Fort Perch Rock - New Brighton
Fort Perch Rock at New Brighton was constructed in in the mid-1820s to defend the River Mersey and the Port of Liverpool.
Fort Perch Rock is a coastal defence battery built between 1825 and 1829, with the foundation stone being laid in 1826. The fort was built on an area known as Black Rock, and was cut off at high tide However, coastal reclamation has made it fully accessible.
Since decommissioning in the 1950s it has passed through several owners and traded as a museum though it has not been open to the public since 2016.
The Fort covers an area of about 4,000 square yards (3,300 m2), with enough space for 100 men. It was built with red sandstone from the Runcorn quarries. The height of the walls ranges from 24 feet (7.3 m) to 32 feet (9.8 m), and the towers are 40 feet (12 m) high. At one point it was armed with 18 guns, of which 16 were 32-pounders, mounted on platforms. It was nicknamed the 'Little Gibraltar of the Mersey'.
The foundation stone reads:
This foundation stone of the Rock Perch Battery, projected by and under the direction of John Sikes Kitson, Esquire, Captain in the Royal Engineers, for the defence of the port was laid on 31st March 1826 by Peter Bourne, Esquire, Mayor of Liverpool in the 7th year of the reign of His Majesty George IV. His Grace, the Duke of Wellington , Master General of the Ordnance.
The projected cost of building was £27,065.0s.8d. Kitson ensured that this budget was not exceeded, finishing the fort for a total cost of £26,965.0s.8d.
After decommissioning it was opened to the public by the Royal Artillery Association as a Museum from 1955. In 1958 it was sold by auction to local fairground operator Tommy Mann, famous for the narrow-gauge railway which operated in New Brighton Tower grounds, and business partner T. Kershaw for £4,000.
Unfortunately, during this period many interesting fittings including brass ware was stripped and sold. In 1976 Fort Perch Rock was sold to Norman Kingham who undertook a lot of restoration work supported by the Manpower Services Commission and volunteers.
The fort was operated as a museum / tourist attraction and events venue until 2016 when apparently maintenance problems led to its closure to the public.
Read MoreFort Perch Rock is a coastal defence battery built between 1825 and 1829, with the foundation stone being laid in 1826. The fort was built on an area known as Black Rock, and was cut off at high tide However, coastal reclamation has made it fully accessible.
Since decommissioning in the 1950s it has passed through several owners and traded as a museum though it has not been open to the public since 2016.
The Fort covers an area of about 4,000 square yards (3,300 m2), with enough space for 100 men. It was built with red sandstone from the Runcorn quarries. The height of the walls ranges from 24 feet (7.3 m) to 32 feet (9.8 m), and the towers are 40 feet (12 m) high. At one point it was armed with 18 guns, of which 16 were 32-pounders, mounted on platforms. It was nicknamed the 'Little Gibraltar of the Mersey'.
The foundation stone reads:
This foundation stone of the Rock Perch Battery, projected by and under the direction of John Sikes Kitson, Esquire, Captain in the Royal Engineers, for the defence of the port was laid on 31st March 1826 by Peter Bourne, Esquire, Mayor of Liverpool in the 7th year of the reign of His Majesty George IV. His Grace, the Duke of Wellington , Master General of the Ordnance.
The projected cost of building was £27,065.0s.8d. Kitson ensured that this budget was not exceeded, finishing the fort for a total cost of £26,965.0s.8d.
After decommissioning it was opened to the public by the Royal Artillery Association as a Museum from 1955. In 1958 it was sold by auction to local fairground operator Tommy Mann, famous for the narrow-gauge railway which operated in New Brighton Tower grounds, and business partner T. Kershaw for £4,000.
Unfortunately, during this period many interesting fittings including brass ware was stripped and sold. In 1976 Fort Perch Rock was sold to Norman Kingham who undertook a lot of restoration work supported by the Manpower Services Commission and volunteers.
The fort was operated as a museum / tourist attraction and events venue until 2016 when apparently maintenance problems led to its closure to the public.
