Forder Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forder Battery |
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| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Half demolished with remainder overgrown |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1863–1869 |
| In use | Housing |
| Materials | Earth Masonry |
Forder Battery was a strong fort built in the 1800s. It was part of a big plan to protect Britain. This fort was one of many called 'Palmerston Forts'. They were named after the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, who wanted them built. Forder Battery helped guard the land around Plymouth. Its main job was to protect the important Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport.
Contents
Why Was Forder Battery Built?
Forder Battery was built between 1863 and 1869. It was created after a special group, called the Royal Commission on National Defence, looked at Britain's defenses in 1859. This group decided that Britain needed better protection, especially for its naval bases.
The Palmerston Forts
The Palmerston Forts were a huge network of forts. They were built all around Britain's coast. Their goal was to protect important places like naval bases from attacks by sea or land. Forder Battery was a key part of this plan in the Plymouth area.
How the Fort Was Designed
Captain Edmund Frederick Du Cane designed Forder Battery. He later became a Major General. The fort was built by a company called George Baker and Company. The Royal Engineers, who are military engineers, finished the work.
Protecting Plymouth
Forder Battery was placed to defend the land leading to the north-east of Plymouth. It was connected by a special military road to two other nearby forts: Fort Austin and Bowden Fort. These forts worked together. They could fire their guns in a way that their shots would overlap. This made it very hard for any enemy to get through.
Fort's Armament
When it was first designed, Forder Battery was meant to hold 16 guns. By 1893, it had a mix of powerful weapons:
- Four 64 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading Guns
- One 7-inch Rifled Breech Loading (RBL) gun
- Two 32 Pounder Smooth Bore Breech Loading (SBBL) guns
What Happened to Forder Battery?
By the early 1900s, military technology had changed a lot. This meant that forts like Forder Battery were no longer useful for defense. The fort was disarmed, meaning its guns were removed.
The War Office, which managed military property, then got rid of the fort. A large part of Forder Battery was later turned into housing. However, some parts of the fort still exist today. You can still find some of the old expense magazines (where ammunition was stored) and gun positions.
