One of Jersey’s unique coastal defence towers

Le Hocq Tower is a great example of Jersey’s unique form of coastal defence tower, developed by Sir Henry Seymour Conway in the late 18th century. Whilst the exact date of construction is unknown, we do know that the tower was built by the time of the Battle of Jersey in January 1781, because the French invading force, led by De Rullecourt, turned inland at Pontac to avoid passing Le Hocq on their way to St Helier.

Inside, the tower is divided into four floors. Stores and 20 barrels of gunpowder were kept on the ground floor in a brick-lined magazine with a vaulted ceiling. The upper two floors served as the living quarters for one sergeant and 12 men from the militia. And a fireplace was built into the wall for cooking and heating.

On the roof was an 18-pounder carronade cannon. Four machicolation openings sticking out from the top of the tower allowed marksmen to fire down onto people trying to shelter at its base. Next to the tower was a small paved area with a low wall behind which were three more cannons.

Inside the tower, there is a small exhibition about its history and a number of the floors are accessible by a steep staircase. There is no public access to the roof of the tower. Jersey Heritage looks after Le Hocq Tower on behalf of the Parish of St Clement.