Concerns that 'leaning' Guernsey Loophole tower is 'in danger' of collapse

  • ITV Channel reporter Kate Prout visits the Guernsey towers in need of some "tender loving care"

Guernsey residents are concerned that failure to protect the island's Loophole towers could see them fall into disrepair.

This comes as the Channel Islands Occupation Society are concerned that the towers are not being kept in good condition.

Today, 12 towers still survive, however, three of them have been destroyed in the last century.

While none have collapsed due to disrepair, there are concerns over at least two of the towers.

Bay de la Jaonneuse's tower has started to lean to the side and Chouet's tower is situated next to a new quarry where there will be blasting to extract granite.

Some of them are privately owned whereas some are owned by the States. Credit: ITV News

States of Guernsey archaeologist, Phil de Jersey, says: "They will last for longer but they might actually need a bit more tender loving care as time goes on.

"They're a particularly Guernsey thing. They belong to a very specific period [and] they don't occur anywhere else so I believe we need to look after them."

The towers were built by the British between 1778 and 1779 to keep out the French who were supporting the American Civil War.

The loopholes are named after the large number of musket firing holes and have survived centuries of storms and the Occupation.

Fermain Tower is situated in St Martin, next to Fermain North Battery and its magazine. Credit: ITV Channel

While some towers are States-owned, others, such as Fermain Tower which was given to Guernsey's National Trust, are privately owned.

When the Trust was bequeathed Fermain Tower - also known as the "Pepper Pot" - they spent years turning it into self-accommodation to protect it.

Oliver Brock from the Trust says: "Building structures will only last so long. The water ingress on its own will start to damage the interiors of the walls inside the actual building fabric itself.

"The woodwork and floor levels are also in danger so there is a concern.

"There's all sorts of uses that can be made of old buildings and bringing them back into use is a, is a really good way of making sure that they're cared for."

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