Fort Albert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Albert |
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| Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England | |
Fort Albert, with Hurst Castle in the background
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 Fort Albert
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| Coordinates | 50°41′58″N 1°31′55″W / 50.699576°N 1.531968°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Hunter Estates |
| Open to the public |
No, converted into private flats. |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1856 |
| In use | 1856–1858, 1886–1906, 1939–1945 |
| Materials | Brick and concrete |
Fort Albert is a special tower-shaped fort located on the Isle of Wight in England. It sits right under the cliffs, southwest of another fort called Fort Victoria. People also used to call it Cliff End Fort. This name came from a place nearby called Cliff's End, which is at the northern tip of Colwell Bay.
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Fort Albert: A Coastal Defender
Why Was Fort Albert Built?
Fort Albert was one of many forts built in the 1800s. These forts were part of a big plan to protect the United Kingdom. This plan was led by Lord Palmerston, who was a very important politician at the time.
The main reason for building these forts was to defend against a possible attack from Napoleon III of France. Fort Albert was specifically designed to guard the Needles Passage. This is a narrow waterway near the famous chalk stacks called The Needles.
Fort Albert's Changing Role
Construction of Fort Albert finished in 1856, after four years of hard work. However, military technology changed very quickly back then. Just two years later, in 1858, the fort was already considered old-fashioned. This was because new types of guns, called rifled guns, could shoot much further and with more power. Also, new ships with strong metal armor were being built. These armored ships could easily damage forts like Albert.
To try and keep the fort useful, new gun batteries were added to the cliffs above it. Later, in 1886, Fort Albert became a testing site for a special weapon called the Brennan torpedo. This was an early type of torpedo that could be guided towards enemy ships. After this, only smaller guns were kept at the fort. Fort Albert stopped being used by the military in 1957.
Fort Albert Today
Today, Fort Albert is no longer a military fort. It is owned by a private company that develops harbors. The fort has been changed into private apartments, so people live there now. This means you cannot visit the fort or even go onto the cliff tops above it.
The easiest way to see Fort Albert is from the sea. You can also get a good view from Hurst Castle, which is another historic building nearby. The old gun battery above the fort is now part of a group of holiday homes. This area is also part of the route for "The Needles Half Marathon," a running race held every year.
Fort Albert is considered a very important historical building. Since 1994, it has been a Grade II* Listed Building. This means it is protected because of its special history and architecture.
