Featured Purchase Your Heritage Pass
Celebrate over three centuries of Jersey’s military history with an action-packed weekend at Elizabeth Castle, including live performances and historical adventures for the whole family.
Details
- 26 September 2026 - 27 September 2026
- Elizabeth Castle
Saturday & Sunday, 26 & 27 September | 10am to 3.30pm
Travel through time from the 1640s, when Sir Philip de Carteret employed the first professional soldiers in Jersey, right up to the present day. Enjoy dynamic displays featuring the 1781 Jersey Militia, Force 135 Re-enactment Group, the Jersey Field Squadron, and much more.
From 10am to 3.30pm each day:
•Living History displays
•Military drills and demonstrations
•Cannon firing
•Mine-sweeping displays
•Historical talks
•Military parades
With something for all ages, this promises to be a fun-filled weekend of history, action and discovery. Walk across to the Castle at low tide or catch the Castle Ferry and experience Jersey's military past brought vividly to life.
Please note: There will be loud gunfire and cannon fire throughout the weekend.
Admission: Usual Castle entry fees and ferry charges apply (Free entry and half-price ferry travel for JH Members)
Accessibility: Where possible, displays and demonstrations will take place in the most accessible areas of the Castle. Due to the historic nature of the venue, not all spaces are fully accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs, or visitors with limited mobility.
Saturday & Sunday
• 9.45am-10.30am: Band of Jersey performing by the Elizabeth Castle ticket kiosk
• 10.30am-11.30am: Force 135 exercises and drill, followed by Sten Gun firing from the bunker on The Green
• 11am & 2pm: Battle of Jersey talks with our expert volunteer in the ‘Granite and Gunpowder’ exhibition building
• 12pm-12.45pm: Master Gunner march from the Parade Ground to the signal gun for firing
• 1.15pm-2pm: Ezekiel Winterbourne (1640 musketeer) talk and matchlock pistol demonstration in the Parade Ground
• 2.15pm-3pm: 1781 Jersey Militia drill and musket demonstration in the Parade Ground
• 3pm-3.30pm: 1781 Jersey Militia march from the Parade Ground to The Green for a grand cannon volley to close the event
Explore at Your Own Leisure
10am to 3pm | Saturday and Sunday
- Force 135 Re-enactment Group: Open bunker, interactive talks, information, and artifact handling table
- 1781 Jersey Militia: Historical encampment setup for talks and information in the Ordnance Store
- Jersey Field Squadron: Information, recruitment and interactive mine-sweeping demonstrations in the Parade Ground
- Jersey Heritage Education Team: Historical handling collection in the ‘Granite and Gunpowder’ exhibition building.
Visit
Elizabeth Castle
Visit a fortress just off the coast of Jersey to explore 400 years of history.
Find out more
What's On?
There's always something new to discover
We bring stories to life, through living history, tours, activities and events. So that no matter how you can choose to enjoy it, we can help you find your place in the Island’s story
