# Fort Clonque

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{{Short description|Fort in Alderney}}
{{Infobox Military Structure
| name          = Fort Clonque
| partof        = [Fortifications of Alderney](/source/Fortifications_of_Alderney)
| location      = [Alderney](/source/Alderney)
| image         = Alderney - Fort Clonque 02.jpg
| image_size    = 240px
| caption       = Fort Clonque at low tide
| map_type      = Channel Islands
| coordinates   = {{coord|49.7138|-2.2330|type:landmark_region:GG|display=inline}}
| map_size      = 
| map_alt       = 
| map_caption   = Shown within [Channel Islands](/source/Channel_Islands)
| type          = British coastal defence fortress
| materials     = 
| height        = 
| condition     = good
| ownership     = [Landmark Trust](/source/Landmark_Trust)
| open_to_public = Yes
| battles       = 
| events        = [German occupation of the Channel Islands](/source/German_occupation_of_the_Channel_Islands)
}}
'''Fort Clonque''' is a 19th-century coastal fortress in [Alderney](/source/Alderney), in the [Bailiwick of Guernsey](/source/Bailiwick_of_Guernsey) in the [Channel Islands](/source/Channel_Islands) built on a rocky outcrop of land joined to the island by a causeway that can be submerged at high tide.<ref name="Alderney">{{cite web |title=Fort Clonque |url=https://www.visitalderney.com/stay/fort-clonque/ |website=Visit Alderney |access-date=3 July 2025}}</ref> It was constructed at a time when French naval power was becoming an increasing concern to the British. It was manned by fifty-five men and fortified with up to ten guns, mostly [68-pounders](/source/68-pounder_gun); however, none were ever fired in anger.<ref name="HistoryAlbum">{{cite web |last1=Macqueen |first1=Jean |last2=Haslam |first2=Charlotte |last3=Patridge |first3=Colin |title=Fort Clonque History Album |url=https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/globalassets/3.-images-and-documents-to-keep/history-albums/fort-clonque-history-album.pdf |website=Landmark Trust |access-date=3 July 2025 |date=1999}}</ref>

== History ==
thumb|Fort Clonque in 2012
Fort Clonque was built by the British government as a response to the increasing power of the French navy and the expansion of the French port [Cherbourg](/source/Cherbourg) near the Channel Islands. The fort was constructed on a rocky outcrop of land on a small islet west of [Alderney](/source/Alderney) in the [Bailiwick of Guernsey](/source/Bailiwick_of_Guernsey) between 1853 and 1855. It was constructed by Captain [William Jervois](/source/William_Jervois) to protect the western side of Alderney and was fortified with fifty-five men and two officers with ten guns.<ref name="HistoryAlbum" /><ref name="PowellThomas">{{cite book |last1=Powell-Thomas |first1=Andrew |title=Channel Islands' Military Heritage |date=15 June 2024 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |isbn=9781398112841 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Channel_Islands_Military_Heritage/9hEMEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=fort+clonque&pg=PT136&printsec=frontcover}}</ref> At high tide, the fort is completely submerged and cut off from the rest of the island.<ref name="PowellThomas" />

The fort was decommissioned in 1929.<ref name="PowellThomas" /> A year later it went up for auction and was purchased by businessman Ralph Duplain for £27.<ref name="HistoryAlbum" />

Due to its strategic location, German forces occupied the fort during the [German occupation of the Channel Islands](/source/German_occupation_of_the_Channel_Islands) in [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The Germans upgraded the fort and added modern gun positions.<ref name="PowellThomas" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Burton |first1=Anthony |title=Astonishing Britain |date=1990 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=9780715394694 |page=216 |url=https://archive.org/details/astonishingbrita0000burt/page/216/mode/2up?view=theater}}</ref>

Scenes from the film ''[Seagulls Over Sorrento](/source/Seagulls_Over_Sorrento)'' were shot at Fort Clonque in 1953.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fortifications |url=https://www.visitalderney.com/our-island/heritage/victorians-fortification/fortifications/ |website=Visit Alderney |access-date=3 July 2025}}</ref>

The fort fell into disuse before being bought by the [Landmark Trust](/source/Landmark_Trust) in 1966 and is now used as self-catering accommodation for up to thirteen people.<ref name="Alderney" />

In 2014, the fort was damaged by severe storms on the Channel Islands.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alderney's Fort Clonque damaged by storm |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-26107233 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=9 February 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Fort Clonque}}
*[http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/ Landmark Trust Website]

{{Forts Channel Islands}}

Category:Landmark Trust
Category:Buildings and structures in Alderney
Category:Castles in the Channel Islands
Category:Military installations established in 1855
Category:Military installations closed in 1945

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fort Clonque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Clonque) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Clonque?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.