Admiralty Pier Turret facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Admiralty Pier Turret |
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| Dover Harbour in United Kingdom | |
The Dover Turret Battery which still holds its armament of two 80-ton RML guns
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The two 80-ton RML guns still inside the Dover Turret in 2005
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Plan of Admiralty Pier Fort with Dover Turret
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 Admiralty Pier Turret
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| Coordinates | 51°6′42″N 1°19′8″E / 51.11167°N 1.31889°E |
| Type | Enclosed armoured turret |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Dover Harbour Board |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1882 |
| In use | 1902 |
| Fate | Obsolete |
The Admiralty Pier Turret, also known as the Dover Turret, is a special armoured building. It was built in 1882 on the western breakwater of Dover Harbour in southeast England.
This turret holds two huge Fraser RML 16 inch 80 ton guns. These are the biggest guns ever put in place in the United Kingdom. The turret was declared old-fashioned in 1902. Today, it's part of the port and you can't go inside. However, the giant guns are still there!
Contents
What is the Admiralty Pier Fort?
Before the Dover Turret, there was the Admiralty Pier Fort. Work on this small fort started in 1872. It was built at the very end of Dover Pier. The pier was made longer and wider to create space for it.
By January 1874, the main structure of the fort was finished. It cost nearly £20,000 to build. The fort was planned to hold two 12-inch guns. These were the most powerful guns available at that time.
Building the Dover Turret
In 1877, experts realized that even more powerful guns were now available. These new guns weighed 80 tons each! They decided to add a special turret to the Admiralty Pier Fort for two of these massive guns.
These huge guns were designed for a warship called HMS Inflexible. Each gun could shoot through 20 inches of iron from 1,000 yards away. It took 18 months to build just one of these guns. The first one was ready by September 1875.
By 1881, the Admiralty Pier Fort was almost ready for its new guns. The company called Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company built the turret itself. This turret was made of strong iron. It had three layers of 7-inch thick armour. Between these layers were iron and wood for extra protection.
The turret, with its two guns, weighed a massive 895 tons! It could spin around on 32 rollers. Thames Ironworks also built the machinery to make it work. There were four steam engines inside. One engine loaded the ammunition. Another rotated the turret. Two other engines were backups or supplied water.
Moving the guns to Dover was a big challenge. It was too expensive to move them by train. So, they were moved by barge instead. Special cranes and anchors were used to lift them. Workers used a capstan (a winding device) to lift the guns by hand.
An overhead crane was built to move the guns onto the turret. The first gun arrived on December 4, 1881. It was in place by January 6, 1882. The second gun followed on May 12, 1882.
Testing the turret's machinery began in early 1883. The first shot was fired in July. They started with a small charge of 250 pounds of powder. Then they used a 337-pound charge. Finally, they fired three shots using the full charge of 450 pounds of powder! People worried the cliffs might fall, but they didn't. Only a couple of windows in the nearby lighthouse broke.
More tests happened in 1884. They tested the turret's electric lights and the gun firing system. In 1885, new shell and cartridge stores were built. By 1886, the turret was ready. It was handed over to the Royal Artillery, who would operate it.
In 1887, experts decided the magazine (where ammunition was stored) was too exposed. They planned to build a new, safer shell store underground. They also wanted to make the turret's foundation stronger with concrete. In 1893, these strengthening works were almost finished.
Pier Turret Battery
In 1886, it was noted that the Admiralty Pier itself had no defenses. So, by April 1909, two more guns were added. These were 6-inch guns, placed on top of the Admiralty Pier Fort, on either side of the big turret. This new setup was called the 'Pier Turret Battery'.
The old shell stores under the main turret were used for the new battery's ammunition. Lifts were installed to bring shells up to each gun. Searchlights were also added to the pier's edge. The pier was made wider to allow for these new additions.
The Pier Turret Battery was given to the Royal Artillery on June 23, 1909. A command post for the battery was built on top of the old lighthouse, which was no longer in use.
The Later Years
Between World War I and World War II, the Admiralty Pier Fort became a home. The battery caretaker lived there with his family. The huge guns stayed inside the turret.
In 1920, the Pier Turret Battery was put into "care and maintenance." This meant it wasn't actively used for defense, but it was kept ready. The Territorial Army used it for training drills. In April 1944, during World War II, it became the Home Guard Battery.
The guns were removed in August 1947. By 1958, most of the battery buildings at Admiralty Pier Fort were taken down. The places where the 6-inch guns used to be were tidied up. One became a shelter, and the other a small viewing spot. However, the fort and the main turret remained.
After a big storm in 1987, the walkway along the pier was closed. This made the turret impossible for the public to reach. Most of the machinery inside the turret has been removed over time. But the giant guns and their carriages are still there. You can also see parts of the shell lifts for the old 6-inch guns.
The turret is still looked after by the Dover Harbour Board. There are no plans to fix it up or open it to visitors. It was once at the very end of the western breakwater. But after the breakwater was made longer in 1897, the turret is now part way along it. You can see it for free from the nearby Prince of Wales pier during the day.
Images for kids
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The Dover Turret Battery which still holds its armament of two 80-ton RML guns
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The two 80-ton RML guns still inside the Dover Turret in 2005
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Plan of Admiralty Pier Fort with Dover Turret
