real time web analytics
Report - - Breakwater Fort, Portland Harbour - August 2011 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Breakwater Fort, Portland Harbour - August 2011

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

Montstar

28DL Member
28DL Full Member
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...
11463643793_5c60a86f9c_c.jpg



The bottom of the spiral staircase led us in to an atrium with corridors and rooms leading off every side
11463499175_53b4d3ea94_c.jpg



11463502675_b844e8368e_c.jpg



The following rooms would have housed the 32-ton cannons (which we'll get to soon...)
11463504575_49ef243380_c.jpg



Back in to the centre of the fort, a single staircase descends to "Radial Passage 1 & 2"
11463552804_d4eea75f38_c.jpg



"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
11463643506_d171022bb5_c.jpg


11463677913_7ece855581_c.jpg



"Radial Passage 2" - the inner passage - were where all the stores were for the shells, cartridges & 'fuzes' etc.
11463509745_6ecf97cc85_c.jpg


11463673213_35cc3c8902_c.jpg


11463670193_9aef4b5259_c.jpg



At the lowest, most centre part of the fort was the Engine Room
11463524975_cb04502396_c.jpg



Back outside the fort there's another surprise... the 32-ton cannons from inside the fort are... dumped over the side!
11463654193_ea1651aee9_c.jpg



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
11463491165_67cc5380b8_c.jpg


Last, but by no means least... I give to you... Kinger, cooling off! (After a slight altercation with a seal!!)
_Swuo3.gif


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!
 
Top