Beacon Hill Battery
Encyclopedia
Beacon Hill Battery was built to defend the port of Harwich
, Essex
.
The first fortification built on the site was a blockhouse, constructed in 1534 during the reign of Henry VIII
. This site was abandoned within ten years. After the death of Henry VIII the site was rearmed. By 1625 the site had again fallen into disrepair and Harwich was considered to be defenceless.
The site now remained out of use until a redoubt of ten guns was built in 1810. In 1862 these guns were upgraded as a result of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
.
By the 1880s the fort was considered outdated and in 1889 work began on a totally new fort, which was completed in 1892. After World War I
the fort was disarmed and sold. In 1940 it was bought back into service as a consequence of World War II
. The fort was then decommissioned in 1956.
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
The first fortification built on the site was a blockhouse, constructed in 1534 during the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. This site was abandoned within ten years. After the death of Henry VIII the site was rearmed. By 1625 the site had again fallen into disrepair and Harwich was considered to be defenceless.
The site now remained out of use until a redoubt of ten guns was built in 1810. In 1862 these guns were upgraded as a result of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
In 1859 Lord Palmerston instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom because of serious concerns that France might attempt to invade the UK...
.
By the 1880s the fort was considered outdated and in 1889 work began on a totally new fort, which was completed in 1892. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the fort was disarmed and sold. In 1940 it was bought back into service as a consequence of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The fort was then decommissioned in 1956.