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| Home
/ History
/ Portland
and Weymouth / Dorset's Coastal Defences |
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| The Nothe |
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| Source: Various (please see
Site Credits) |
Click any picture to enlarge
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| The Nothe Fort is
built on the end of the Nothe Peninsular which juts eastwards
from the town of Weymouth into the sea to the north of Portland
Harbour. Built between 1860 and 1872 by 26 Company of the Royal
Engineers, its guns covered the approaches to both Portland
and Weymouth harbours from the East. |
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| The Fort in 1872 |
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| The Fort in 1944 |
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The Fort is shaped like the letter
D with bomb proof casemates (vaulted rooms) for cannons arranged
around the circular sides and deep magazines beneath the straight,
landward facing, side. It is recognised as one of the most interesting
and best preserved pieces of Victorian military architecture. |
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| Armed originally with
a mixture of ten 9 inch and 10 inch Rifle Muzzle Loading cannons
covering Weymouth Bay, and the north harbour entrance to Portland,
and two smaller 64 pounder RMLs protecting the entrance to Weymouth
and its beach, it was in 1888 rearmed with seven massive 38
ton 12.5 inch RMLs. These were replaced in 1902 by two, later
three, 6 inch breech loading guns on the Ramparts. |
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| 26 Company RE building Fort |
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| The escarpment being built |
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| 26 Company RE who built the Fort |
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| The Nothe was manned
until 1954 when the guns were removed and in 1961 it was bought
by Weymouth Council. It fell into disrepair, home to Hippies
and Vandals, with all the woodwork used as firewood and metalwork
sold to scrap merchants. In 1979 it was rescued by the Weymouth
Civic Society who obtained a licence to restore the building
and open it to the public. Today it is a museum attracting over
50,000 visitors a year with displays of guns and the men who
manned them. |
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| The first guns for the Fort are unloaded
at Nothe Parade |
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| Hauling the first guns into the Fort |
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| In 1888 12.5 inch, 38 tonne cannons
were emplaced in the Nothe |
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| Nothe Fort in 1942. Note AA Battery
in gardens |
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