Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum
Martello tower on a tidal islet in Rocquaine Bay that houses a museum of the wrecks and relics of Guernsey’s dangerous west coast.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Fort Grey is a coastal defence tower built in 1804 on a small tidal islet in Rocquaine Bay on Guernsey’s west coast, linked to the shore by a raised causeway. It stands on the site of an earlier small castle, the Château de Rocquaine, and is affectionately known as the “Cup and Saucer”. The fort belongs to a chain of defences against France built under Sir John Doyle, Lieutenant-Governor during the Napoleonic Wars, and is named after General Charles, Earl Grey, Governor of Guernsey from 1797 to 1807.
The granite tower has the sloping profile typical of a Martello tower and originally carried a 24-pound carronade on a traversing mount. It was manned in both world wars and served as a German anti-aircraft battery during the Occupation. After falling out of use it was restored and reopened as a shipwreck museum in 1976. The tower has been painted white for many years and serves as a seamark.
The museum displays relics from the many ships wrecked on the rocky west coast, including the Hanois reef, where over a hundred ships are known to have been lost between 1734 and 1978. A George III cannon from the frigate HMS Boreas, which sank in 1807 with the loss of 127 men, stands in the fort and points towards the Hanois reef. Nearby, the timbers of a late third-century Roman ship can be seen through a viewing window.
Highlights
- Relics from the shipwrecks of Guernsey’s west coast
- Cannon from the frigate HMS Boreas, lost on the Hanois reef in 1807
- Granite model of the Hanois lighthouse with a flashing lantern
- Roman ship timbers on view in a store across the road
- Views over Rocquaine Bay and the Hanois lighthouse
Permanent exhibitions
- Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum – Relics of ships wrecked on the west coast, including finds from the Hanois reef, a cannon from HMS Boreas and a granite model of the Hanois lighthouse.
- Roman ship timbers – The main timbers of a Romano-Celtic ship that burned and sank around AD 280 are stored opposite the fort and can be seen through a viewing window.
- Founded
- 1976
- Operated by
- Guernsey Museums & Galleries
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
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| Reduced | £1.50Children aged 7 to 17 and students with a valid student card |
| Children & teens | £1.50free up to age 6 · Ages 7 to 17; children under 7 are free. |
| Students & apprentices | £1.50With a valid student card. |
| Discovery Pass (12 months, named adult) | £24Unlimited visits during seasonal opening hours to Fort Grey, Castle Cornet, Guernsey Museum and the German Naval Signals HQ; accompanying children under 18 go free. |
Prices for the 2026 season.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The fort is not accessible to wheelchairs or pushchairs. It is entered by a staircase and steep steps, with further steps up to the Shipwreck Museum and within the tower. Assistance dogs are welcome if they wear a tabard or harness; other pets are not allowed in the fort, but dogs may be walked on the beach beside it. An access guide is published on the AccessAble website.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
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- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly: not available
Discovery boxes filled with objects and activities can be borrowed free of charge from the attendant. Trails, quizzes and spot-it picture boards are available inside the tower, and children can dress up in costumes. Pushchairs cannot be taken into the fort.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Fort Grey (end of the causeway)
A bus stop for routes 61, 91, 92, 93 and 94 is at the end of the causeway.
By car
Parking available
There is ample parking at Guernsey Pearl, just across the road from the causeway.
The fort stands in the centre of Rocquaine Bay, reached on foot by a raised causeway.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The Roman ship store is across the road from the causeway, next to Guernsey Pearl, and the timbers can be seen through a viewing window. |
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