Shoreham Fort, West Sussex

This fort is located on a shingle spit between the river Adur and the sea, just South East of Shoreham-On-Sea. It was built in the 1850s and is polygonal in shape, although it is very different from the forts on Portsdown Hill. The fort takes the form of a raised earth terreplein, which held the open concrete gun positions, surrounded by a Carnot Wall and shallow ditch. The ditch has three caponniers protecting it, the central one being the largest. Accomodation was provided by a barrack block at the rear of the fort, but this has been demolished. The fort was re-armed in WW2 and an observation tower installed.

Although derelict for many years, the fort has been given a new lease of life with the formation of the Friends of Shoreham Fort, please visit their website (http://www.shorehamfort.co.uk/) for details of open days.

Plan, courtesy of the Palmerston Forts Society

View from in front of the main caponnier, showing the Carnot Wall

Sealed entrance into the tunnel leading to caponnier

Tunnel leading to Caponnier

Inside the main caponnier

Looking back to tunnel

On the roof of the caponnier

Carnot Wall, from the ditch

One of the two smaller caponiers

Entrance

Inside, it is half-full of shingle and rubbish

Observation Tower, later used by coastguard

Centre of the fort, showing magazine entrances

Gun positions on the Terreplein

One of the expense magazines below the guns