Fort Efford is a former 19th-century

Fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, built as a result of the Royal Commission on National Defence of 1859. It was built to defend the landward approaches to the North East of

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

. This was part of an overall scheme for the defence of the Royal Naval Dockyard at

Devonport, Plymouth Devonport ( ), formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889. Devonport was originally one o ...

. They were known as

Palmerston Forts The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The forts were built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the ...

after the Prime Minister who championed the scheme. Efford Emplacement - geograph

Edmund Frederick Du Cane Sir Edmund Frederick Du Cane (23 March 1830 – 7 June 1903) was an English major-general of the Royal Engineers and prison administrator. Early life Born at Colchester, Essex on 23 March 1830, he was youngest child in a family of four sons and ...

, it was built by George Baker and Company and finished by the Royal Engineers. It was armed with 21 guns, some of which flanked the nearby Laira Battery. To house part of the Forts' Garrison a barrack block to house five officers and 108 men was built within the rear section of the Fort. In the 1890s a moveable armament shed was built on the parade ground to house two 5-inch Breech Loading guns. By the early 1900s the Fort had become obsolete as a defensive position and was disarmed. During the Second World War it was used for ammunition storage. It was sold by the War Office in 1961. It was

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 2003. It has been used for storage by the Showman's Guild for many years.

References

Bibliography

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External sources

Victorian Forts data sheet on Fort Efford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Efford, Fort Forts of Plymouth, Devon Palmerston Forts