Palmerston Forts – Part 1 – Fort Brockhurst
Defending both flanks of the Fort are structures known as "Caponiers". These project from the sides of the Fort and would have allowed the defending troops to protect the sides of the Fort from attack. Forts using dry, rather than wet, ditches would have faced the prospect of attacking troops entering those ditches whereupon they might have attempted to scale the walls. Obviously, since Brockhurst utilised a wet ditch, or moat, to protect itself, this was not such a problem, however the Caponiers would still have served a useful purpose in the event of attack.
A view of the northern wall of the Fort demonstrates the width of the moat at this point. These days, the moat is used for licensed fishing, as can be seen by the presence of these wooden platforms on the outside edge of the moat.
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Section such as this, covered in grass as they are, would have made it very difficult for long-range gunners to target the Fort and attack it.
Here is the northern flank and a third Caponier defending the approaches to this part of the Fort.
The edges of the moat are now overgrown with trees, but it is very peaceful to walk around this magnificent structure.
My late Father who was killed when I was very young used to fish here a long time ago. As I took these pictures, I found it very comforting that I was, quite literally, walking in his footsteps around one of his old haunts.
[continued on next page]
