The tower, built in the late 18th century to help defend the Island from invasion by the French, can now sleep up to six guests, plus a Jersey Heritage guide, following its £130,000 renovation by four Infrastructure Department workers. It is one of 14 historical sites that have been revamped by Jersey Heritage since 2005 as part of its forts and towers project, but the workers say this was their toughest test yet.
Andy Cleworth, charge hand for the Infrastructure Department’s coastal monuments division, said to the layman it might seem like a jolly by the sea but the reality was that it was a tough and sometimes dangerous job.
The project was three years in the planning and the physical work was carried out over six to eight months over two summers.
Adrian Tredant, supervisor of civil works for the Infrastructure Department, said the tower’s ‘two dozen’ pigeon population had left a foot-deep layer of droppings inside the four-storey structure.
To inquire about staying at La Rocco, which costs around £300 a night for six people, visit jerseyheritage.org/holiday/la-rocco-tower or call 633300.
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