Yes, I said it, and I mean it. When you walk around St Helier, you can’t help but see this structure on top of the hill, hovering above the Jersey capital. Initially I had no idea what is was. Wracked my brain, but came up blank. There might be a reason for not having heard about it prior to coming, it is forgettable. The best thing about it is the climb up the hill from the town centre, and the views from the fortress walls are ok. The old stronghold has been turned into a sports and leisure center, which made it confusing. When I approached the entrance, I thought I was at the wrong place, because it looked like a gym. I was about to leave, but decided to ask the gym staff. They told me this was indeed the fortress, gave me a map, and said I could follow the walks, one internal and one outer, outlined in the pamphlet. It would take 1.5 hrs. Honestly, I didn’t understand the map, so I just looked for a way upstairs, to enter the fortress walls, which you can walk. Once outside, there was not much to see. I walked about half way round, just couldn’t be bothered to do the whole lap. Inside I spotted a children’s playground, a cafe, a corona vaccine/test center in addition to the gym. Just a weird concoction of things.
Walking up you start at Weighbridge Place. Head towards the hill until you get onto Pier Road. Turn right. After a short while you’ll see a sign on your left hand. Scale the staircases. I assume you can drive up too, on the other side of the fortress?
