Fort Perch Rock Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Perch Rock
New Brighton, United Kingdom

Fort Perch Rock Location of Fort Perch Rock in Merseyside
Coordinates	53°26′34″N 3°02′28″W / 53.4427°N 3.0412°W / 53.4427; -3.0412
Type	Coastal Fort
Site information
Owner	Museum
Controlled by	United Kingdom
Condition	Good, Grade II listed
Site history
Built	1825 (1825)
Materials	Sandstone

Fort Perch Rock is an old fort located in New Brighton, right at the entrance to Liverpool Bay. It was built in the 1820s to protect the important Port of Liverpool. Over time, its purpose changed from a military defense to a popular place for visitors.

Today, Fort Perch Rock is a museum and a fun tourist spot. It has even hosted music concerts. The fort is also recognized as a special historic building, called a Grade II* Listed Building. You can visit "The Mess" cafe inside, which is open every day. There's also an exciting World War 2 themed escape room called "Escape The Fort."

History of Fort Perch Rock
Fort Perch Rock Today
In Literature and Art
Gallery
See also

History of Fort Perch Rock

Building the Fort

Fort Perch Rock is a coastal defense fort built between 1825 and 1829. The first stone was laid in 1826. Its main job was to protect the busy Port of Liverpool from attacks by sea.

It was first planned as a fortified lighthouse. However, a separate lighthouse was built instead. The fort was built on a spot called Black Rock. At high tide, the fort used to be cut off by water. But now, thanks to land being added along the coast, you can always reach it easily.

Fort Design and Features

The fort covers an area of about 4,000 square yards (3,345 square meters). It was big enough to hold 100 soldiers. The fort was built using strong red sandstone from quarries in Runcorn.

The walls of the fort are quite tall, ranging from 24 feet (7.3 meters) to 32 feet (9.8 meters) high. Its towers stand even taller, at 40 feet (12 meters). The fort originally had a drawbridge at its entrance. Above the entrance, there was a special archway with the fort's coat of arms and the words 'Fort Perch Rock'.

At one point, Fort Perch Rock was armed with 18 large guns. Sixteen of these were powerful 32-pounder cannons. Because of its strong defenses, people sometimes called it the 'Little Gibraltar of the Mersey'.

Foundation Stone Details

The foundation stone of the fort has an inscription that tells us about its beginning. It says:

This foundation stone of the Rock Perch Battery, projected by and under the direction of John Sikes Kitson, Esquire, Captain in the Royal Engineers, for the defence of the port was laid on 31st March 1826 by Peter Bourne, Esquire, Mayor of Liverpool in the 7th year of the reign of His Majesty George IV. His Grace, the Duke of Wellington , Master General of the Ordnance.

This means that Captain John Sikes Kitson of the Royal Engineers designed the fort. The Mayor of Liverpool, Peter Bourne, laid the first stone on March 31, 1826.

Building Costs

The estimated cost to build the fort was £27,065.0s.8d. Captain Kitson was very good at managing the project. He made sure the fort was finished without going over budget. In fact, it cost slightly less, a total of £26,965.0s.8d.

Fort Perch Rock Today

Music and Events

In the late 1970s, Fort Perch Rock could be rented for parties. Famous musicians like Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, who later formed the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, played there with their earlier group, The Id.

Since the 1990s, the fort has been a popular place for music events. In the summer of 2006, young people from Wallasey organized rock concerts there. These nights were called "Nautical" and were even mentioned in The Guardian newspaper. The NME magazine named one of these shows, featuring British Sea Power, as their "club of the week."

Museum and Exhibits

Fort Perch Rock has a museum with different displays. You can learn about military aviation, which is about planes used in wars. There are also exhibits on maritime history, which covers the history of ships and the sea.

The fort also used to have the Fort Perch Rock Marine Radio Museum. This museum showed old wireless communication devices used on ships. The museum is currently being updated and will open again in Spring 2023.

New Attractions

In 2022, a new permanent escape room called "Escape The Fort" opened inside the fort. It's available for bookings every day and offers a fun challenge for visitors.

Also in spring 2022, "The Mess" cafe opened within the fort. It's a great place to grab a bite to eat and is open daily from 9am.

In Literature and Art

Fort Perch Rock has even appeared in literature. The poet Letitia Elizabeth Landon wrote a poem called 'The Black-Rock Fort and Lighthouse'. In her poem, she imagined the fort's light as a welcoming sign for sailors returning home to England. This poem was written to go with a painting by Samuel Austin.