Harwich Redoubt
29 Main Road, Harwich, CO12 3LT
website
“An extremely impressive 180ft (60m) diameter circular fort built in 1808 to defend the port of Harwich against a Napoleonic invasion. It is the only such example open to the public. Eleven guns sit on the battlements. Eighteen casements below would house 300 troops in siege conditions. Part of the fort is now used as a military museum. Battle reenactments and other events are held during the summer months. The fort was restored by the Harwich Society as a voluntary project.” Open daily – 10am to 5pm between 1 May and 31 August, and Sundays during the winter.
Essex Days Out Tips : An atmospheric fort, with rooms with displays of equipment, uniforms and a video. The fort springs to life on the days that they have re-enactments, and the now-annual Harwich Beer Festival at the Redoubt gives you an opportunity to take in the historical character with a pint of beer and some food! And whilst we don’t have many castles in Essex, this is one of many fortifications along the Essex coast – there’s also Hadleigh Castle, Tilbury Fort, Jaywick Martello Tower, and the Coalhouse Fort.
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