Seymour Tower

-› Facilities in detail

Sleeps 7

£350 per night

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Join your very own guide for a once-in-a-lifetime experience staying overnight, two miles offshore. Completely surrounded by sea twice a day, Seymour Tower offers a fantastic base for exploring Jersey's marine wilderness at low tide.

Accommodating up to seven people plus your guide, Seymour Tower offers a truly unique experience. Standing on a rocky outcrop off the south-east tip of Jersey's National Park in an internationally recognised RAMSAR wetlands site, the Tower offers guests the ultimate retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the main land. It’s perfect for anyone looking for adventure; use it as a base for low water fishing, guided walks at low tide or bird watching.

Each group staying at Seymour Tower has their own personal guide who stays with you throughout and arranges the best access times and will tell you about the unique flora and fauna whilst you trek across the mars-type landscape when the tide is low. During your stay you can watch the incoming tide from the parapet as it rushes through the surrounding gullies.

Built in 1792, the Tower has been well appointed to accommodate visiting guests. Spread over two floors with cooking facilities and wood burning stove on the ground floor and the bunk room on the upper floor with a basic chemical toilet. There are six bunks in the upper room for which we recommend you bring sleeping bags and pillows, with a separate room for your guide on the ground level. Whilst the facilities are basic, there is solar power for lighting and the fridge and gas for the cooker. Seymour Tower has no running water, but drinking water is provided along with logs for the wood burning stove. Guests are required to carry all their food, clothes and sleeping bags out to the Tower. In addition all waste (including bagged toilet waste) will need to be brought back and disposed of on shore.

Please note Seymour Tower is only available to rent when the tide and weather allow safe and manageable access. It is not accessible by car and is it not suitable for small children.

We recommend you speak to our Heritage Lets team before booking your stay to discuss access times and guide arrangements.

To get more of an insight of staying at Seymour Tower, take a look at this amazing aerial video of Seymour Tower by Chris Brooke.

"It's like being on your own pirate ship with the sea coming in around you.”

“A magical experience not to be missed!”

“Don't miss the cascading whirl pool!”

Facilities in detail

Basic coastal tower property
Guide required for all visits and overnight stays
Access dependant on weather and tides.
1 communal room with 7 bunk beds - Linen not provided
1 seperate bunk area for the guide
Drinking water not provided
Crockery & cutlery provided
Wood burning stove
Oven
Fridge
Steep stairs
Dogs not allowed
No disabled access
Not suitbale for small children
Wi-Fi not available

Pricing

Seymour Tower is £350.00 per night which includes the cost of a guide for the night.

Access times are dependant on tide and weather.

History

Seymour Tower was built in 1782 on the rocky outcrop, almost 2 miles off the south east coast of Jersey, known as L’Avarison islet following the Battle of Jersey in 1781. It was one of 30 coastal towers proposed by Sir Henry Seymour Conway when he was appointed Governor of Jersey. The islet provided a secure base and a practical location for early warning of any impending attack.

In 1781, whilst the chain of coastal defence towers was still under construction (with only four completed) a French invasion force led by Baron de Rullecourt landed at La Rocque and marched on St Helier only to end in failure. The invasion attempt spurred the construction of Seymour Tower the following year. Unusually, Seymour Tower is square instead of the traditional round design and made from Jersey Granite and is only one of three towers which have a gun battery at the base. Once the Tower was built, it was mostly used as a signal point for Mont Orgueil further north along the bay.

In a letter, 16 May 1809, General Don wrote, "The Tower is situated on the right flank of Grouville Bay, two miles in the sea from high water mark, it commands the entrance into the Bay and is seen by all the sentries posted along the shore from Mont Orgueil Castle to Rocque Platte". "It was necessary to communicate by signals between the shore and the Tower and, for the purpose of giving notice to the posts that 'all was well', lights were ordered to be shown towards the Bay every half hour, on seeing of which the sentries in the above mentioned line passed the word 'All's well"'. "When the lights are not regularly shown, measures are taken to discover the causes. It is found that twelve pounds of candles per month are necessary to make these lights, and I strongly recommend that this issue should be continued."

A memorandum from Col. Le Couter in 1860 deemed Seymour Tower and Icho Tower (further south) were to be abandoned with long range guns set onshore at La Rocque point. Both Towers were unused for many years until the States of Jersey purchased Seymour Tower in 1923 for £120 and was later leased to private tenants. Jersey Heritage took on the property in 2006 to be used as basic self-catering accommodation.

Images can be found at Société Jeriasie

Family at La Rocque with Seymour in the distance..jpg

Property FAQ

How many does this property sleep? Seymour Tower sleeps up to seven guests in one large bunk room plus a seperate area for a guide. You will need to bring your own bed linen and sleeping bags.

Can I hire the property for one night? Yes, most guests only hire the Tower for one night. At the time of booking you will be advsied on the tide and when the Tower is accessable.

Does Jersey Heritage arrange the guide? Yes, once you have enquired about a date we will find a guide to suit your dates.

My friend is a Seymour guide, can they take me to the Tower? Yes, often people know a guide who is willing to take them on an overnight stay at the Tower.

How do I collect the keys? On the day of booking your guide will collect a safety bag from Jersey Museum which includes the keys to the Tower along with a first aid kit and some essential items.

What time can I access Seymour Tower? Access times are very dependant on the tides. Your guide will advise you on your meeting point and time prior to your booking. We also suggest booking your travel times around the low tide to ensure you are able to get to shore.

Can I invite friends to the Tower? Only those listed on the booking form are allowed to stay or visit the Tower. Due to the short time the Tower is accessible, no adiditional guests are allowed to visit the Tower.

Does the property have parking? There is public parking next to the guide meeting point.

What are the bathroom facilities? There is one chemical toilet in the Tower. Rain water is used for washing and brushing teeth but all drinking water must be taken with you. All waste (including bagged toilet waste) will need to be brought back and disposed of on shore.

What heating does the property have and does it have a fire? Seymour Tower has a wood burning stove which heats the property.

Are dogs allowed to stay in the property? Dogs are not allowed to stay at this property.

Is there an outside area? There is a battery at the base of Tower as well as the roof which can be accessed.

Can you drive to and from the Tower? No, the Tower is only accessible by foot on a low tide. Guests will often have to walk through gullies and rock pools to access the Tower.

Visiting Jersey

How do I get to Jersey? Jersey is within easy reach of the UK and Europe by air and by sea. During the summer Jersey is served by over 40 departure points across the British Isles, including both scheduled and charter flights. From London airports there are up to 12 flights a day to the Island, with journey times of less than one hour. If you wish to bring your car to the Island, fast ferry services leave from the south coast of England and northern France from St Malo.

Can I hire a car in Jersey? There are several companies you can hire a car from on the island, either before hand or on arrival. We can recommend Avis for car hire. You will get the best rates by going on their website www.avisjersey.co.uk

Is it easy to travel around Jersey? The Island is nine miles long by five miles wide and is easy to navigate by car or bike. There is also a good public bus system which operates throughout the year.

Can I hire a bike in Jersey? Jersey is great location for cycling with dedicated cycle tracks winding through the island, green lanes and open coast roads.

What currency is accepted in Jersey? Both Jersey and Bank of England notes are legal tender in Jersey and circulate together, alongside the Guernsey pound and Scottish banknotes. Some retailers also accept Euros.

Booking & payment

Can I pay a deposit? For our coastal tower properties, the full amount is due upon booking.

How can I pay? We accept Maestro (if issued in the UK), Visa, MasterCard and direct bank transfers.

How do I pick up the key? For coastal tower bookings, keys are collected from Jersey Museum, St Helier on the presentation of £200 cash deposit.

How can I cancel or change my booking? If you wish to cancel or change your booking, please contact our Jersey Heritage Lets team. Please note our cancellation policy detailed on your terms and conditions.

What time can I check-in and check-out? Arrival and departure will be arranged prior to your stay with your guide. Access times are dependant on the tide.

How far in advance do I need to book? We always recommend to book as far in advance as possible as some of our properties are very popular, especially in the summer months, however we often have availability at short notice. We often require at least two week’s notice for a booking but please contact our Jersey Heritage Lets team to enquire.

Do you have to be a Jersey Heritage member to book a property? No, our properties are available to everyone; however Jersey Heritage members receive special discounts and promotions. To find out more, please go to our Jersey Heritage members’ page.

What happens if I can’t get to Jersey due to bad weather or I am delayed? If for any reason you cannot travel to Jersey or your booking dates are affected by weather then please call the Jersey Heritage Lets Team as soon as possible. We do not operate a cancellation insurance policy and you will be responsible for any travel and accommodation costs incurred by you in relation to the booking. Please refer to our cancellation policy in our terms and conditions.

What should you bring?

For our more basic, coastal tower properties we recommend all of the above as per our self-catering items, with some additional extras.

Food provisions – Our Coastal Towers are a great base for your next adventure, but no explorer can venture out without suitable provisions. We do not provide any food or refreshments at our Coastal Towers.

Disposable barbeque – Bring along a barbeque to cook your food during your stay.

Sleeping bags, pillows and camp beds – Some of our coastal towers do have beds, so to ensure a comfy night’s sleep please ensure you bring along any bed linen you will need.

Toilet roll – An essential part of our packing should include toilet roll for when nature calls!

Find out more about what’s happening at Jersey Heritage during your stay here, or Jersey Tourism for a full of Island activities. If you have a question for our team about booking your stay, please email us.

Terms & Conditions

Please click here to download our terms and conditions.