RESEARCH

This section of the web site concentrates on the broader issues and policy in relation to British Coastal Defence, both home and abroad, between 1840 and 1914.  This period saw significant changes in many aspects of both attack and defence in respect of coastal fortifications.  This included the move from wind powered wooden warships to armoured steam powered dreadnaughts, breech loading guns replacing smoothbore guns and the use of dispersed and underground fortifications in preference to the old bastion traces.  In the British context the period between 1860 and 1890 was extremely fluid with the introduction and then withdraw of the breech loading gun and then the Rifle Muzzle Loading period.  With the introduction of the breech loading guns a level of standardisation was achieved with guns of similar calibre tending to mounted in the same type of emplacement, subject to local constraints.