Coastal Forts are forts situated on the coast line and often armed with artillery to engage hostile warships. There is a considerable overlap in terminology with some confusion over the use of the word FORT or BATTERY. Many smaller coast defence batteries are now often named Fort but were often built as batteries or redoubts. The word REDOUBT is also sometimes used, e.g. Shoreham Fort or Redoubt. The Fort was on a much large scale than a coastal defence battery or redoubt and included stores, accommodation and often a number of artillery batteries for its own defence. As in the case of Landguard Fort, this was not only batteries within the Fort enceinte itself but also three batteries built outside (Right, Left and Darell’s Batteries).
The coastal forts, much like land forts, tended to have large magazines to store shells and cartridges, and more barrack and store accommodation to supply the garrison. Often armed with heavy coastal defence guns to engage enemy ships.
Coastal Forts built as a result of the Royal Commission tended to have problems during the building phase because of the rapid advances in technology. In a few short years the proposed armaments for some of these forts moved from smooth bore guns, to rifled gun to rifled guns behind iron shields. We therefore see constant delays and changes in design and armament between 1860 and 1880.
Fort Quesnard in Alderney. Built in 1859 to mount three 32-pdr gun and four 8-inch shell guns. The defensible barracks on the inland side of this coastal battery, accommodated fifty five troops.
The model is from the Fortress Builders Interpretation Centre in Malta and shows Fort San Rocco when built in 1873. The Fort mounts three 11-inch RML guns, later upgraded to 12.5-inch RML guns. The design at this time is similar to Fort Quesnard, a keep and fan shaped battery to the front.
Hurst Castle (1861-70) which was a heavy RML coastal fort built around an old Henrician fortification. It included sixty one casemated positions holding 10-inch and 12.5-inch RML guns. The fronts of these casemates were retro-fitted with iron shields.
Fort Delimara built by 1884 with six 12.5-inch RML guns in casemated batteries and underground magazines. The gun casemates were also fronted with iron shields for greater protection.
Fort Quesnard 1859
Fort San Rocco 1873
Hurst Castle 1870
Fort Delimara 1884
