Fort Albert, Yarmouth, United Kingdom

Fort Albert is a tower fort nestling under the cliffs south-west of Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight. It was one of the Royal Commission forts built in the 19th Century as part of Lord Palmerston's defences against the possibility of a French attack from Napoleon III. Designed to defend the Needles Passage, it was completed in 1856, after 4 years of construction, but like the American Third System forts it resembles in miniature, it would have suffered badly from rifled gunfire, so the Royal Commission enhanced it with batteries on the cliffs above. Even so, with the introduction of armoured ships, the fort became obsolete by 1858. In 1886 it was selected as one of the UK locations for the Brennan torpedo. After this, only small guns were mounted on the fort. It was closed to military use in 1957.

The fort is in private ownership of harbour developments and has been converted into private flats. There is no public access, not even to the cliff tops which overlook it. It is most easily viewed from the sea, or from Hurst Castle. The battery above is part of a chalet estate at Brambles Chine, another location to view the fort which is passed through by runners on The Needles annual Half Marathon.

References:

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Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Todai Imappy (2 years ago)
Quirky funny place with a series of small shops and crafts. I spoke with a lovely lady who made bespoke footy items. Really nice to find someone who loves their job, hobby. Well worth popping in

Geoff Smith (3 years ago)
It is a private site you can't go there, only view it from the headland in the holiday park next to it.

Gaz Dye (4 years ago)
This place despite sounding great is a private estate and numerous notices of "Private roads" and warnings about your number plate being passed to the police but you can walk close to it from Colwell bay car park nearby.

Alex Ainscow (4 years ago)
Keep out!

Rich (5 years ago)
Useless fishing spot

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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.

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