The Needles are a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30 metres (98 ft) out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel,United Kingdom,close to Alum Bay and Scratchell's Bay,and part of Totland,the westernmost civil parish of the Isle of Wight. The Needles Lighthouse stands at the outer,western end of the formation. Built in 1859,it has been automated since 1994. The waters and adjoining seabed form part of the Needles Marine Conservation Zone and the Needles along with the shore and heath above are part of the Headon Warren and West High Down Site of Special Scientific Interest.
St Helens Fort is a sea fort in the Solent close to the Isle of Wight,one of the Palmerston Forts near Portsmouth. It was built as a result of the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom of 1859,in order to protect the St Helens anchorage.
Hurst Castle is an artillery fort established by Henry VIII on the Hurst Spit in Hampshire,England,between 1541 and 1544. It formed part of the king's Device Forts coastal protection programme against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire,and defended the western entrance to the Solent waterway. The early castle had a central keep and three bastions,and in 1547 was equipped with 26 guns. It was expensive to operate due to its size,but it formed one of the most powerful forts along the coast. During the English Civil War of the 1640s,Hurst was held by Parliament and was used briefly to detain King Charles I before his execution in 1649. It continued in use during the 18th century but fell into disrepair,the spit being frequented by smugglers.
Fort Albert is a tower fort nestling under the cliffs south-west of Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight,England. It was also known as Cliff End Fort,named after the Northern extremity of Colwell Bay.
Fort Victoria is a former military fort on the Isle of Wight,England,built to guard the Solent. The earliest fort on the site was a coastal fort known as Sharpenode Bulwark built in 1545–1547 by Henry VIII,but these defences had fallen into disrepair by the 17th century. Fort Victoria was built in the 1850s. It was a brick-built triangular fort with two seaward batteries meeting at a right angle. It remained in use until 1962. Parts of the fort were subsequently demolished;areas of the fort that were preserved have become part of Fort Victoria Country Park.
Golden Hill Fort was a defensible barracks at Freshwater,Isle of Wight,England,built as part of the Palmerston defences by the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom to provide manpower to man the defences at the western end of the Isle of Wight,England. Built in hexagonal form,it accommodated 8 officers and 128 men,and had its own hospital.
Brean Down Fort was a Victorian naval fortification designed to protect the Bristol Channel. It was built 60 feet (18 m) above sea level on the headland at Brean Down,9 miles (14 km) south of Weston-super-Mare,Somerset,England.
Fort Nelson,in the civil parish of Boarhunt in the English county of Hampshire,is one of five defensive forts built on the summit of Portsdown Hill in the 1860s,overlooking the important naval base of Portsmouth. It is now part of the Royal Armouries,housing their collection of artillery,and a Grade I Listed Building.
Warden Point Battery is a battery on the Isle of Wight begun in 1862,that was originally armed with 7-inch and 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders on barbette mountings.
Bouldnor Battery is a military battery located in Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight. It saw active service in World War II and was fully decommissioned in 1956. Today,it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Yaverland Battery is a battery on the Isle of Wight,United Kingdom. It was constructed between 1861 and 1864.
Freshwater Redoubt,also known as Fort Redoubt,is an old Palmerston fort built in Freshwater Bay on the western end of the Isle of Wight. Construction work for the fort began in 1855 and was completed in 1856. It was finally sold in 1928 and has now been converted into a private residence.
Hatherwood Battery is a battery located to the east of Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion. It was sited to cross fire with the nearby Needles Battery
Puckpool Battery is a battery located at Puckpool Point,close to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion. Construction of the battery began in 1863 and was completed by March 1865.
Cliff End Battery is a battery on the west coast of the Isle of Wight overlooking Fort Albert. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion. Construction of the battery began in 1862 and was completed by 1868 at a cost of £32,714.
Culver Battery is a former coastal artillery battery on Culver Down,on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight,England. The fortification is one of several Palmerston Forts built on the island following concerns about the size and strength of the French Navy in the late 19th century. It was operational during the First and Second World Wars. The battery was closed in 1956.
Many forts and fortifications have been built to protect the Isle of Wight from foreign invasion. Throughout history the island has been a site of key military importance. Controlling both entrances to the Solent and the home of the Royal Navy,Portsmouth. This is a list of most of the fortifications on the island.
Parson's Lodge Battery is a coastal battery and fort in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
Dummy Battery,originally known as Grain Battery,is a disused fortified gun battery located about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of the village of Grain,Kent at the confluence of the Rivers Thames and Medway. Completed in 1865,it supported two nearby coast artillery batteries at Grain Fort and Grain Wing Battery,a short distance to the north. The battery's arc of fire overlapped with Grain Tower just offshore and with Garrison Point Fort on the Isle of Sheppey across the other side of the Medway. It consisted of an earthwork with a concrete core supporting several gun emplacements with magazines below. It appears to have gone out of service as a battery by the time of the First World War,though it briefly took on a role in anti-aircraft defence. It was subsequently abandoned and was severely damaged by demolitions and the removal of its earthworks,leaving only the substantial remains of its concrete core standing today.
