Clarence Battery in St Peter Port, Guernsey
As you walk along the cliff paths near the Guernsey Aquarium in St Peter Port, you will come across a coastal defence cannon battery called as Clarence Battery. There is flight of steps near the Aquarium which takes you up to this battery.
In 1799 it was decided that to help defend St Peter Port better a new fortification should be built. This was Fort George which was named after King George III. Fort George had 8 gun batteries and this batter was one of them. When it was built it was called as Terres Point Battery but later it was renamed as Clarence Battery after King George III's son.
The battery had a guard room, gun pivots, ammunition lockers, shell stores and artillery stores. Some of it still remains though some alterations were made by the Germans forces during the Second World War.
There is a display of four cannons at Clarence Battery.
One is the 18-Pounder Blomefield Pattern which is a smooth-bore, muzzle loading gun. This is an original on loan from the Royal Armouries. This kind of gun was in common service for coast defence from 1750 onwards.
The second one is the 13 Inch Mortar which is again an original on loan from the Royal Armouries.
Then there is the 24-Pounder Iron Carronade again an original which is a kind of a short iron gun also known as the 'Smasher' in the Royal Navy because of its short-range ability to inflict heavy damage on warships.
The views from the Battery are beautiful and you can spend some time here before continuing on your coastal cliff walk.
In 1799 it was decided that to help defend St Peter Port better a new fortification should be built. This was Fort George which was named after King George III. Fort George had 8 gun batteries and this batter was one of them. When it was built it was called as Terres Point Battery but later it was renamed as Clarence Battery after King George III's son.
The battery had a guard room, gun pivots, ammunition lockers, shell stores and artillery stores. Some of it still remains though some alterations were made by the Germans forces during the Second World War.
There is a display of four cannons at Clarence Battery.
One is the 18-Pounder Blomefield Pattern which is a smooth-bore, muzzle loading gun. This is an original on loan from the Royal Armouries. This kind of gun was in common service for coast defence from 1750 onwards.
The second one is the 13 Inch Mortar which is again an original on loan from the Royal Armouries.
Then there is the 24-Pounder Iron Carronade again an original which is a kind of a short iron gun also known as the 'Smasher' in the Royal Navy because of its short-range ability to inflict heavy damage on warships.
The views from the Battery are beautiful and you can spend some time here before continuing on your coastal cliff walk.
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