GATEHOUSE
The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
Home
The listings
Other Info
Books
Links
Downloads
Contact
 
Print Page 
 
Next Record 
Previous Record 
Back to list 

Derby Fort

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
St Michaels Island; Fort Island

In the parish of Malew.
On the Isle of Man.

OS Map Grid Reference: SC29656748
Latitude 54.07499° Longitude -4.60503°

Derby Fort has been described as a certain Artillery Fort.

There are major building remains.

This site is a archaeological monument protected by law.
Description

The 7th Earl of Derby put a datestone of c.1644 into the Round Fort but it had then been standing for over a hundred years (O'Neil 1951).
Derby Fort built by James 7th Earl. A round stone fort; over the gateway is a stone bearing the date 1645. In this fort are cannon collected from different parts of the island (Kermode 1930).
One of Henry VIII forts which he built about 1540.
A castellated round stone built tower situated on a peninsular. It has a diameter of 24.0m with walls 3.0m thick. In the interior are the remains of a rectangular free standing building of unknown date. In recesses in the wall in north and north-west are six cannons covering the entrance to the bay. In the south west is a doorway 1.3m wide. The fort is well preserved and is a typical Henry VIII fort. A plaque indicates that this is a protected monument. Above the doorway is a sandstone block with the remains of an embossed coronet and the date 16--. It is no longer used as a lighthouse.
Derby Fort, a circular stone built fort (normally locked) on St Michael's Isle, which gives the islet its alternative name, Fort Island. Originally built about 1540, as part of Henry VIII's scheme of coastal defence against threat of invasion, the fort was reconditioned in Civil War times by James, 7th Earl of Derby, whose initials and the date 164(?) appear on a tablet above the entrance. (see SC 26 NE 17 for rectangular battery to the south-west) ( Anc. and Hist. Mons. 1967; Curphey 1967)
Derby Fort, correctly portrayed on OS maps and the structure itself is in good order (oral information). (PastScape)

Round stone fort, partly covered in, for seven big guns. Built about 1540 (Its character suggests a Henrician date; it is certainly not like normal Civil War work.); reconstructed 1645 (see Moore. IOM.i. 247, quoting from the Liber Scaccarii of the Isle. This concerns the ordering of a fort on St Michael's Island, and might be taken as referring to the building of the round fort, which has a tablet over its doorway inscribed 164-. There is, however, an earthwork near by, and this may well be the fort of 1645, especially as the stone fort has been altered internally ( ex inf. A.M. Cubbon). (King 1983)

Comments (by Philip Davis)

The Tudor date for this tower is based on form, there being no historical evidence.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
N.M.R.                
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Vision of Britain   Geology          
Air Photos >
Bing Maps   Google Maps   Getmapping   Flashearth      
Photos >
CastleFacts   Geograph   Flickr   Panoramio      

Sources of information, references and further reading
Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.
It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from ANY site without proper recording and reporting.
Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage, the various governments of the islands, other organisations and individuals. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes.
The author and compiler of Gatehouse does not receive any income from the site and funds it himself. The information within this site is provided freely for educational purposes only.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.
The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown.
Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.
Please help to make this as useful a resource as possible by contacting Gatehouse if you see errors, can add information or have suggestions for improvements in functality and design.
Help is acknowledged.
This record last updated on Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Home | Books | Links | Fortifications and Castles | Other Information | Help | Downloads | Author Information | Contact

¤¤¤¤¤