St Catherine's Fort - Tenby, Pembrokshire, Wales. - Historic Forts on Waymarking.com

St Catherine's Fort:
"The fort was recommended by the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom which had been established in 1859 by Lord Palmerston in response to a perceived threat of invasion by Emperor Napoleon III of France. When considering the defence of the Royal Dockyard at Pembroke Dock and the anchorage at Milford Haven, the Commissioners believed that there was a danger that an enemy force might stage an amphibious landing on a beach on the southern Pembrokeshire coast and attack the naval facilities overland. It was envisaged by the Commissioners that there should be a chain of coastal artillery forts extending along the coast from Tenby to Freshwater West covering all the potential landing sites, but in the event, only the fort at Tenby was constructed.

Later use:
In 1895, control of the fort passed to the Royal Naval Reserve, who emplaced a single BLC 5 inch gun on a "Youngman’s compression platform", apparently for training purposes. In 1907 the fort was decommissioned and sold to the Windsor Richards family who converted it into a private house. The gun shields were replaced by windows and the interior was lavishly decorated, although the fort was apparently garrisoned by the army during the First World War. During Second World War, the fort was compulsory purchased in 1940 and the house contents were auctioned by Harrods. During the war when an anti-aircraft battery was built in front of the fort; units serving there included the Royal Marines, 4th Defence Battery and a Light Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Artillery, a detachment of the Belgian Army, the Home Guard and an Air Sea Rescue detachment of the RAF.

After the war the fort was again decommissioned and sold to a local solicitor who let it to various tenants including Norman Lewis the author. It was sold again in 1962 and in 1968 the fort was opened as a zoo; in 1979 it relocated to new premises leaving the fort empty. It became a Grade II* Listed Building in 1951 because it was considered "an important later 19th century naval fort, superbly built and prominently sited".

Present day:
St Catherine's Fort is empty however work is underway to restore the fort and open it to the public. In May 2015, it was announced that Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority had approved an application to reopen the site to the public, due to the economic benefit that it would bring to the area. The site will contain a nature walk, boat landings, commercial & catering outlets, in addition to restoration of the fort. During restoration, the fort is open to visitors at weekends in the holiday season, subject to the state of the tides.: Text Source: (visit link)

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The year the "Fort" was constructed or started.: 1859 Name of "Country" or "Nation" that constructed this "Fort": United kingdom Was this "Fort" involved in any armed conflicts?: No it wasn't What was the primary purpose of this "Historic Fort"?: Used for defence of a border or land claim. Current condition: Good External Condition This site is administered by ----: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority If admission is charged -: 4.00 (listed in local currency) Open to the public?: Restricted hours -Admission charged Official or advertised web-page: [Web Link] Link to web-site that best describes this "Historic Fort": [Web Link] Link if this "Fort" is registered on your Countries/ State "Registry of Historical Sites or Buildi: [Web Link]

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/07/2016 veritas vita visited it