THE NOTHE FORT AND ITS RESTORATION

 

The Nothe Fort was built in the 1870s to defend Portland Harbour against a feared French invasion. It never came and so the fort was used for Territorial Army training, up to just before the First World War when its huge 12.5 inch muzzle- loading guns had become obsolete, and were replaced with 6 inch breech loading guns.

 At around this time an earth bank was built in front of the seaward side of the fort, below the level of the guns. These changes resulted in many potential structural problems for the fort, and since expediency was the name of the game, there was very little concern for making sure that the building was water- tight. At about that time a Battery Observation Post was built on the ramparts adding to the problems.

The 6-inch guns were still in use until after WWII. These were augmented with a Bofors gun. However a battery of 3.7-inch guns on what is now the Nothe Gardens Car Park provided the main protection for Portland Harbour.

After the end of the war there was some attempt at updating the fort by fitting radar to direct the guns, but by 1956 this form of coastal defence was considered obsolete, and all the military equipment was stripped out and the fort closed down.

For a short period the Royal Navy used the fort in conjunction with a nearby range, but in 1961 the fort was sold to Weymouth and Portland Council for £6,000.

Over the next ten or so years the fort became derelict and a haven for hippies who covered the walls in graffiti, burnt all the doors and window frames, and filled the place with rubbish.

Weymouth Civic Society became concerned about the state of the fort, it by then being a Grade II listed building, and in 1980 an agreement was made with the council that the Society  would attempt to recruit volunteers to restore the structure.

Through many trials and tribulations Weymouth Civic Society had gradually restored the building and turned it into a museum, until around the year 2000 it became obvious that without a considerable injection of money, it was a losing battle against corrosion, and time, and that the steel and concrete structure was leaking water in many areas, and damaging the museum exhibits and displays.

On the third attempt a Heritage Lottery Grant for £1.8million was obtained, which meant that the Society had to raise £600,000 in matching funding.

With the aid of English Heritage, Dorset County Council, Weymouth and Portland Council, The Valentine Trust and several other significant donors, together with money that The Civic Society had accumulated from visitor receipts over twenty years the target was met.

The project has now been completed within budget and time, and the fort now looks forward to expanding its facilities with an additional recent Heritage Lottery Grant to enable modern audio- visual facilities to be installed for the education and enjoyment of the many thousands of visitors who visit the fort every year.

 

FOOT NOTE

It is said that the only time the forts main guns were fired in anger is when a refugee ship from Alderney came into Weymouth Harbour in World War II, without showing the correct signal.

One gun fired a shot across its bows!

 

Contact  Nothe Fort Tel: 01305 766626   Visit www.fortressweymouth.co.uk 

 

Project List

HERITAGE HEROES

Those running the Fort restoration project are very proud that it has received an award from the Built Heritage Section of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s annual Heritage Heroes awards.

This page updated

May 2008

 

See below for our Annual Awards

GEORGE III IN HIDING

The Statue is being restored as part of the Townscape Initiative.

See below for a report on progress.

INSPECTION OF KING GEORGE III

 

The Statue of King George III was erected by the ‘grateful inhabitants of Weymouth’ in his honour in around 1810.  It is now in the process of thorough restoration under the Townscape Heritage Improvement Scheme.  In November Brenda Pickett was invited to join a small group from the Borough Council to see the work in progress.

 

‘Donning hard hats, we ascended on ladders up several ‘storeys’ – surprisingly high.  At first we found ourselves opposite the centre of the plinth designed by James Hamilton.  This was constructed of brick with a cladding of Portland stone, which is now damaged through the rusting and expansion of iron cramps and water penetration from above and below.  All the metalwork will be replaced with marine-grade stainless steel and  the stonework is being restored .  The original Georgian lettering – an exceptionally  fine example of its kind - is in good condition, but paint applied too broadly in later years has coarsened the fine line of the letters and has had to be removed. 

 

Further up we viewed part of the King’s legs.  All the figures and other items were created in Coade stone – a type of terracotta made to a secret formula in Coade’s Lambeth factory.   They are hollow, with a thickness of perhaps 2-3 inches.   Some parts had been replaced, such as the unicorn’s head, now made in a type of cement dating from the 1940s.  A cast will be taken of this to allow for any future replacement, especially of its horn.  All the figures are now stripped bare, showing some surprisingly sharp detail, such as on the King’s clothes. 

 

At the top of our climb we found ourselves level with King Georges’s shoulders and peering down into his torso, his head having been temporarily removed as it was found to be held on to his body with a metal bar and layers of paint.  The figures are in due course to be painted in carefully chosen colours, as well as gilded in parts, including the lion, in 24 ct gold leaf !

 

This was altogether a most interesting inspection of His Majesty, and we look forward to seeing him and his beasts emerging in their new pristine colours.’

 

 

 

Involving Young People

 

As part of their training, students from Weymouth College on the Directions Course have to undergo and be assessed on a series of key skills. These skills include working with others, respecting other’s beliefs, and working as part of a group. A group of students from the Directions course voluntarily spent two days at the Tudor House, cleaning and polishing floors and furniture prior to the official opening. Some of the lucky ones also lime-washed the fireplaces under the guidance of Pru Bollam. The students enjoyed their time in the Tudor House and it is intended that this cleaning project will be an annual event.

 

Another group from Weymouth College worked at the Nothe Fort. They cleaned stairwells and windows and painted a tunnel, which had not been used for many years. The tunnel runs underground across the fort allowing soldiers to cross safely from one side to the other when under fire. The College Directions course leader Sheena Goulding commented that the students had used their time at the fort to improve their team building, develop their work skills and that she was very pleased with their progress. Once again, it is hoped that this will be an annual event.

 

 

See YouTube film about the Statue by Stuart Morris

 

http://uk.youtube.com/

      watch?v=tirDcoF-G4E

 

And

http://uk.youtube.com/

  watch?v=gWfeOojVsWY