England's Historic Seascapes: Southwold to Clacton
Oxford Archaeology (South), 2007. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000277. How to cite using this DOI
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 746
- ALSF Project Number: 4729
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000277
- How to cite using this DOI
England's Historic Seascapes:
Southwold to Clacton
ALSF Project Number 4729
Oxford Archaeology, 2007
Harwich Area
The Redoubt
The Redoubt is situated on a slight hill towards the eastern side of the Harwich peninsula, flanked by Harbour Crescent to the north and east, Main Road to the west, and Mayflower Avenue to the south. It was constructed between 1808 and 1810 of brick and granite and remodelled in 1861 to the same basic plan. It was designed as bomb-proof fortification with effective artillery power to withstand lengthy siege.
The building is circular in plan form with an internal courtyard and brick vaulted chambers and is surrounded by a circular dry moat with a brick revetment. The original drawbridge has been replaced by a concrete span.
Upper level contains batteries, originally for ten 24-pounder cannon, one of which dated 1865 has been excavated from the moat.
The building was refortifed during the Second World War to include a casemated gun emplacement for a 6-inch Mark VII gun. The emplacement was constructed in 1941 using reinforced concrete and iron throughout, with an anti-strafing protective cover.
