St Catherine's Fort

St Catherine's Fort
Part of Pembrokeshire
Tenby, Wales
The fort stands on St Catherine's Island next to Castle Rock, Tenby.
St Catherine's Island and Fort
Coordinates	51°40′14″N 4°41′31″W / 51.6706°N 4.6919°W / 51.6706; -4.6919
Type	Palmerston Fort
Height	Up to 14 metres (46 ft)
Site information
Owner	Private
Site history
Built	1870
Materials	Limestone Granite

St Catherine's Fort is a 19th century Palmerston Fort, located on St Catherine's Island, at Tenby, West Wales.

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.

The design of the fort is credited to Colonel William Jervois. It is a simple rectangular work, consisting of three artillery casemates on two opposite sides, for RML 7-inch guns firing through iron shields. A further three gun platforms for RML 9 inch 12 ton guns are located on the roof. The guns facing north were intended to cover Tenby Harbour and the beach towards Saundersfoot, while those facing south covered the beach towards Penally. The entrance at the western (landward) end of the fort is approached by means of a drawbridge over a dry ditch and is defended by two caponiers or "flanking galleries", each of three storeys pierced with loopholes for small arms fire. At the eastern end at basement level are located the powder magazine and shell store. There was accommodation for a garrison of 150 men.