Fort Amherst is a
neighbourhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural are ...
in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
. It is located at , on the southern side of
the Narrows, the entrance to St. John's harbour. Apart from some family dwellings, Fort Amherst consists of a man-made harbour, a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
and the remains of gun emplacements built during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
to defend against German
U-boats
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...
. Two
QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns remain in place on their mountings.
The original fortifications at Fort Amherst, built in the 1770s, are no longer visible.
The fortifications were named for
William Amherst, who successfully recaptured St. John's from
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
forces in 1762. The fort operated in conjunction with
Fort Waldegrave for much of its history. The site was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...
in 1951.
The name is shared with
Port La-Joye / Fort Amherst in
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
and
Fort Amherst in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
The first lighthouse in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
was built at Fort Amherst in 1810.
The current lighthouse was built in 1951.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Canada
This is a list of lighthouses in Canada. These may naturally be divided into lighthouses on the Pacific coast, on the Arctic Ocean, in the Hudson Bay watershed, on the Labrador Sea and Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the St. Lawrence River watershed ( ...
*
Neighbourhoods in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
The city of St. John's is made up of many neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods such as Georgestown and Rabbittown have long histories in the city and were among the first residential neighbourhoods to be built, while other neighbourhoods such as the ...
Gallery
File:Ordnance QF 4.7-inch gun, Gaspé, Fort Peninsula, Forillon National Park, Quebec (4).JPG, One of two surviving QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns at Fort Péninsule HMCS ''Fort Ramsay'' was a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) base located at Sandy Beach on the southern shore of Gaspé Bay, several kilometres east of Gaspé, Quebec. Its construction was commissioned in 1940 and the base was inaugurated by the RCN on Ma ...
, Forillon National Park
Forillon National Park (french: Parc national de Forillon), one of 42 national parks and park reserves across Canada, is located at the outer tip of the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec and covers .
Created in 1970, Forillon was the first nationa ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. It is similar to the guns at Fort Amherst.
File:Fort Amherst.jpg
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Amherst, St. John's
Neighbourhoods in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Populated coastal places in Canada
Coastal fortifications
Military forts in Newfoundland and Labrador
World War II sites in Canada
National Historic Sites in Newfoundland and Labrador
History of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador