The Queen's Staircase, according to the guide who greeted me when I finally trudged up to him, was built mainly to provide an escape route for the government and their families if Napoleon's forces invaded the island. They never did, but you can't blame them for being cautious.

It started life as a rock quarry, with niches cut into the rock for guards and sharpshooters to protect the evacuees. The stairs are at the far end.

Yes, I walked up it - most people come at the right end, and walk down.