Sandown Barrack Battery (map reference ) is a battery located in Sandown Bay close to

Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England. The neighbouring resort of Shanklin and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake are sited just to the south of t ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

in England. It is one of the many

Palmerston Forts The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The forts were built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the ...

built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion.

Context

The 1859

Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom The Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom was a committee formed in 1859 to enquire into the ability of the United Kingdom to defend itself against an attempted invasion by a foreign power, and to advise the British Government on ...

recommended improvements to coastal defences in response to a perceived greater threat of invasion due to the strengthening of the French Navy at that time. The fortifications, a total of 70 forts and batteries, were constructed around the English coast as a result of the commission's findings, representing the largest programme of coastal defence works since the time of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. They form a distinctive group in terms of their design and armament. Their construction was very costly, causing the

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

, to threaten resignation. They were known by critics as 'Palmerston's follies'.

Construction

Construction took place from 1861 to 1863, costing £6,233. The battery is located atop a high cliff on the coast just southwest of Sandown. There were concerns raised at an early stage that erosion at the base of the cliff could affect the stability of the parapet wall. The battery was built to a rectangular plan with no wall along the cliff edge, but moats containing

Carnot wall A Carnot wall is a type of Loophole (firearm), loop-holed wall built in the ditch of a fort or redoubt. It takes its name from the French mathematician, politician, and military engineer Lazare Carnot. Such walls were introduced into the design o ...

s to either side and the rear of the battery.

Armament

During its active history from 1863 to 1910, the battery had a variety of armament. The initial five RBL 7 inch Armstrong guns were replaced by five RML 64 pounder 64 cwt guns in 1873. By 1892 three of these guns had been replaced by a pair of

RML 10 inch 18 ton gun The RML 10-inch guns Mk I – Mk II were large muzzle-loading rifle, rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for British battleships and monitor (ship), monitors in the 1860s to 1880s. They were also fitted to the and flat-iron gunboats. They were a ...

s set back from the cliff edge, after partial reconstruction of the battery. By 1902, after further works that included the construction of underground magazines, the battery had a pair of BL 6 inch Mk VII naval guns and a pair of

QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun The QF 12-pounder 12-cwt gun (Quick-Firing) (abbreviated as Q.F. 12-pdr. 2-cwt. was a common, versatile caliber, calibre naval gun introduced in 1894 and used until the middle of the 20th century.

s. In 1905 the 12 pounders were taken out of active service, followed by the 6 inch guns in 1910. By 1926, all parts of the guns had been removed and the land had been sold to Sandown town council by 1930.

Current status

The site of the battery now forms part of the Battery Gardens park. It was scheduled under the

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (c. 46) or AMAAA was a law passed by the UK government, the latest in a series of Ancient Monument Acts legislating to protect the archaeological heritage of England and Wales, and Scotlan ...

on 7 September 2000. Two buildings are being converted to house the National Poo Museum.

References

Publications

* Moore, David, 2010. ''The East Wight Defences'', Solent Papers Number 10, David Moore, Gosport.

External links

Victorian Forts data sheet
{{Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight Forts on the Isle of Wight Palmerston Forts Government buildings completed in 1863 Military installations established in 1863 Artillery battery fortifications in the United Kingdom