WorldTravelReynolds

One of the few cannons peaking out through a porthole

The castle was the primary defense of Jersey until the development of gunpowder which then rendered the castle ultimately indefensible.

17th Century Garden – The Rampart was built for the Queen Elizabeth Gate and this small courtyard contain a formal garden

Path to de Carteret’s Gate – Another barrier protecting the main Queen Elizabeth gate at the top

Before gunpowder they used crossbows with flaming arrows to fend off the enemy.

The Wound Man – This carved oak figure depicts the types of injuries a soldier would receive during war and the castles bloodthirsty past

The Perfect Knight – any soldier that could carry a sword and a lance could be a Knight. The highly sought after were the horses. Good strong steeds were highly sought after.

Cannons and muskets were introduced in the mid-late 1500’s.

Putlog Wall – Built during the 2nd half of the 16th century and not completed, this wall was in response to the increased use of the cannon

The southern end of “The Keep”

In a 1600’s discussion on demolishing the castle once the Elizabeth castle was complete was rejected by Sir Walter Raleigh stating “’twere pity to cast it down”.

During the late 16th century, prisoners were kept inside the castle.

A carving of tradesmen in the castle. Civilians lived and worked alongside soldiers in the castle. Some were servants while others were visiting tradesmen such as these.

The castle was then utilized as the islands only prison until the prison in St. Helier was completed in the 17th century.

The Keep – The massive bulk of the castle includes several buildings. This is called “The Keep” which was the best protected part of the castle.

The Coat of Arms for King Edward VI, Lord Protector Somerset (Governor) and Henry Cornish (Lieutenant Governor)

One of the many sets of steps leading to the top

With Elizabeth castle in full swing, Mont Orgueil had become dilapidated and unusable so repairs began in the early 1700’s to bring it up to date with the ability to use cannons and more advanced technology for that time period.

Thomas the Bell. In a time before clocks in every home or iPhone’s in every hand, a bell was rung each Sunday when it was time for church services or to summon its soldiers to war.

Crossbowmen were first recorded in 1224. There was a list of names of many that served on the walkway. Notice how one had a crank to load his crossbow. Ingenious!

Traction Trebuchet – A counterweight system to hurl wooden poles, darts, missiles across the wall at oncoming enemy. It took a team of men to load and launch the weapon

although during the Second World War German occupation (1940–1945), the occupying forces garrisoned the castle and added modern fortifications camouflaged to blend in with existing structures.