Melcombe Cotton Fort

Has been described as a Possible Artillery Fort

There are no visible remains

NameMelcombe Cotton Fort
Alternative Names
Historic CountryDorset
Modern AuthorityDorset
1974 AuthorityDorset
Civil ParishWeymouth

North of Melcombe is Cotton Fort, a rampart on which are three guns, designed to defend the town (apparently one of the defences erected during the reign of Henry VIII) (Hutchin).

The area is covered by a modern building and roadway. No trace of antiquity was found (F1 JR 12-AUG-54). (PastScape)

erected northward of the town, there was a rampart on which there were mounted three guns, it was called Cotton fort. (Ellis)

Gatehouse Comments

Presumably mainly built by the town of Melcombe (The area north of the harbour was town of Melcombe, with Weymouth being a separate town south of the harbour, until 1571 when they were united as one borough), rather than a royal defence. Could be any late medieval date but more probably Elizabethan than earlier. Ellis mentions other 'forts' at the harbour mouth and Grosvenor Place but these are not dated by him and were probably C17.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSY681797
Latitude50.6161308288574
Longitude-2.45223999023438
Eastings368100
Northings79700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Ellis, G.A., 1829, The history and antiquities of the borough and town of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (Weymouth) p. 187 online copy
  • Hutchin, J., 1861 (3edn org. pub. 1774), History of Dorset Vol. 2 p. 455 (Facsimile edn by EP Publishing produced 1973)

Other

  • Dorset County Council, 2011, Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Download copy