Harwich Redoubt

Thursday, 9th October 2008 by

Harwich Redoubt is a perfectly circular redoubt (a type of fort) which was built in 1808 to defend the ancient English seaport of Harwich, Essex, from Napoleonic invasion.

If you're thinking the fort looks like it has actually been built into a hole in the ground then you aren't far wrong, as the 60m diameter fort is surrounded by a deep moat that is almost as high as the fort itself!

Abandoned and completely overgrown, it was rescued in the late 1960s by the Harwich Society, and is today the largest ancient monument in the UK to have been restored by a voluntary group. The society now maintain the fort as a museum.

Wikipedia has some more info about the various cannons that have been emplaced here, and this aerial photograph gives you an idea of how entrenched the fort is in the landscape.

More interesting forts here: Fort Boyard, Star Fort Megapost and Staigue Stone Fort.