Bréhon Tower

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The Bréhon Tower in front of Jethou

The Bréhon Tower (also called Fort Bréhon) was built in 1857 by Thomas Charles de Putron (1806-1869). It is located in the Little Russell Channel on the small island of Bréhon Rock between the islands of Herm and Jethou , about 1.5 km northeast of St. Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey and can only be reached by boat. The oval granite tower is not a Martello tower, but is in the line of development of the Martello towers.

In 1744 an obelisk was first erected on the island as a navigation mark. The obelisk's lack of visibility led to its replacement in 1824 by a 40-foot high tower with a circumference of around 34 m.

During the tenure of Sir John Doyle (1803-1813), there were first plans to build a watchtower. Doyle was responsible for building the Martello Towers at Fort Gray, Fort Saumarez, and Fort Hommet. William Francis Patrick Napier proposed a number of measures in the 1840s, including: a. the erection of a fort on Bréhon Rock. Cherbourg was fortified in 1850 . In response to this, towers and fortresses were created in the canal area. In 1852 the construction of the Bréhon Tower was recommended. The work was completed in 1856.

Its task was to protect the fairway between Guernsey and Herm and the harbor of St. Peter Port. The fortress measures approximately 26.3 × 20.1 m (at its widest point) and the tower is approximately 34.0 meters high.

In 1914, the War Office transferred ownership of the Brehontower to Guernsey. During the German occupation of the Channel Islands, the German military placed an anti-aircraft gun on the tower. The island is home to a breeding colony of common terns .

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Coordinates: 49 ° 28 '16.4 "  N , 2 ° 29" 17.3 "  W.