Mont Orgueil Castle
Mont Orgueil Castle (or Gorey Castle ) is located on the Channel Island of Jersey in the municipality of Saint Martin above the village of Gorey (village of Gorey Pier ), on the east coast facing the French Cotentin peninsula . The fortress can be reached via steep stairs at the east end of the port or through the village towards Anne Port. The imposing location of the fortress caused the brother of the English King Henry V. Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence (1388–1421), to exclaim "Mont Orgueil" (Proud Mountain); this is how the name came about.
There were probably fortifications on the rock as early as the Iron Age . During the Hundred Years War , Mont Orgueil was considered impregnable. The Breton general Bertrand du Guesclin (1320-1380) besieged the castle in vain. In the 15th century the fortress fell into the hands of the French king for some time through treason.
On the way up you pass the Harliston Tower (from 1470), the wall of which bears the English royal coat of arms with lion and unicorn. The second gate leads from the outer castle ring (Outer Ward) to the Lower Ward, where the residents of the village found shelter during attacks. Through the Queen Elizabeth Gate from 1593 one reaches the Middle Ward, from which another gate leads to the Keep, the inner center of the castle, with the Great Hall and the St Mary's Crypt. St Mary's Crypt is the oldest surviving part from the 13th century and is located in the center of the concentric complex.
Mont Orgueil was a prison during the English Civil War (1642–1649) . Jersey sided with the king and numerous supporters of the parliamentary troops were imprisoned here. William Prynne (1600–1669) was one of the most famous . As a punishment for defaming the king, the letters SL (seditious libeller) had been burned on his cheek. Historical scenes are depicted in the exhibition rooms by means of life-size dolls.
One of the prisoners was John Lilburne (1614–1657).
With the invention of the cannon, the castle had become conquerable. After the Revolution, it served as accommodation for French aristocrats who had fled their homes and for a time was also the residence and official residence of the Governor of Jersey.
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Coordinates: 49 ° 11 '58 " N , 2 ° 1' 10" W.