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Ditribution map of artillery forts and boom towers

List of Medieval Chain or Boom Towers in England

A form of harbour defence where a chain is extended across the entry into a harbour or river to prevent access by vessels. The mechanism housing the chain and allowing it to be raised and lowered was housed in a defensive tower, often an artillery fort in its own right.
Certain
Probable
Questionable or Doubtful
Rejected
Confidence is a statement of the site as a medieval fortification

 

Name Alternative Name(s) County Remains
Blackwell Point London and Middlesex no visible
Dartmouth Gommerock Harbour Chain Devonshire cropmark/slight earthwork
East Cowes Old Castle Point; EastCow Hampshire and the Isle of Wight no visible
Fowey Blockhouse Fowey Castle Cornwall major building
Gosport Tower Fort Blockhouse; Chiderodd Hampshire and the Isle of Wight no visible
Great Yarmouth coastal defences St Nicholas Gat; South Mount Norfolk no visible
Hartlepool Chain Towers Durham no visible
Kingston upon Hull, South End chain tower Yorkshire no visible
Lee Ness Kent no visible
Norwich City Wall and Cow Tower Norwici Norfolk major building
Penryn harbour chain and defences Cornwall no visible
Plymouth Blockhouse and Harbour Chain Devonshire no visible
Polruan Blockhouse Polruan Castle Cornwall major building
Portsmouth Round Tower Hampshire and the Isle of Wight major building
Upnor Castle Upnore Kent major building
York City Wall Bootham Bar; Micklegate Bar; Walmgate Bar; Fishergate Bar; Monk Bar; Castlegate Postern; Fishergate Postern; Layerthorpe Postern; Skeldergate Postern Yorkshire major building
Dover Port Defences Dover Havyn; Clerk's Pier Kent no visible
Gravesend Blockhouse Cranes Bulwark; Le Grene Kent masonry footings
Hamble River fort and chain tower Oyster Hard Hampshire and the Isle of Wight no visible
Kingswear Castle Devonshire major building
West Tilbury Blockhouse, Tilbury Fort The Hermitage Bulwark; Thermitage Bullwark; Johne's Bulwark; Tylbery Essex no visible

This listing was last updated on Friday, April 10, 2015

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