Monument record MWX1416 - Second World War Coastal Battery, Nothe Fort, Weymouth

The Nothe Fort is a coastal battery that was constructed from 1860 by a civilian contractor but completed by 26 Company of the Royal Engineers to guard the northern side of Portland Harbour. The fort was originally planned as an open battery of five 64-pounder guns, revised as a fortress mounting seventeen heavy guns in two tiers, but eventually constructed with only twelve guns. The fort was completed and commissioned in 1872. In style it is related to the Palmerston forts of the 1860s at Gosport and Portsmouth. It is built of Portland ashlar, stone and brick. The building has a demi-lune plan with a straight entrance wall to the west. There are a series of 22 casemates at the upper courtyard level, with 12 original gunports, is set above a continuous circuit of magazines and stores. In the 1890s, the fort was converted to use as an infantry barrack. It was manned from 1914 to 1916 and from 1929 to 1956. A number of additions were made during the Second World War. These include an anti-aircraft emplacement of 1939 and the conversion of the underground magazines and casemates on the south side to a store for anti-aircraft ammunition. A searchlight battery was built on the foreshore north east of the fort during the Second World War and another was constructed on the north side of the fort in 1946. New searchlights were added in 1947 and new radar equipment was installed in 1953. The Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery at The Nothe was constructed immediately to the west of the fort. It consisted of four emplacements, a control block, and associated structures. After 1956, the fort was closed and subject to vandalism. It was opened to the public in 1980 after conservation efforts by the Weymouth Civic Society. In 2008, The Nothe was in use as a museum.

Nothe Fort, refortified in WW2. No.1 Gun coastal battery. Gun emplacements and the majority of the ancillary buildings survive. <1-3>

Nothe Fort located at SY 687 787. A fortification had been present at this site since the mid-sixteenth century, however the existing casemated fort dates to 1872 as a result of the Royal Commission. The fort is of horse-shoe plan and was constructed between 1860-1872, when it was armed with four 9-inch and six 10-inch rifle muzzle-loading (RML) weapons. In the 1890s these were replaced by two 6-pounder quick-firing (QF) guns for anti-torpedo craft defence. By 1906 two 6-inch breech-loading (BL) Mk. VII guns were mounted at the battery, with a third added in 1908. The 6-pounder guns however, were removed around this time. Nothe Fort was disarmed in 1916, but later rearmed in the late 1920s when two of its 6-inch BL Mk. VII guns were reinstalled. During the Second World War the battery was used for close defence until it was reduced to care and maintenance in 1944. It was manned by 105 Battery of 522 Coast Regiment.
No. 1 gun emplacement was located at SY 6870 7865 and No. 2 gun at SY 6870 7865. The two coast artillery searchlights (in place by 1918) were positioned at SY 6855 7855 and SY 6870 7870. The battery observation post was at SY 6865 7860. <4-5>

Emplacements and majority of ancillary buildings survive. It is currently used as a museum. <6>

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0013562 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0013562 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0013562 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Dobinson, C S, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.1. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 176-181 (Monograph). SDO17228.

<5> Dobinson, C S, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast artillery, 1900-1956, 271 (Monograph). SDO17229.

<6> Anderton, M J, 2000, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two Coastal Batteries, 68 (Unpublished document). SDO17230.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451654 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2024 11:00AM