SDO11623 - Nothe Fort, Weymouth, Dorset. Recording during repairs to the Lattice Beam

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Architecton on behalf of the Nothe Fort Committee to carry out recording before and during the repair of a wrought iron lattice beam at the Nothe fort, Weymouth, Dorset. The fort is situated on the Nothe Peninsula, a headland dividing Weymouth and Portland harbours, and is centred on Ordnance Survey NGR 36867 07872. The fort was constructed between 1860 and 1869 and is one of the best preserved of all examples of this type of fort built in this period. It is now a Scheduled Monument (SM 33199) and a Grade II* Listed Building. After its abandonment by the military in 1956, the fort fell into disuse until it was purchased in 1979 by the Weymouth Civic Society, who restored the fort and opened it to the public as a museum. The fort was built on three levels in a “D” shape. At the ground floor level, 26 casemates (vaulted rooms) are arranged in a semi-circle around a courtyard. Every other casemate was built with gun ports to house extremely large cannon. Below this gunfloor is a maze of small and large magazines, passages and tunnels whilst above are the ramparts with sites for more modern guns and observation posts. The lattice beam, which was the subject of this recording project, originally supported a ground floor pavement at casemates 23 and 24. Over time, the beam had deteriorated and had to be supported by temporary props. The aim of the repair works was to conserve and repair the lattice beam so that it would be able to withstand its own weight in situ after its temporary props have been removed. In addition, a new primary steel beam was inserted close to, and parallel to, the lattice beam to support the ground floor pavement. This necessitated historic fabric (brickwork) being cut out at both ends of the new beam. English Heritage advised that recording was required during the repair works as a condition of any Scheduled Monument Consent. The aim of the recording was to record the lattice beam and any areas which would be affected by the repair works both before and during the repairs. Three site visits were made on 23rd January, 10th and 28th February 2003. The recording showed that the two brick walls affected by the repair works were added after the 1860s lattice beam. Their solid construction, brick type and English bond suggest that they are more likely to have been built in the late 19th or very early 20th century (pre World War 1) rather than later. The walls may relate to the conversion of the fort in the 1890s to an infantry barracks. Opening up one of the brick walls (between casemates 24 and 25 revealed a cast iron stanchion supporting the lattice beam. This was similar to another supporting the lattice beam at the junction between casemates 23 and 24. Opening up of the other brick wall (between casemates 22 and 23) revealed as possible wrought iron cross beam, which may have supported the east end of the lattice beam.