. The dolphins got a view of Bluebottle.
We suspect the gasps of delight were for the dolphins,
though.
Keep smiling, Dmitri Gheorgheni, Editor
Love the dolphin! They have been spotted off Cleethorpes but we've not been lucky enough to catch sight ourselves yet.
ReplyDeleteThat is a superb video of the dolphin! Great photo slideshow, too.
ReplyDelete