La Crête Fort

The military significance of La Crête Point was recognized early on, as evidenced by a Popinjay map from 1563 showing a boulevard nearby. In 1778, the Jersey Militia called for the construction of a battery with two cannons at this strategic point. A map by the Duke of Richmond from 1787 already depicts an upper and a lower battery, as well as a guardhouse. The fortification was further expanded in 1813 by the States of Jersey with the construction of the Havre Giffard Battery, which included two captured French guns, a magazine, a storeroom, and a guardhouse. Barracks for the mobile reserve were built nearby. Even after Napoleon's defeat, when many other batteries were dismantled, La Crête Point retained its armament. In 1834, a fort was erected on this site, accommodating an officer and 30 men of the Royal Jersey Militia. It was equipped with two new 18-pounder guns and four 12-pounder cannons. In the second half of the 19th century, the fort lost its military importance and was eventually abandoned. During World War II, the fort was reactivated by the German occupation forces as "Widerstandsnest La Crête" (Resistance Nest La Crête) and equipped with an anti-tank gun, machine guns, a mortar, and a searchlight. The garrison consisted of three non-commissioned officers and 17 men. After the war, from 1968, the fort served as the summer residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. In 2006, the Jersey Heritage Trust took over the fort and restored it as part of the Forts and Towers Project.

La Crête Fort is located at La Crête Point in Saint John on the island of Jersey, a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom. It is situated at an elevation of approximately 9 meters above sea level.

Today, La Crête Fort is accessible to visitors and can be explored, offering an insight into its long and eventful history.

• Fort Leicester (fortification), approx. 2.5 km away
• L'Etaquerel Fort (fortification), approx. 3.6 km away
• Fort Regent (fortification), approx. 7.8 km away
• Saint Aubin's Fort (fortification), approx. 8.3 km away