Fort Carlisle

Fort Carlisle was originally a Napoleonic era fortification but was redeveloped at the same time as Fort Camden.   Plans from 1684 Howards Redoubt in the North linked to Price Rupert’s Redoubt in the South.  Prince Ruperts Redoubt had a small tower built in it.  On the shore line there was a series of gun batteries mounting carronades and 12-pdr SB gun.   We thus have the Upper and Lower levels of the defences, connected by steep paths.

The original Napoleonic fortification was triangular in shape with a bastion, two demi-bastions and a semi-circular bastion.  These still largely survive although new barrack and administrative buildings have been built in and around them.

A plan from 1779 shows the defences at what is now Fort Carlisle with a barracks at the top and batteries along the shore line over about 500 feet (150 metres).  There is a landing point shown on the map somewhere near Number 2 Battery.  This formed the basis for the later Fort Carlisle. (UK TNA MPF 1/159).

Fort Carlisle was rebuilt between August 1861 and 1874 at a total cost of £79.695.   The Fort is surrounded by a dry ditch some thirty feet deep and forty feet wide.  There are three single storey musketry caponiers protecting the ditch, all built with concrete.  These are designated North, Central and South Caponiers.  There is also a Flanking Gallery in the scarp wall at the South end of the main moat.  As with Fort Camden, prepared positions were built on the ramparts for eight moveable guns, four 40-pdr and four 20-pdr RBL guns.

Part of the construction work was completed by convict labour as was used in many other locations such as Bermuda and Gibraltar.

UPPER LEVEL

Napoleonic Battery : Semi-circular position to the front of the bastion.  Four 10-inch SB mortars. Later 12-pdr saluting battery

North Battery : Nil

Rupert’s Tower Battery : Two 12-inch RML guns

Practice Battery (South Battery) : Two 64-pdr RML

LOWER LEVEL

Number 1 Battery : Four 7-inch RML in Moncrief Pits (Patten I)

Number 2 Battery : Two 10-inch RML guns in iron casemates

Number 3 Battery : Four 7-inch RML in Moncrief Pits (Patten II)

Number 4 Battery : Three 11-inch RML gun in iron casemates

In 1898 the Upper Batteries were all upgraded.  Rupert’s Tower Battery and North Battery were both armed with 6-inch BL guns.  A new South Battery was built for two 9.2-inch BL Mark X gun on Mark V mountings in a counter bombardment role.  These new batteries were confirmed in the Owen Report of 1905.

In 1989 on the Lower Level, the Number 2 Battery  was converted to a 12-pdr battery.  Three of the old Moncrief pits were filled in, similar to the Left Lower Battery at Fort Camden, and hold fasts fitted for barbette positions.  The fourth gun pit on the right (North) was covered over as a cookhouse.

Fort Carlisle remained in British hands until 1938 and when handed over Rupert’s Tower Battery had two 6-inch Mark VII guns (one survives on site) and a single 9.2-inch Mark X BL gun in South Battery.