Listed building or place reference: MN0179 Historic site reference Property Archirondel Tower Road name La Route de la Cote Parish St. Martin LocationView on map Grade Listed Building Grade 1 Category Anglo-Jersey military structure Statement of significance Archirondel Tower is one of twenty-three Conway towers built between 1778 and 1801 in coastal locations where a risk of enemy landing was present. It is an evolution of the basic Conway design, uniquely incorporating new elements. Only three towers were constructed with a gun battery at the foot of the tower (the others being Seymour Tower and La Rocco Tower). Context n/a External Description Archirondel Tower is built on an offshore rocky outcrop in St Catherine's Bay - now linked to the shore by the abandoned southern arm of St Catherine's harbour. The tower is of a modified Conway pattern with a surrounding stone battery at its base and Second World War modifications. The tower is round and built of very regular squared and well-tooled blocks of granite with snecks of rhyolite at its base. A third of the way up the tower the proportion of rhyolite gradually increases and the upper section is constructed entirely of rhyolite. Dressed granite is used around openings and for the cantilevers of the projecting machicolations. Brick is also used to dress openings. The tower is 41' 6" in height. The walls taper externally with a thickness of 6'6" at the base and 3'6" at the top. The tower is arranged on four levels. At basement level is a brick vaulted magazine. Originally only accessible via the entrance level above, the basement can now be entered through an external doorway inserted by the German forces in the 1940s. A steel blast door and a reinforced concrete structure that extends into the battery protect this. The 1794 entrance is raised at first floor level (originally reached by removable ladder but now by modern metal staircase). There is a heavy timber outer door behind which is a 1940s concrete doorway with steel blast door and lintel inscribed '1941' with an image of a swastika. The room is separated from the upper level above by a 1940s reinforced concrete floor. There is a circuit of loopholes around the room designed for musketeers. The loopholes are larger than earlier Conway towers and are angled downward for close-range fire. Above these are some small windows. All openings are dressed with brick. There is a fireplace. Access to the upper level is now via a wooden companionway stair although originally it was via a stair set in a niche within the thickness of the external wall. The upper level is a brick vaulted room similarly designed with a circuit of gun loopholes with small windows above. There is a fireplace. Access to the roof level is via a steel ladder within the original staircase niche. The roof platform is supported off the brick vault below. There is a masonry parapet with cement capping and three projecting machicolations equipped with loopholes for muskets. These are double the size of earlier machicolations and each provides an angle of fire of 120 degrees. In the centre of the roof is a 1940s circular concrete platform. A modern concrete block cabin covers the access hatch. Around the base of the tower is a battery. The battery is oval in plan and designed with four traversing gun platforms facing out towards the bay and sea. The encircling defensive wall is constructed of rubble masonry with dressed granite copings and granite dressings to openings. Within the platforms are gun emplacements constructed of a mixture of reinforced concrete, masonry and brick (presumably for camouflage purposes) constructed by the German occupying forces in the 1940s. The south side of the battery is pierced by a gateway (blocked in the 1940s) with granite steps leading down to the rocky outcrop. The west side of the battery is pierced by a gateway that leads onto a partially enclosed area defended by a loopholed wall overlooking the rocky outcrop. Internal Description n/a Special interest Architectural,Historical For the best experience, you will need to use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser to view the map Back to detail page Back to search results Documents Terms and conditions for downloading documents The plans, drawings and material provided have been submitted to the Chief Officer for permissions in respect of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002. They are protected by copyright under the Intellectual Property (Unregistered Rights) (Jersey) Law 2011 (Article 70 of the 2011 Law). The material is being provided to make available for public inspection the Register of Planning and Building Applications and must not be used for other purposes without the prior permission of the copyright owner.The Minister for the Environment makes every effort to maintain the accuracy of the information on this website but cannot accept responsibility for and disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may arise from the use of the information provided. For applications approved during or after July 2016 approved documents are available from within the ‘Approved Documents’ section. For applications approved from 15 May 2012 - July 2016 approved documents are available under the ‘Plans’ section. I understand and agree with the terms and conditions. Date Description Size 02/07/2013 ILAP Notices Schedule Listed Building Grade 1 63.80 KB 13/09/2017 ILAP Correspondence Arch report PD- watching brief 3.00 MB Back to search results
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