In the July 1997 issue of the Defence of Britain Project Newsletter they acknowledge the handover of Hong Kong to the Peoples Republic of China. They questioned the lack of research, adequate records and interpretation in respect of fortifications of the British Empire, citing a lack of funds as being one significant limitation. Nevertheless, they did highlight the need to accentuate the positive in Britain’s Imperial past, particularly in relation to the defence of the Empire. This web site is a small contribution to try and record some of these heritage fortifications throughout the World, particularly with regard to Coastal Defences.
This examination of the fortifications at British ports and coaling stations around the World between 1850 and 1914 has been divided geographically into the following broad areas:
Atlantic Ocean including the Caribbean
Within these areas we have Coaling Stations, Fortresses, Defended Commercial Ports and Royal Naval Dockyards. For comparison purposes we have included some major defended ports of other nations such as France and the United States.