La Tour de Vinde, Combined lighthouse and Martello tower in Saint Brelade, Jersey.
La Tour de Vinde is a Martello tower built of stone, standing 23 ft (7.0 m) high with a diameter of 26 ft (7.9 m), at the foot of the Noirmont Point cliffs. Its round, thick-walled structure carries a gun platform on the flat roof, and the tower is painted in horizontal black and white bands.
British forces constructed this defensive structure between 1808 and 1810 to protect St Aubin's Bay. In 1915, the tower was converted into a lighthouse to serve maritime navigation purposes.
The name comes from the Norse word "vinde", meaning to tack or go about: once a sailing vessel heading for St Aubin's Bay had passed Noirmont Point, it could tack to approach the harbour. The tower is known in Jèrriais as La Tou d'Vînde.
The tower is accessible on foot but depends on tidal conditions, which should be checked before visiting. The interior remains closed to the public, though the exterior and surrounding area can be viewed from outside.
The tower's top platform carried a single 18-pounder gun, with a second 18-pounder in a battery at its base. Inside, the upper floor is carried on arches rather than a central pillar, a detail a visitor can compare with other Martello towers. It held an officer and about fifteen men.
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