Jersey Channel Islands

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic War, Jersey was fortified with coastal defences at possible landing places. These defences included towers, batteries with two or three guns and some small forts.

In 1830 France again faced unrest and Colonel Lewis of the Royal Engineers prepared two reports on the defences of Jersey.  One was completed in October 1831, covering the North and West Coasts, and the second a year later. covering the East and South Coasts.  This split was because the States of Jersey maintained the West and North fortifications while the British Government dealt with the remainder.  The reports found most of the fortifications in a poor state of repair and recommendations were made for improvements and new works such as Cartel Fort at Greve de Lecq.  By 1848 much of the work was still not fully completed and there are doubts that all the work was every fully carried out.

In 1870 the first RML guns were introduced to Jersey.  A total of thirteen 7-inch RBL guns that were to be mounted at five locations:

This was designated as a Class C commercial port by the  Home Ports Defence Committee, later the Home Defence Committee and armed to deal with unarmoured cruisers and block ships.

A single coastal defence battery was built at South Hill with two 6-inch Q.F. gun.  There was also a pair of 4.7-inch QF fire guns mounted on the Upper Keep Battery of Fort Elisabeth.  Between 1905 and 1905 a pair of 6-inch Q.F. guns were mounted on the top of the Havre des Pas Tower as a Practice Battery.  This Tower had previously mounted a 7-inch RBL gun.