Brean Down Fort - Exploring the preserved fort on the Bristol Channel
Channel: Frontline Ulster
Date: 2023-02-26

Brean Down Fort is situated on the east coast of the Bristol Channel, south of Weston-Super-Mare. Constructed between 1864 and 1871, the coastal artillery fort was used from its construction until 1901 when it was abandoned and rearmed in 1940. 

Its strategic location at the entrance of the bristol channel was vital to protecting the approaches to Bristol and Cardiff ports, originally from the French navy and latterly the German fleet. The nineteenth-century fort shares many similarities with the 3 other forts on the Bristol Channel at Steep Holm Island, Flat Holm Island and Lavernock Point.

The fort was originally armed with seven 7-inch rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns. When these guns were being installed, they were nearing the end of their useful life. As advances in naval arms and armaments were being driven forward, many of the British forts were being outgunned. But as the threat declined, the desire to upgrade the forts also dwindled, and Brean Down was primarily used for training. The 7-inch RML guns were removed in 1901. 

The rearming of the fort in 1940 saw two 6-inch Mark 7 coastal artillery guns being installed, along with two coastal artillery searchlight emplacements and a two-storey battery observation post.

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The soundtrack on this video is Ice & Fire by King Canyon from the YouTube audio library.