The Prime Minister, the railway and the quarry: What is the history of Alderney's breakwater?

It's a difficult sight to miss on a visit, but the story behind Alderney's breakwater is an important part of the island's history.

Back in the 1840s, due to poor relations with our nearest neighbours, there were fears France might invade the Channel Islands.

If that was to happen, they would have a clear advantage as their fleet was nearby at Cherbourg.

Islanders in Alderney weren't as lucky and would be relying on British ships coming from Portland.

To give the small island the best chance to defend itself, then-Prime Minister Robert Peel commissioned the building of a breakwater to protect ships in Alderney's harbour.

Work started in 1847, with a railway built to transport stone from a quarry more than two miles away which, at its peak, was being poured into the sea at a rate of around 3,000 tonnes a day.

The weather was an ongoing issue for the 1,200 labourers brought to the island for the project, meaning they could only properly work between May and October.

However, 17 years later and at the cost of £2.5 million - more than £400 million in today's money - the breakwater was completed.

But the final product wasn't what they planned - it was actually meant to be twice as long.

The builders did try to extend it as designed but struggled to work out how it could be done, and the attempt they made ended up collapsing into the water.

It was decided in the end that it was good enough as it was around 3,000 feet long, and that's how it remains to this day.

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