Block House (Melcombe) facts for kids
The Block House was a small, old fort located in a town called Melcombe. This town is now part of Weymouth, in Dorset, southern England. Today, you can't see any parts of the fort left.
History of the Block House
The Block House was an old fort that existed a long time ago. We know about it from old writings from 1568 and 1617. This means the fort was built even before those years. It was probably built by the town of Melcombe itself. This happened before 1571, when Melcombe and Weymouth joined together to become one bigger town.
What the Fort Looked Like
When the Block House was first built, it was a square shape. It measured about 45 feet (13.7 meters) on each side. The fort was made from strong stone. It was likely located across from a path that went from Maiden Street to St Mary's Street. Today, that path is probably what we call Blockhouse Lane. The fort was built where a place called "Charloote Row" used to be. This area is now a row of houses that are protected as historic buildings.
Guns and Gunners
The fort was designed to hold eight large guns. These guns would have fired through special openings called embrasures. However, only five guns were ever actually placed there. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, a man named Richard Smith was given an important job. He became the fort's official gunner for his whole life. His job title was vi bellator. This suggests that the Queen's government might have helped pay for the fort. Even so, it was most likely built and paid for by the town of Melcombe, not by the Queen herself.
