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List of Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight

{{short description|Coastal defence forts around the Isle of Wight}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}

{{Location map+|Isle of Wight

|caption = Locations of Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight.

|float = right

|width = 400

|places = Isle of Wight

{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.512466

|lat = 50.669497

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.58399

|lat = 50.66213

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.564813

|lat = 50.670603

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.54411

|lat = 50.68805

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.521639

|lat = 50.689333

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.52914

|lat = 50.700141

|background = white

}}

{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.531968

|lat = 50.699576

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.521111

|lat = 50.706667

|background = white

}}

{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.464167

|lat = 50.709722

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.129319

|lat = 50.727517

|background = white

}}

{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.10212

|lat = 50.70437

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.09413

|lat = 50.67823

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.097917

|lat = 50.666128

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.117616

|lat = 50.671673

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.097917

|lat = 50.666128

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.13354

|lat = 50.66703

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.156175

|lat = 50.652174

|background = white

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{{Location map~|Isle of Wight

|long = -1.16045

|lat = 50.650406

|background = white

}}

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File:IOW forts plan.jpg

The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom. The name comes from their association with Lord Palmerston, who was Prime Minister at the time and promoted the idea.

The structures were built as a response to a perceived threat of a French invasion. The works were also known as Palmerston's Follies as, by the time they were completed the threat (if it had ever existed) had passed, largely due to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and technological advancements leading to the guns becoming out-of-date.{{cite web|url=http://www.napoleon.org/en/reading_room/articles/files/hicks_portsdown_forts.asp|title='Palmerston's Follies': a reply to the French 'threat'|publisher=www.napoleon.org|accessdate=2009-09-03}}

As well as new structures, extensive modifications were made to existing defences.

The defences on the Isle of Wight were built to protect the approaches to the Solent, Southampton and Portsmouth. They consist of three separate groups, those at the western end of the island, those at the eastern end, and four built in the Solent.

The information in the tables is taken from documents for each site, from the Victorian Forts website.Victorian Forts website citation sheets for each location. Retrieved 2012-01-22. (PDF files).

valign="top" |

  • {{cite web | title=Freshwater Redoubt | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/freshwater.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Old Needles Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/oldneedles.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Hatherwood Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/hatherwood.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Warden Point Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/wardenpoint.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Golden Hill Fort | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/goldenhill.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Cliff End Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/cliffend.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Fort Albert | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/albert.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Fort Victoria | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/victoria.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Bouldnor Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/bouldnor.pdf }}

| valign="top" |

  • {{cite web | title=Puckpool Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/puckpool.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Nodes Point Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/nodespoint.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Steynewood Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/steynewood.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Culver Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/culver.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Bembridge Fort | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/bembridge.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Redcliff Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/redcliff.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Yaverland Battery | url=http://www.undergroundkent.co.uk/yaverland.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • {{cite web | title=Sandown (granite) Fort | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/sandowngranite.pdf }}
  • {{cite web | title=Sandown Barrack Battery | url=http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/pdf/datasheets/sandownbarrack.pdf }}

Western end

File:12andahalf_inch_muzzle_loading_rifled_gun_(1875).jpg

class="wikitable sortable"
class="unsortable" |Site name

! class="unsortable" |Location

! class="unsortable" |Open to the public?

! Construction began

! Construction ended

! Cost

! class="unsortable" |Grid reference

! class="unsortable" |Map

Fort Victoria

| Sconce Point, Yarmouth

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1852

| align="center" |1855

| align="center" |£40,000*{{cite book |first=Anthony |last=Cantwell |title=Fort Victoria: 1852–1969 |publisher=Isle of Wight County Council Cultural Service |year=1985 |isbn=0-906328-32-2}}

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ338897}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/7utVBDl0 ]{{failed verification|date=July 2020}}

Fort Albert (aka 'Cliff End Fort')

| Cliff End, Freshwater

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1854

| align="center" |1856

| align="center" |Unknown

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ329890}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/6vsU7Biw ]

Freshwater Redoubt

| Freshwater Bay

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1855

| align="center" |1856

| align="center" |Unknown

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ344855}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/6rwcy7tC ]

The Needles Batteries

| Alum Bay

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1861

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |£7,656

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ295848}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/maps/?lat=50.662577&lon=-1.58328&zoom=14#map=50.66263,-1.58305|19|32&bd=useful_information&loc=:50.66273:-1.58312:undefined ]

Warden Point Battery

| Warden Point, Freshwater

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1862

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |£12,899

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ325876}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/D4uJbPJk ]

Cliff End Battery

| Cliff End, Freshwater

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1862

| align="center" |1868

| align="center" |£32,714

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ332890}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/6vsU14gz ]

Golden Hill Fort

| Afton Down

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |1868

| align="center" |£38,022

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ339879}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/9sxV8Dn7 ]

Hatherwood Battery

| Alum Bay

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1865

| align="center" |1869

| align="center" |£5,825

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ307858}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/7qxd66s1 ]

The New Needles Battery

| Alum Bay

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1893

| align="center" |1895

| align="center" |£9,821{{cite web|url=http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/newbtty.shtml |title=The Needles Battery – History of the New Battery |accessdate=2010-02-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612172652/http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/newbtty.shtml |archivedate=12 June 2009 }}

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ299847}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/maps/?lat=50.661658&lon=-1.577629&zoom=14#map=50.66165,-1.57757|18|32&bd=useful_information&loc=:50.66205:-1.57794:undefined ]

Bouldnor Battery

| Bouldnor

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1937

| align="center" |1938

| align="center" |Unknown

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ379902}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/DCACq1Eu ]

Eastern end

class="wikitable sortable"
class="unsortable" |Site name

! class="unsortable" |Location

! class="unsortable" |Open to the public?

! Construction began

! Construction ended

! Cost

! class="unsortable" |Grid reference

! class="unsortable" |Map

Puckpool Battery

| Puckpool Point

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |1865

| align="center" |20,864

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ615923}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/cNwKUeF6 ]

Nodes Point Battery

| Nodes Point

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1901

| align="center" |1904

| align="center" |£21,654

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ635898}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/8twUA9iB ]

Steynewood Battery

| Whitecliff Bay

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1889

| align="center" |1893

| align="center" |Unknown

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ641869}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/eLsHSRIz ]

Culver Battery

| Culver Down

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1904

| align="center" |1906

| align="center" |Unknown

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ638855}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/eLsQWSH8 ]

Bembridge Fort

| Bembridge Down

| align="center" |{{cross}}

| align="center" |1862

| align="center" |1867

| align="center" |£48,925

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ624861}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/ABBzxqiJ ]

Redcliff Battery

| Culver Down

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1861

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |£4,776

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ638855}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/fOxIpqMA ]

Yaverland Battery

| Yaverland

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1861

| align="center" |1864

| align="center" |15,183

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ612849}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/6rwc7BpB ]

Sandown Fort

| Sandown Bay

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1861

| align="center" |1864

| align="center" |£73,876

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ597839}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/6vscB3tF ]

Sandown Barrack Battery

| Sandown Bay

| align="center" |{{tick}}

| align="center" |1861

| align="center" |1863

| align="center" |£62,331

| align="center" |{{gbmappingsmall|SZ594837}}

| align="center" |[http://www.multimap.com/s/cJsRdcEF ]

Solent

References

Bibliography

  • Solent Papers No. 2 The Needles Defences by Anthony Cantwell - {{ISBN|978-0-9513234-9-6}}
  • Solent Papers No. 10 The East Wight Defences by David Moore - {{ISBN|978-0-9548453-3-9}}

External links

  • [http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/index.htm Palmerston Forts Society]
  • [http://www.victorianforts.co.uk Victorian Forts website]

{{Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight}}

Isle of Wight

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