I was 9 years old when I first saw the Breakwater Fort. I remember like it was yesterday. Standing in my Aunty's conservatory with a pair of binoculars fascinated and so wanting to be out on it!
Fast forward 18 years...
For the past few years, at every mention of someone saying, "I have a boat", I've asked for a trip to the Fort. Promises quickly vanish when you explain exactly where you want to go! What's the big deal? I even struck a deal with a local Museum to take us out there, but their promises also faded in to excuses & time wasting.
So... with Kinger now being a proud owner of a small boat, we set off early one morning from a deserted beach.
As you get closer to the fort its size dawns on you and the surrounding buildings and archways look like the set of a film.
Amongst the topside batteries & look-out posts was our entrance...
The bottom of the spiral staircase led us in to an atrium with corridors and rooms leading off every side
The following rooms would have housed the 32-ton cannons (which we'll get to soon...)
Back in to the centre of the fort, a single staircase descends to "Radial Passage 1 & 2"
"Radial Passage 1" - the outer passage - was responsible for lifting shells above. We found two nice shell lifts, this one being the more complete of the two
"Radial Passage 2" - the inner passage - were where all the stores were for the shells, cartridges & 'fuzes' etc.
At the lowest, most centre part of the fort was the Engine Room
Back outside the fort there's another surprise... the 32-ton cannons from inside the fort are... dumped over the side!
Following the Breakwater wall past several outbuildings (Kinger has these documented in his report) the very last building has this impressively huge winch gear for raising and lowering chains across the harbour entrances
Last, but by no means least... I give to you... Kinger, cooling off! (After a slight altercation with a seal!!)
Thanks for looking! It was really hard to choose a set of photos for this report but hopefully I've done the old girl proud!
Fast forward 18 years...
For the past few years, at every mention of someone saying, "I have a boat", I've asked for a trip to the Fort. Promises quickly vanish when you explain exactly where you want to go! What's the big deal? I even struck a deal with a local Museum to take us out there, but their promises also faded in to excuses & time wasting.
So... with Kinger now being a proud owner of a small boat, we set off early one morning from a deserted beach.
As you get closer to the fort its size dawns on you and the surrounding buildings and archways look like the set of a film.
Amongst the topside batteries & look-out posts was our entrance...
The bottom of the spiral staircase led us in to an atrium with corridors and rooms leading off every side
The following rooms would have housed the 32-ton cannons (which we'll get to soon...)
Back in to the centre of the fort, a single staircase descends to "Radial Passage 1 & 2"
"Radial Passage 1" - the outer passage - was responsible for lifting shells above. We found two nice shell lifts, this one being the more complete of the two
"Radial Passage 2" - the inner passage - were where all the stores were for the shells, cartridges & 'fuzes' etc.
At the lowest, most centre part of the fort was the Engine Room
Back outside the fort there's another surprise... the 32-ton cannons from inside the fort are... dumped over the side!
Following the Breakwater wall past several outbuildings (Kinger has these documented in his report) the very last building has this impressively huge winch gear for raising and lowering chains across the harbour entrances
Last, but by no means least... I give to you... Kinger, cooling off! (After a slight altercation with a seal!!)
Thanks for looking! It was really hard to choose a set of photos for this report but hopefully I've done the old girl proud!