There have been a number of fortifications built on Landguard Point over the years. In 1543 Henry VIII had two blockhouses built which rapidly deteriorated, so in 1552 the guns were returned to the Tower of London. In 1628, a new Fort was built of earth revetted with wood. It was square with a bastion on each corner. In 1666, under Charles II, repairs were completed and a brick wall constructed around the Fort.In 1717, a new brick Fort was constructed, but gave way to a new structure in 1744, when a new red brick Fort was built in the form of a pentagon, with a bastion at each corner. These walls remain today.In 1871, the Fort was remodelled using yellow London bricks. All the internal accommodation buildings and the river facing battery, dating from 1780, were demolished. A seven gun casemate battery was constructed facing the river to house four 12.5 inch and three 10 inch Rifled Muzzle Loaded (RML) guns. Accommodation was in a semicircular block connected to the casemates to form an internal defensive position. In 1878, a submarine mining establishment was constructed by excavating a test room within the thick walls of the Fort, building an observation room and adding a main building on the east side of the Fort - known as the Ravelin Block. Stores and barracks were later demolished and are now underneath Landguard Terminal (part of The Port of Felixstowe). In 1901, because the existing armament of the Fort became obsolete, new batteries were built in front of the Fort facing the sea and river. These were named Left, Right and Darell's Batteries. After the main guns were removed, and for most of the 20th century, the fort was used as barrack accommodation. In 1951 two of the old gun casemates were converted into a control room for 'cold war' use. In 1956 the Coastal Artillery was disbanded and Landguard Fort no longer had a national military purpose. After 10 years of military neglect, the fort was sealed up and left to quietly disintegrate until the 1980's when local interest was aroused. In 1997/8 the fort was structurally consolidated by English Heritage, into whose care it had been placed, and has been maintained and opened to the public on their behalf by the Landguard Fort Trust.
A solitary musketeer was seen several times by soldiers during the Second World War, marching along a rampart. He is said to have been the only defender who lost his life during a Dutch invasion attempt (during which nine or ten Dutchmen were killed) in the distant past. Maria is likely to be the most well known spook to be found at the fort. A member of a reenactment group who spent the night in the building was awoken twice by the cries of a woman who also occasionally whispered in a foreign tongue. He and two others broke out their torches to find where the sounds were coming from, but to no avail. The following morning, the man spoke to the site manager about his troubled night, and was told he had probably encountered the ghost of a Portuguese lady....In the mid eighteenth century, the fort's paymaster sergeant married a young woman named Maria. The wives of the other soldiers based at the fort didn't really like the Portuguese bride, and when a silken handkerchief went missing, the finger of blame was pointed at the young lady. The paymaster sergeant was instructed to deal with the situation, and convinced his wife was innocent, left the site to find help in proving Maria was not to blame for the theft. Unfortunately, when the paymaster sergeant returned four days later, he was immediately accused of desertion and executed by firing squad in the fort's dry moat. Maria was devastated, and in a moment of madness, flung herself from the ramparts to her death. As the reenactment member had discovered, Maria still runs around the area, mumbling in Portuguese and crying out in grief.The bathroom is said to be haunted by another soldier, who died around the time of the First World War, and that a big secret surrounds his death. Prestige are determined to find out what happened to that poor soldier.The ghostly presence of a sad and lonely man has been picked up on the Chapel Bastion. It is believed that the youngsoldier had returned from a posting from a far eastern garrison such as India. Upon return he began to run a hightemperature and broke out in boils and sores. Fearing this to be highly contagious and possibly the plague the young soldierwas isolated in one of the connecting rooms of the chapel bastion. Where no one visited or spoke to him and he eventually passed away. Prestiges Visit in November 2012 was fantastic. The place is so so big, it has to estimated theres at least 50 rooms, maybe more! We visited what we named the communications room, because of the table with the map on it and also the blackboard with a map on it which is split in two and opens out on hinges. Well, one of those blackboard flaps did come out on vigil whilst in the room. We could not explain it as theres a catch on there to hold it in place! Then across the walkway we went into a series of 4 inter connecting rooms, where Sam sensed Corporal Edward Mckay (which e hacked afterwards and he did exist indeed at Languard) and he was making tapping sounds on the second group vigil. In Room 26, Sam sensed a boy called Frederick who liked 'wind the bobbin up' song. Indeed, yes we did sing it and the k2's went wild, as well as going off from a spirit called Doris. By the tea coffee room theres a corridor and people were seeing a shadowy figure peeking out from the side when there wa no-one there. Same sensed it was Maurice, a guard from the mid 1700's who was in the seven years war, and that he hated vistors like us. He certainly made his presence known in the boiler room, where doors were being slammer shut on command, and taps were heard in the room. In the Kitchen we also had the Dutch man who confirmed he was one of 5 spirits in the room, his name began with a 'B' and he made the table tip very well. In the Cells we held a ouija board and a Cecil who died in 1835 and worked in the HQ.
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