Castles of the British Isles

Located on Castle Road, Les Monmains, Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, the Vale Castle sits on a hill on the island's east coast, with spectacular views of the islands of Herm and Jethou. The site is about two and-a-half thousand years old, although the stone castle only accounts for a little over six hundred years of that time.

Archaeological evidence suggests that an Iron Age fort was built on this hill in the period between 500-600 BC. This would have made it a late Hallstatt culture hill fort which was designed to protect this corner of Celtic tribal territory.

Archaeology has discovered a small turf bank under the medieval outer bank which contained pottery from that period. Similar pottery was found in a second bank under the fourteenth century military buildings inside the walls. This double-banked hill fort is unique in Guernsey.

The stone castle was built around 1370-1400, originally being known as Le Chateau St Michel. The date was somewhat uncertain until archaeological excavations in 1980 helped to pinpoint construction to the last quarter of the fourteenth century.

The late-period Plantagenet kingdom of England was still recovering from the effects of the Black Death whilst also fighting the on-off Hundred Years War against France.

The gateway and walls had to be repaired in 1616 at the expense of the five northern parishes. A powder house, guardroom, and houses for the garrison were all added around this time.

The situation is uncertain for the English Civil War. Parliamentarian troops may have been stationed in the castle. Extensive repairs were recommended in 1680, following the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, but the castle was abandoned shortly afterwards. Nearly a century later it was reported to be in a state of disrepair.

The increased threat of invasion during the American War of Independence, between 1778-1783, prompted the castle's complete repair. This included the addition of barracks, a garrison of regular army troops, and one twenty-four pounder cannon and two nine-pounders.

Two divisions of Russian troops were stationed in Guernsey, Alderney, and Jersey in 1799 during one of the coalition periods in the Napoleonic Wars. Hundreds of them contracted disease, and the dead were buried close to the Vale Castle.

By the end of the nineteenth century the barracks were again abandoned, gradually to fall into a neglected state. The local militia had a small garrison in the castle and, between the wars, the barracks were used as homes.

German forces demolished the barracks during the Second World War's occupation in 1940-1945, and built concrete fortifications in and around the castle. These involved the addition of trenches, shelters, and a gun emplacement to repel a British attempt at liberation which never came.

The castle looks out over what once was the separate island of the Clos du Valle. Until the early nineteenth century Le Clos du Valle was separated from the rest of Guernsey by the Braye du Valle. This was similar to the Lihou causeway in that it dried up at low tide. A causeway crossed the Braye at a point about three quarters of a kilometre to the west of the castle.

All photos on this page kindly contributed by Guy Fogwill via the 'History Files: Castles of the British Isles' Flickr group.