Palmerston Forts, Isle of Wight


The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom. The name comes from their association with Lord Palmerston, who was Prime Minister at the time and promoted the idea.
The structures were built as a response to a perceived threat of a French invasion. The works were also known as Palmerston's Follies as, by the time they were completed the threat had passed, largely due to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and technological advancements leading to the guns becoming out-of-date.
As well as new structures, extensive modifications were made to existing defences.
The defences on the Isle of Wight were built to protect the approaches to the Solent, Southampton and Portsmouth. They consist of three separate groups, those at the western end of the island, those at the eastern end, and four built in the Solent.
The information in the tables is taken from documents for each site, from the Victorian Forts website.

Western end

Site nameLocationOpen to the public?Construction beganConstruction endedCostGrid referenceMap
Fort VictoriaSconce Point, Yarmouth18521855£40,000
Fort Albert Cliff End, Freshwater18541856Unknown
Freshwater RedoubtFreshwater Bay18551856Unknown
The Needles BatteriesAlum Bay18611863£7,65632&bd=useful_information&loc=:50.66273:-1.58312:undefined ]
Warden Point BatteryWarden Point, Freshwater18621863£12,899
Cliff End BatteryCliff End, Freshwater18621868£32,714
Golden Hill FortAfton Down18631868£38,022
Hatherwood BatteryAlum Bay18651869£5,825
The New Needles BatteryAlum Bay18931895£9,82132&bd=useful_information&loc=:50.66205:-1.57794:undefined ]
Bouldnor BatteryBouldnor19371938Unknown

Eastern end

Site nameLocationOpen to the public?Construction beganConstruction endedCostGrid referenceMap
Puckpool BatteryPuckpool Point1863186520,864
Nodes Point BatteryNodes Point19011904£21,654
Steynewood BatteryWhitecliff Bay18891893Unknown
Culver BatteryCulver Down19041906Unknown
Bembridge FortBembridge Down18621867£48,925
Redcliff BatteryCulver Down18611863£4,776
Yaverland BatteryYaverland1861186415,183
Sandown FortSandown Bay18611864£73,876
Sandown Barrack BatterySandown Bay18611863£62,331