Castle Cornet

Castle Cornet is Guernsey's ancient harbour fortress, which was isolated upon a rocky islet, until the construction of a breakwater and bridge in the 19th century. For more information about the castle's history, please click here. For information about the name 'Cornet' click here. and for details about the daily noonday gun ceremony click here. The castle contains a number of museums, including:

• Maritime Museum - Located in the Upper Barracks building, this tells the story of Guernsey's relationship with the sea and also includes a gallery of marine art. The museum also features a display about the Gallo-Roman wreck recovered from the nearby harbour mouth in 1985.
  
• The Story of Castle Cornet - Located in the lower barracks building, these displays opened in 1997. They interpret the history of Castle Cornet, using a variety of reconstructions, replicas, models and original artefacts. Information Technology is also used to interpret the origin of the rock upon which the castle is built, browse an interactive guide to the castle or a database of castle illustrations. There is also an audio presentation about the great explosion of 1672, which destroyed much of the early castle
• 201 Squadron RAF (Guernsey's Own) Museum - Currently the only RAF unit to retain such an affiliation, 201 Squadron's links with Guernsey date back to the 1930's, when their Southampton-based flying boats came on training flights and good-will visits. The museum is our most recent development in the castle and was opened on 12th July 2001 by Her Majesty the Queen.
• Militia Museums - The two related military museums in the castle's Hospital building are the most recent museum developments on the site. They were conceived as a phased project to replace much older Militia and Armoury displays which closed some yeas ago:
  • The Royal Guernsey Militia Museum on the upper floor of the building was officially opened by Guernsey's new Lieutenant-Governor Air Marshal Peter Walker CB, CBE, on 24 May 2011. It tells the story of the Militia from its 13th century origins as an island defence force to its 20th century disbandment on the formation of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry.
  • The Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Museum is on the ground floor of the building and tells the story of Guernseymen who fought in the Great War. It was the first phase of the Militia re-display project and opened to the public in July 2009.
• Hatton Gallery - a spacious gallery in the Upper Barracks building, housing portraits of local relevance. The gallery is not normally open to the public, except for specific advertised events. As a space, it can be booked for corporate and private functions; please contact the museum office for further details.

Castle Cornet also has a museum shop located in the old guard house and a refectory (in the Upper Barracks building) serving light meals and refreshments.

The castle opens during the period April 1 - October 30, daily 10:00 - 17:00 hr., for full details and admission charges click here.
Visiting the castle involves ascending and descending steps and traversing uneven surfaces. Visitors with disabilities may like to consult our Disabled Access leaflet.

Castle Cornet and its museums are accredited visitor attractions in both Guernsey and UK schemes: