The Portland Breakwater Fort is a 19th-century fort, built between 1868-1875 to defend

Portland Harbour Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

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 ...

. It is located on the outer breakwater of the harbour and has been Grade II Listed since 1978. The fort is not open to the public and remains derelict. On the opposite side of the next stretch of the breakwater is the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse.

History and design

Designed by Captain E. H. Steward of the Royal Engineers, the circular fort was first planned in 1859. It was built as a result of the Royal Commission to guard the new

Portland harbour Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...

and

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 ...

institutions on the island. Due to subsidence, the fort was constructed on a granite base, based on a diameter ring of stone laid down on the seabed. The main floor consists of gun rooms and ports for 14 heavy guns. Below the gun floor are the shell and cartridge stores and engine rooms. The fort also has its own harbour and ancillary barrack buildings. The fort cost £75,968 to build. In 1892, the fort was installed with seven 12.5-inch RML cannons, and these were replaced in 1907 by two 6-inch BL guns and two 12-pounder QF guns. During World War I, it was armed with two 6-inch BL Mk. VII guns. During World War II, the fort was used as an examination battery. It was reduced to care and maintenance by 1945 and abandoned in 1956. For decades, remains of a cut up 12 inch R.M.L. cannon can be seen out of the water. In 1995, the Dorset Sculpture Trust attempted to gain a grant from the Millennium Fund to turn the site into an arts centre. In 2005,

BBC Spotlight ''BBC Spotlight'' is the BBC's regional TV news programme for the South West of England, covering Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly, southern and western Somerset, western Dorset and the Channel Islands. There is also a special version of the p ...

's Jonathan Hudston had an exclusive tour of the fort. At the time, it was estimated that it would take £10 million to repair the fort for commercial use, and that it was not a priority for the owners, Portland Port Ltd.

References

External links

* {{Isle of Portland Isle of Portland Forts in Dorset Government buildings completed in 1875 Infrastructure completed in 1875 1875 establishments in England