A local tour guide says Rousse Tower has stayed shut for years despite volunteer restoration of display figures—raising worries about heritage upkeep, communication, and public access.
A local tour guide is pressing for Rousse Tower to reopen to the public, saying a 19th-century feature restored by volunteers is still kept away in storage.
The tower on Rousse headland in the Vale has been closed to visitors since before the Covid lockdowns, and for many residents and tour groups it has effectively meant missing out on a familiar part of the island’s heritage.. Silver tour guide Olga Mitchell says she has felt the absence keenly, not least because bringing groups to the site was often a highlight.
Mitchell says she first raised the issue two years ago after being told that the tower’s inner-workings figures had been put in storage for disposal because of their condition.. Rather than accept that outcome, she gathered 11 volunteers and spent days restoring the figures themselves—work she describes as painstaking, but worthwhile once the displays were brought back to life.
After the volunteers finished their efforts, the figures were put back into storage again.. Mitchell says that outcome has left her both frustrated and confused.. “There have been multiple excuses made by the States and two years later, the figures still remain in the storage and the tower is closed,” she said, adding that the site’s closure has limited opportunities for leisure and tourism while also worrying people about the future of the attraction.
One of the emotional moments behind her campaign came with the loss of a volunteer supporter.. Mitchell said that a young lady in the group recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and never saw the figures returned to the tower—something she was asked about at the woman’s funeral by friends and family who wanted answers about what happened to the displays.
Why the reopening issue is getting louder
Officials say conservation work is continuing and that preservation remains the priority before public access can be considered.. Helen Glencross, head of Culture & Heritage Services, said essential conservation work is ongoing to preserve the site, and that Guernsey Museums is working with the States Property Unit to enable the tower to reopen.
Glencross also suggested that an access pass for tour guides might be an option in the meantime.. She said guided tours could potentially be supported, and that key access could be arranged on request.. In her view, conservation is a necessary step to protect a historic site and keep access safe and appropriate.
From Mitchell’s perspective, however, that framing lands differently.. She said she and her group were “surprised and confused” by the suggestion that a “formal request” would be needed, arguing that the Heritage department was aware of the restoration project two years ago.. Mitchell said her group’s point of contact was the Property Unit and Education, Sport & Culture, which provided a workshop and paint for the restoration work and was supportive throughout.
That difference in understanding is now at the center of the dispute: whether volunteer-led efforts were treated as enough to move the project forward, or whether the process still depends on an additional permission step before restored figures can be publicly displayed.. For tour operators, timing matters.. When attractions stay closed for long stretches, public demand and staff planning both suffer, and the reasons for delay can easily become a source of community frustration.
A heritage site can’t wait forever
There is also a wider point, beyond the figures themselves.. Rousse Tower has been described as an important part of the island’s cultural and social landscape, valued by residents and visitors.. When a site like that remains out of bounds, it is not only a missed leisure option—it also affects how people feel about safeguarding history: people want to see the end of the story, not just the start.
The situation also shows how heritage projects can get stuck between conservation needs and practical access plans.. Conservation can’t be rushed, but the public value of heritage often depends on visible progress—especially when community volunteers have stepped in to restore items that were believed to be heading toward disposal.
Mitchell’s call is therefore not just about access in the short term.. She wants the restored figures placed back on display in the tower as soon as possible, and she argues that cooperation has to be real enough to finish what was started.. “Our point of contact… was fully supportive all way through,” she said, adding that she believes shifting blame and offering excuses is counter-productive.
For now, Glencross says discussions with local stakeholders are welcome and that clear information can be provided about the current situation. Mitchell says her group is willing to help further, but she also wants clarity—what exactly is needed next, and how quickly can the tower reopen?
With the tower still closed and the restored figures not yet returned to view, the community is left waiting on a simple question with a big emotional weight: when will Rousse Tower be ready for the public again, and will the volunteers’ work finally be seen where it belongs?