Fort Albert Explained

Fort Albert
Location:Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England
Coordinates:50.6996°N -1.532°W
Map Type:Isle of Wight
Built:1856
Materials:Brick and concrete
Used:1856–1858, 1886–1906, 1939–1945
Ownership:Hunter Estates
Open To Public:No, converted into private flats.
Embed:yes
Designation1 Offname:Fort Albert
Designation1:Grade II*
Designation1 Date:28 March 1994

Fort Albert (map reference) is a tower fort nestling under the cliffs south-west of Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight, England. It was also known as Cliff End Fort, named after the Northern extremity of Colwell Bay (Cliff's End).

History

Fort Albert 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.

Fort Albert today

The fort is in private ownership 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.

It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 1994.

Publications

External links