There are traces of Roman occupation including a fort, built in the late 300s AD, above the Alderneys only natural harbour. The Alderney Nunnery was probably located on the site of this one best preserved Roman forts in the British Isles.
The 26-foot tall Roman tower features 10-feet-thick walls. Built of stone and Roman concrete, many of the outer walls are still standing however only fragments remain of the tall tower that would have stood inside the walls, there is a similarity to Roman signal stations built in Yorkshire.
The British are believed to have refurbished the Roman fort in 1793, leveling off the tower walls in the process, according to Heritage Daily. When the German’s invaded the island it appears they inserted a Type 501 bunker neatly between the tower ruins, using the north and south internal walls effectively as shuttering to pour their concrete, according to Dr. Jason Monaghan, who is helping lead the excavation efforts.
The site is newly opened after a major make over. There are story boards, an information room, large WWII bunker and much, much more to explore on this amazing heritage site.
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.