Fort Westmoreland

Fort Westmoreland was originally a small fort  on Spike Island from 1790, and Spike Island Battery.  Work on Fort Westmoreland commenced in about 1790 but work was stalled during the Napoleonic Wars with the fort completed in 1802.  It was then decided to further expand the fort and new work commences in 1804.  This work was completed in 1859 with plans to mount some eighty smooth bore guns in the fort.  The Fort has six bastions and ample barrack accommodation. Number 3 Bastion faced the harbour entrance, and was the principal location for the guns.

Fort Westmoreland was upgraded between 1880 and 1881 to mount RML guns.  The armament of Fort Westmorland in 1866 was three 12-inch RMLS, two 11-inch RMLs and four 8-inch SB guns.

Number 1 Bastion

One 7-inch 6.5 ton RML

One 8-inch SB shell gun

Three SB guns

Number 2 Bastion

One 11-inch 28 ton RML gun

One SB gun

Number 3 Bastion

Three 12-inch 35 ton RML guns

Number 5 Bastion

One 7-inch 6.5 ton RML gun

One 8-inch shell gun

One SB gun

Number 6 Bastion

One 7-inch 6.5 ton RML gun

Two 8-inch shell gun

The garrison in 1879 is given as 288 men of all ranks.

By 1905 two 6-inch Mark VII BL guns had been added, covering the main entrance to the harbour.  These guns were mounted on the old Number 3 Bastion where the 12-inch RML guns had been.

Fort Westmoreland is now known as Fort Mitchel.