Jersey · JE

Grosnez Castle

On a granite headland at the far north-west corner of Jersey, where the cliffs drop some 70 metres into the Atlantic, the ruins of Grosnez Castle sit exposed to the weather and the view. Built during the turmoil of the Hundred Years' War and abandoned to ruin by the mid-1500s, this is not a grand restored fortress but a place of footings, a weathered gatehouse and a low curtain wall — and one of the most dramatic lookout points on the island. A short walk up the concrete steps behind the ruins leads to a former signal station, where on clear days you can see across to the other Channel Islands and the coast of Normandy. Free to visit at any time and good for families and dogs, Grosnez is best loved for the sense of wild, windswept isolation and for sunsets over the sea. It is also the western anchor of Jersey's north-coast cliff path, making it an easy and rewarding stop whether you arrive by bus from St Helier or set out on a longer coastal walk.