Palmerston Forts
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The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures, around the coast of Britain.
The forts were built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, following concerns about concerned at the strength of the French Navy,[1] and strenuous debate in parliament about whether the cost could be justified.[2] The name comes from their association with Lord Palmerston, who was Prime Minister at the time and promoted the idea.
The works were also known as Palmerston's Follies as, by the time they were completed the threat (if it had ever existed) had passed, largely due to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870,[3] and furthermore the technology of the guns had become out-of-date. They were the most costly and extensive system of fixed defences undertaken in Britain in peacetime.[4]
The defenses were built to defend a number of key areas of the British, Irish and Channel Island coastline, in particular areas around military bases, including:
- Alderney
- Belfast
- Berehaven
- Bristol Channel
- Chatham
- River Clyde
- Cork
- Dover
- Isle of Wight
- Milford Haven
- North Thames and East Anglia
- North East England
- Plymouth
- Portland Harbour
- Portsmouth
- Lough Swilly
- South Coast (other than those included in specific areas)
[edit] References
- ^ Brown, D. (2006). "Palmerston and Anglo--French Relations, 1846--1865". Diplomacy & Statecraft 17 (4): 675–692. doi:.
- ^ King-hall, S. (1951). "A Defence Debate Ninety Years Ago". Parliamentary Affairs (2): 297–304.
- ^ Hicks, Peter. 'Palmerston's Follies': a reply to the French 'threat'. Napoleon.org. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ Fort Nelson History. Royal Armouries. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
