Shotley Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shotley Battery |
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| Shotley, Suffolk England |
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 Shotley Battery
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| Coordinates | 51°57′29″N 1°16′26″E / 51.958°N 1.274°E |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Part demolished |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1863-65 |
| Materials | Brick Earth |
Shotley Battery was a special fort built in 1865. Its main job was to protect the important port of Felixstowe. It was located on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk, England.
This fort was built right next to an older tower called a Martello tower. It was also part of a naval training school known as HMS Ganges.
Building the Fort
Shotley Battery was designed with seven sides. It was made using strong brick and earth. A dry ditch surrounded the fort for extra protection.
Inside the battery, there were three special rooms called magazines. These rooms were used to safely store ammunition for the guns.
Its Powerful Guns
When it was first built, Shotley Battery had 14 large cannons. These were called 68-pounder guns. They were very powerful for their time.
Later, these guns were replaced. The fort then got 14 new 7-inch RML guns. RML stands for Rifled Muzzle Loading. These guns had special grooves inside that made their shots more accurate.
In 1891, the fort was updated again. Two even bigger 10-inch RML guns were added. These huge guns were used until 1901.
What Happened Next
In 1904, the battery was no longer needed for defense. All its guns were removed. It was then given to the Admiralty, which managed the Royal Navy.
The battery became part of the HMS Ganges naval training school. This school taught young people how to be sailors.
HMS Ganges closed down in 1976. After that, the site became a police training center, which also closed later. Since then, Shotley Battery has been damaged quite a lot.
