Fort Regent

Fort Regent is a 19th-century fortification and leisure centre on Mont de la Ville (Town Hill), in St. Helier, Jersey. The fort is in close proximity to the fortified South Hill Engineers Barracks at La Collette and overlooks the 16th-century Elizabeth Castle and harbour to the west.

The fort's main features are substantial curtain walls, ditches, a glacis, redoubts, bastions, and redans (or demi-bastions). A parade ground was in the centre, which is now built upon and covered with a roof.

Pre-history of Le Mont de la Ville

A dolmen was located on the hill, prior to the construction of Fort Regent, and unknown prior to 1785. In 1785, workmen, who were leveling the area for use as a parade ground uncovered the dolmen. The dolmen was gifted to Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway, Governor of Jersey (1772–1795), who removed and brought it to his home in 1788, Park Place, near Henley-on-Thames.

Middle Ages and 16th century

During the Middle Ages, the Town Hill, and the nearby ''Petit Mont de la Ville,'' were used as common land. The ''Chapel of Notre Dame des Pas'' was situated at the foot of the hill during this period, but it was demolished by the Board of Ordnance in 1814.

In 1550, Edward VI ordered the town to be relocated onto the hill as it would be easier to defend from that position however, the town was never moved.

In 1591, an intention to fortify the hill arose in the form of consent, from the Procureurs of the Vingtaine, to acquire the common land from the people, with their consent, so that fortifications could be constructed. The document referred to letters from Elizabeth I promising to fortify the top of the hill to provide defence for the town. Despite this, no evidence exists of any work being carried out during the 16th century.

17th century

In October 1651, during the Third English Civil War, the Parliamentarian Colonel James Heane, besieged Elizabeth Castle by firing explosive shells with mortars located on high ground between Town Hill and South Hill. This bombardment forced the eventual surrender of George Carteret, at Elizabeth Castle, in December 1651.

18th century

An illustration by J. Heath, dated 1757, shows the first signs of fortification on the Town Hill, in form of lines, possibly earthworks rather than stone walls. A map based on a survey carried out in 1787, under the order of the Duke of Richmond, supports this possibility.

A later map produced by James Stead, known as the ''Bouillon Map of 1799'', indicates that the main citadel, at this time, was located on South Hill, rather than Town Hill.

The hill was used in 1781, during the Battle of Jersey, by the 78th Regiment of Foot as a suitable position to prevent the retreat of the invading French Army.

19th century

The construction of the fortress we see today on Town Hill began on 7 November 1806, during the Napoleonic Wars, with the laying of a foundation stone by George Don the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. The fort was built using local workers and men from the Royal Engineers, with an average of 800 men working at any given time. This enabled a substantial amount of work to be completed 8 years later, in 1814.

It was given the name Fort Regent in honour of Prince Regent, who was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at this time.

The design of the fort is credited to Lieutenant-General John Humfrey, and it is thought that Lieutenant-Colonel John Evelegh would have also worked on the final plans.

Western flank and rampart

Along the top of the cliffs on the west side, between the West Bastion and Northwest Redan, is a 5.5-m- thick (18 ft) curtain wall that provided protection from attacks on that side. Quarrying also steepened the cliffs.

East Rampart

A curtain wall, similar to the one on the west, provides protection to bombardment from the east. The East Bastion and south redans are positioned behind this wall. The height of this rampart allows for a view to the southeast coast of Jersey, including a view of Icho Tower, a Martello tower built around 1811.

Bastions, redans, ditches and glacis

Two bastions are at the fort, one facing west and the other facing east, and four redans, two to the south, and two at the north end. Cannons placed in these areas would have been able to target forces attacking Fort Regent from any direction. The redans are not typical examples because they have more than two sides, are closer to demi-bastions, as seen in hornwork.

The fort has one 210-m-long (689 ft) glacis at the south end, which is a flat, sloping open area of grass, known as the Glacis Field. The only road and foot access to the fort is in this area; all other sides are very steep or vertical cliffs.

The East Ditch has a masonry-faced counterscarp and scarp, with a further outer ditch in the form of a large cutting. The Jersey Eastern Railway enlarged the cutting in 1873 to use it as a train station.

Cannons

Positions and embrasures for 100 cannons are in place within the fortress. However, a report dated 8 March 1810, counts only 55 cannons and six mortars at Fort Regent.

Water well

No well existed on the hill, so between December 1806 and October 1808, a deep well-shaft was sunk into the notoriously hard Jersey granite to a depth of about 71 m (235 ft) by blasting a shaft of an average diameter of 8 ft with gunpowder charges. The Fort Regent well is believed to be the deepest well-shaft in the island artesian bores">Artesian_bore.html" ;"title="xcluding artesian bores and is a stunning tribute to the persistence and ingenuity of Georgian military engineers.

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