Many forts and fortifications have been built to protect the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

(South England) from foreign invasion. Throughout history the island has been a site of key military importance. Controlling both entrances to the

Solent The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay t ...

and the home of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

. This is a list of most of the fortifications on the island.

Palmerston Forts

The Palmerston Forts are forts built during the Victorian era. The name comes from their association with

Lord Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period ...

, who was the Prime Minister of the time and promoted the idea. The structures were built as a response to a perceived threat of a French invasion. The defences on the

were built to protect the approaches to the

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

and

. There are three groups, those at the west end of the island, those at the east end, and four in the Solent. The information is taken from documents for each of the sites, courtesy of the Victorian Forts website.

Bembridge Fort

Built on

Bembridge Down Bembridge Down is a Site of special scientific interest which is north-east of Sandown, Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated b ...

it is one of the

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 ...

built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Cliff End Battery

Built on the west coast of the Island it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Fort Albert

Fort Albert was built in 1856 on an artificial island to defend the western approaches to Portsmouth. It was intended to house 29 guns in four tiers, it was one of the last gun-towers built in England.

Fort Victoria

Fort Victoria was a battery with barracks built west of Yarmouth in the 1850s, it was later used as a

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

mining centre and military training area. The barrack blocks were demolished in 1969, but the casemates were not, and this is all that remains of the Fort. The fort can now be visited in its role as a country park.

Freshwater Redoubt

Freshwater Redoubt Freshwater Redoubt, also known as Fort Redoubt (map reference ) is an old Palmerston fort built in Freshwater Bay on the western end of the Isle of Wight. Construction work for the fort began in 1855 and was completed in 1856. It was finally so ...

(or Fort Redoubt) Was built on the west coast of the Island at Freshwater bay as one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Nodes Point Battery

Built on the east of the Island at Nodes Point it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Puckpool Battery

Built at Puckpool point in the east it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Redcliff Battery

Redcliff Battery is a battery located west of Culver Cliffs and east of

Yaverland Yaverland is a village on the Isle of Wight, just north of Sandown on Sandown Bay. It has about 200 houses. About of a mile away from the village is the Yaverland Manor and Church. Holotype fossils have been discovered here of ''Yaverlan ...

. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Sandown Battery

Sandown Barrack Battery Sandown Barrack Battery (map reference ) is a battery located in Sandown Bay close to Sandown on the Isle of Wight in England. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion. ...

is a battery located in

Sandown Bay Sandown Bay is a broad open bay which stretches for much of the length of the Isle of Wight's southeastern coast. It extends from Culver Down, near Yaverland in the northeast of the Island, to just south of Shanklin, near the village of Lucc ...

. A Palmerston Fort built on the island to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Sandown Castle

Sandown Castle was one of Henry VIII's Device Forts. The

Device Forts The Device Forts, also known as Henrician castles and blockhouses, were a series of artillery fortifications built to defend the coast of England and Wales by Henry VIII. Traditionally, the Crown had left coastal defences in the hands of local ...

(Henrician Castles) were built as a network of coastal defences to defend against the French and Spanish after his break from the Roman Catholic Church. Although Sandown Castle was never attacked, it was the scene of a battle with French invaders. The French were repulsed.

Sandown Fort

Built at Sandown in the east it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Steynewood Battery

Built in the east it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats.

Warden Point Battery

Warden Point Battery is a battery on the Isle of Wight begun in 1862, that was originally armed with 7-inch and 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders on barbette mountings. In use until 1936.

Yarmouth Castle

Yarmouth Castle Yarmouth Castle is an artillery fort built by Henry VIII in 1547 to protect Yarmouth Harbour on the Isle of Wight from the threat of French attack. Just under across, the square castle was initially equipped with 15 artillery guns and a g ...

is a small off-square blockhouse built by Henry VIII in 1547, to guard Yarmouth, Isle of Wight harbour. It was built as part of Henry's second device programme to fortify the English coast with a chain of coastal defences known as Device Forts or Henrician Castles. These were built to guard against the threat of foreign invasion. As it is a later fortification it did not have the earlier rounded or concentric shape but a square keep with angular bastions. It is now owned by English Heritage.

Yaverland Battery

Built in the east at Yaverland it is one of the Palmerston Forts built to protect against perceived French invasion threats. During the Second World War it was used by the Home Guard.

References

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"Old Needles Battery"
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"Warden Point Battery"
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"Golden Hill Fort"
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"Cliff End Battery"
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"Fort Albert"
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"Fort Victoria"
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"Bouldnor Battery"
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"Puckpool Battery"
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"Nodes Point Battery"
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"Steynewood Battery"
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"Culver Battery"
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"Bembridge Fort"
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"Redcliff Battery"
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"Yaverland Battery"
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"Sandown (Granite) Fort"
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"Sandown Barrack Battery"
{{div col end

External links

Victorian Forts website
Forts on the Isle of Wight

Isle Of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

Lists of buildings and structures on the Isle of Wight