Sandown Granite Fort was built to be the strongest of the Victorian coastal forts of the Isle of Wight. The other coastal fortifications on the Isle of Wight, including most batteries, had either few or no defensive features. Even Golden Hill Fort and Bembridge Fort were built to withstand only a lightly armed invading force, not a prolonged siege. Sandown Granite Fort, however, was built to withstand a frontal attack by an ironclad fleet armed with heavy armour-piercing weapons mounting a full-scale invasion of Sandown Bay.
The Importance Of Sandown Bay
The south coast of the Isle of Wight from the Needles to Dunnose Point, Ventnor, consists almost entirely of steep chalk, clay and sandstone cliffs, with little beach below for an invading force to land on. The most vulnerable part of the Island lies on the south-east coast. Sandown Bay, a five-mile firm, sandy beach was an open, inviting gap in the protective cliffs, 2,000 yards wide with the only natural obstacles to an enemy were a gentle slope. For row boats and barges, 600 yards of this bay could be landed on safely no matter what the tide and the bay itself was sheltered from the prevailing south-west winds.
Previous Castles and Forts
Sandown Granite Fort was the third fortification to be built to defend the vulnerable Sandown Bay. The first, Sandown Castle, was built in the reign of Henry VIII when castles were beginning to evolve into artillery forts.
Sandown Castle1 was built as part of Henry VIII's device castles to defend and fortify England. Work on constructing Sandown Castle was started in 1544. It was still being built during the French invasion on 1545, when the Mary Rose sank, and French invaders reportedly fought defenders over the foundations of the castle. However, the castle was built too near the coast, and by 1623 the sea had breached the curtain walls.
Second Sandown Castle
In 1631 the old castle was demolished and in 1632 work on constructing a new castle began, further inland. This castle, also known as Sandown Fort and Sandham Fort, was finished in 1636 and was armed with 30 guns as well as weapons for 300 men. During the Napoleonic Wars it was believed that France was poised and capable of landing 10,000 troops with horses and equipment at Sandown Bay within 24 hours. By the 1850s it was realised that the second castle was outdated and vulnerable to modern artillery, and so the 1859 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom proposed a new fort. This would become known as Sandown Granite Fort.
The two Sandown Castles and the 1545 invasion are covered in more detail in the East Wight Fortifications entry.
Planning And Constructing Sandown Granite Fort
The plan was for Sandown Granite Fort to be constructed to the height of the technology available, armed with the heaviest guns and defended by the strongest armour. This approach however had a major drawback, as Sandown Granite Fort was being constructed at a time when weapons technology was developing far faster than it was possible to plan and construct a fort capable of housing and withstanding the latest artillery weapons. This meant that several times during the construction of the fort, the plans changed. Its weaponry and defensive features, in particular its iron armoured shields, were changed, bringing work on constructing the fort to a halt.
Work began on building the fort in April 1861. Although the fort's layout and shell had been fairly completed by 1864, it was not armed until 1876.
The original plans were for a granite-fronted fort armed with 18 guns in casemates protected by iron shields, with a further 10 guns on the roof, either in emplacements or on the less vulnerable disappearing carriages. In the end, the roof guns were eliminated from the plans to save money. Two five-gun batteries would be built in support on either side. Although these batteries were also eliminated from the plans due to cost concerns, work on constructing a fort armed with eighteen guns went ahead. Construction of the fort was very difficult, especially with the use of the materials. The Hampshire Telegraph2 reported in 1862:
'The construction has been attended with an unusual amount of labour, all the heaviest of the materials, including the blocks of granite, which weight from 1.5 to 6 tons each, having to be landed in Brading Harbour and thence conveyed overland via Bembridge Down, to where the fort is being built.'
Deciding the final layout of the fort was often put off until the last minute, frequently delaying the construction work:
'The final decision as to the iron 10-inch plating and embrasures will have to be made.'
By 17 December, 1863 The Bradford Observer recorded that:
'The greater portion of the workmen employed at the Sandown Fort were paid off on Tuesday last, in consequence of the works being suspended for a time, as it is contemplated to make considerable alterations in the present plans, so as to be enabled to mount guns of heavier metal than was at first intended.'
Three years later in 1866 the fort was still waiting for the iron shields, as reported in the paper:
'Sandown Fort is a granite-fronted casemated work of great strength, with provision for mounting upwards of 20 of the heaviest guns in its casemates, to be fought through iron shields. The fort has been completed upwards of two years but its embrasures are still waiting their shields and their guns, although this is the only work that could defend Sandown Bay from the attack of an ironclad fleet and the possession by an enemy of Sandown, with the adjacent heights, would seriously endanger our holding the Spithead Forts. There are other batteries than this fort at Sandown, but they are all useless against ironclad ships, notwithstanding Palliser shot and shell.'
Three years later in 1869 the fort was still undergoing modifications to its design. The report on its construction stated:
'[Sandown Granite Fort is] well and skilfully built as regard permanency and stability and its power of resistance is well adapted to the position it occupies. It is proposed to adapt the upper battery for the reception of guns on Moncrieff carriages at a cost of £3,090.'
The Moncrieff Disappearing Gun Carriage was a gun carriage designed to lower the gun behind a protected parapet, often concrete, for loading the gun before returning the gun to the vulnerable firing position. This used a system of counterweights and was introduced in 1869. It was used in gun batteries throughout the 1870s before being superseded by the more efficient hydropneumatic gun mounting system in 1885. Soon after this report, it was instead proposed to have an infantry parapet on the roof of the fort. Finally in 1876 the reports stated:
'The defence of the Eastern [Isle of Wight] Forts are being completed. A detachment of 38 non-commissioned officers and men of the 2nd Brigade Royal Artillery, which will be permanently stationed here under the command of Captain Burton, are employed in mounting 18-ton guns, [firing] 400lb shells. '
The Hampshire Telegraph in 1862 reported:
'The new Sandown Fort is a most formidable work. Its right and left front faces have each a length of 156 feet, with right and left faces of 116 feet each and right and left flanks of 150 feet each. The gorge, 240 feet in length, is closed by quarters for officers &c, and the whole surrounded by a wide and deep ditch, having stout revetments. The front and right and left faces are faced with 9 feet thickness of Penrhyn granite, banded with iron hooping. The plans of the work provided for covering this granite front with 10 inch of iron plating, and with iron embrasures... each a width of 2 feet thick inches and giving the guns in the casemates a training of 35 degrees.
...The casemates for the guns of the new fort, 12 on the front faces and three on its right and left faces, will be capable of mounting guns of extraordinary weight and calibre. The work will have good command on either flank over the low ground on which it stands, while the top of the work will be well traversed for rifle fire. The roomy casemates in rear of the guns contain ample accommodation for 100 men underneath bombproofed arches. In the centre of the parade ground has been constructed a tank fitted with filtering apparatus, capable of holding 10,000 gallons of water for the use of the garrison. This water will be collected from what falls within the area of the fort from the roof of the officers' quarters and the terreplein of the work. The main magazine has brick walls four feet in thickness, laid in cement, the outer layers of brick having glazed surfaces to prevent damp by contact with the earth covering. It has hollow ventilating openings round the walls and will contain 2,000 cases of powder. The cost of the work, without the iron plating or embrasures, is about £30,000. '
In fact the total cost of the fort, after all the delays and including the cost of the iron shields, was £73,876.
Sandown Granite Fort was a heptagonal, almost lozenge-shaped fort. The front, seaward side of the fort, which was exposed to a potential enemy fleet, was built of granite protected by iron armour; the rear of the fort was built of brick. Surrounding the entire fort was a ditch defended by four caponiers, at the north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west corners: two facing towards the sea, two facing inland. Access to the fort was close to the north-east caponier over a drawbridge that connected with a fixed bridge.
When the fort was first armed, it received 12 RML guns rather than the 18 9-inch guns it had been designed for. Four were 9-inch RMLs, two on each of the forward flanks; 10-inch RMLs were mounted on eight of the twelve forward facing casemates. It was stated that it would not be possible to work with 18 10-inch guns as the fort would be too cramped. The 9-inch RMLs could fire a common, shrapnel, case or Palliser3 50lb shell up to 3,800 yards and needed a crew of nine men to fire.
The fort had a central parade ground, with the magazine complex to the east. The rear of the fort held a guardroom, stores, staff sergeant and Commanding Officer's quarters and offices. The soldiers' quarters were at the front of the fort, behind the guns and close to the cartridge stores and expense lockers. Later two barracks rooms were converted for reading and recreational purposes.
Although the fort was occupied by the Isle of Wight Artillery Militia for training in 1870, the fort finally became fully armed and operational in 1876. This was after changes to proposals of the armament of the fort as well as draining and ventilating the main magazine, which had experienced problems with damp. As early as 1880, thought was given to updating and increasing the armament in Sandown Granite Fort. It was proposed to replace the 10-inch RMLs with even more powerful 11-inch RMLs, 18-ton guns, and to increase the armour plating by an additional 5-inches.
However by 1887 two of the smaller 9-inch guns on the east flank were removed from the fort. These were replaced with two 10-inch RMLs from the forward-facing casemates. Mountings for three 3-pounder quick firing guns were placed on the roof, two on the centre, one on the east flank. These guns, however, were never mounted.
In addition, two 10-inch RMLs were moved from the centre casemates and taken to Sandown Barrack Battery where they were mounted on new, special long-range carriages. Contemporary photographs of this operation show that moving the guns required a team of 12 draft horses pulling the guns through Sandown. To aid with defence in 1891, £1,000 was spent in filling the vacant casemates solidly with concrete to protect the fort in case of enemy shell attack. The blocked solid casemates would act as traverses so enemy fire would not cause damage to the fort. The expense magazines and cartridge stores were also reinforced with extra concrete armour. In addition, Position Finder cells were placed in the surrounding area, two on the fort's roof and four on Redcliff Down. These would house the range and direction-finding instruments needed to help guide the guns to their targets.
In 1894 the Duke of Connaught's Own Hampshire and Isle of Wight Artillery manned the Sandown Bay defences including Sandown Fort. In a training session they fired the guns at a target towed in the bay at various speeds and distances, hitting the target once in 14 rounds. By 1898 the fort acquired a further three guns. These were used primarily for practice and were considered to be obsolete weapons. They were a 9-pounder RML, a 32-pounder smooth bore and a 9-pounder smooth bore. None of these would have been effective against the naval vessels being introduced at the turn of the century.
In 1904, the fort's armament was removed. In 1905 six 5-inch BL and three 3-inch quick firing guns were authorised for the top of the fort, but were not installed. Instead, the fort was used for accommodation. The fort's very strength proved to be its weakness. The gun casemates, built solidly out of granite and designed to withstand bombardment without breaking, could not be adapted to house the latest, more powerful weapons which were far larger than the weapons the fort had been designed to house. More powerful weapons simply could not be made to fit into the fort, and although it was possible to mount smaller, lighter weapons on the fort's roof, in practical terms the fort's main usefulness was over. Its role was taken over by the redeveloped Yaverland Battery and newly-constructed Culver Battery. In the early years of the 20th Century the fort was armed only with a Defence Electric Light searchlight. During the Great War, Sandown Granite Fort was used merely as a practice battery to help train conscripted soldiers.
In 1930 Sandown Granite Fort was sold off and purchased by a Ryde demolition company, who wished to use or resell the building materials. Although the rear, brick half of the fort was quickly demolished, the granite front, built to withstand the strongest weapons that could be brought to bear against it, proved impossible to destroy. Although much of the iron shields were taken away, the fort's front face withstood the full attack of the demolition company for nine years, when in 1939 war broke out and Sandown Bay again needed the fort to help defend the Island from invasion.
Second World War and PLUTO
To aid with the beach defences and sectioned pier, a concrete machine gun pillbox was built, rather conspicuously, on the top of Sandown Granite Fort to defend this vulnerable stretch of beach against infantry attacks. Sandown Bay was defended against enemy ships by Culver and Yaverland Batteries. By 1944, when the war was turning in Britain's favour, Sandown Granite Fort had another role to play. Built to defend Britain against a French invasion, Sandown Granite Fort would instead be foremost at the invasion of France. Part of Operation PLUTO – Pipe Line Under The Ocean – was based in Sandown Granite Fort.
When planning an invasion of France it was realised that the British forces would need to have fuel for their tanks and support vehicles, otherwise any attempt to liberate Europe would stall as soon as the allied fuel tanks emptied. With German forces unlikely to allow any petrol on the continent to stray into Allied hands, it was realised that the only way to successfully invade France was by laying pipelines under the English Channel to allied bases in Europe. A network of pipes was laid from the Mersey and Bristol Channel to carefully constructed pumping stations on the South coast for the two pipelines from Britain to France. Sandown Granite Fort housed one of these pumping stations, and the PLUTO pumping engine is still in the fort and on display today.4 Although technical difficulties prevented fuel from being pumped from Sandown Granite Fort in the quantities hoped for until September 1944, the PLUTO pipeline network eventually extended to the Rhine. At its height over a million gallons of petrol was pumped across the channel each day, although most of this was from the Dungeness pipe in Kent rather than from the Sandown Granite Fort pipe.
Going To The Zoo
In the post-war period, Sandown Granite Fort was acquired by Sandown Town Council who, in the 1950s, decided to open the Isle of Wight's first zoo on the site. In 1976 the zoo was sold off to a private investor, who renamed it the Isle of Wight Zoo (although residents of Sandown still call it Sandown Zoo).
As a zoo, the fort is still open to the public, however due to the nature of the animal enclosures very little of the fort can actually be explored. However the front of the fort with its blocked off casemates is very visible, with some of the iron shielding still in place. The fort's front ditch was filled in to form a carpark; consequently only the roofs of the caponiers defending the ditch are visible, as concrete slopes.
Some of the first animals introduced to the zoo after privatisation were large cats and tigers, and in the late 70s and early 80s it was a common site for tiger cubs to be taken for walks along the beach at Sandown and Yaverland.
Sandown Granite Fort, as the Isle of Wight Zoo, now claims to have the biggest collection of tigers in Britain, and even had two series of an ITV television programme, Tiger Island, made about it in 2006 and 2007. The animals on display include a wide range of other animals – not just tigers. The zoo is involved in animal management, conservation, both in Britain and worldwide, and education.
It is strange to think that a building built to defend the British Empire is now in use helping defend the tiger, one of the most iconic animals found in the former British empire, from extinction.
'Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
In Sandown Granite Fort on the Isle of Wight.'
Ngome ya Sandown Granite ilijengwa ili kuwa ngome yenye nguvu zaidi ya pwani ya Victoria ya Kisiwa cha Wight. Ngome nyingine za pwani kwenye Kisiwa cha Wight, kutia ndani makombora mengi, hazikuwa na vifaa vya kujilinda sana au hazikuwa na vitu vya kujilinda. Hata ngome za Golden Hill na Bembridge zilijengwa ili kuvumilia tu jeshi lenye silaha nyepesi, wala si kuzingirwa kwa muda mrefu. Sandown Granite Fort, hata hivyo, ilijengwa ili kuvumilia shambulio la mbele na meli ya chuma iliyokuwa na silaha nzito za kuvunja silaha zilizokuwa zikivamia Sandown Bay. Pwani ya kusini ya kisiwa cha Wight, kuanzia Needles hadi Dunnoose Point, Ventnor, ina miamba ya chokaa, udongo na mchanga, na pwani ndogo chini ya pwani kwa ajili ya jeshi la uvamizi. Sehemu dhaifu zaidi ya Kisiwa hicho iko kwenye pwani ya kusini-mashariki. Sandown Bay, pwani ya mchanga yenye urefu wa maili tano, ilikuwa wazi, ikikaribisha pengo katika miamba ya ulinzi, mita 2,000 kwa upana na vizuizi pekee vya asili kwa adui vilikuwa mteremko laini. Kwa mashua za kuendesha mashua na mashua za kuendesha mashua, mita 600 za ghuba hii zingeweza kutua salama bila kujali mawimbi na ghuba yenyewe ilikuwa imefungwa kutoka kwa upepo wa kusini magharibi. Ngome ya Sandown Granite Fort ilikuwa ngome ya tatu kujengwa ili kulinda Sandown Bay dhaifu. Sandown Castle ilijengwa wakati wa utawala wa Henry VIII wakati ngome zilipokuwa zikijitokeza kuwa ngome za makombora. Sandown Castle ilijengwa kama sehemu ya ngome za kifaa cha Henry VIII kulinda na kuimarisha Uingereza. Kazi ya ujenzi wa Sandown Castle ilianza mwaka 1544. Wakati wa uvamizi wa Ufaransa mnamo 1545, meli ya Mary Rose ilizama, na wavamizi wa Ufaransa walishindana na watetezi juu ya misingi ya ngome. Hata hivyo, ngome hiyo ilijengwa karibu sana na pwani, na kufikia mwaka wa 1623 bahari ilikuwa imevunja kuta za ngome hiyo. Sandown Castle ya pili ilibomolewa mwaka 1631 na kazi ya kujenga ngome mpya ilianza mwaka 1632. Ngome hiyo, inayojulikana pia kama Sandown Fort, ilikamilishwa mwaka 1636 na ilikuwa na bunduki 30 na silaha za watu 300. Wakati wa Vita vya Napoleon, Ufaransa ilidhaniwa kuwa tayari na uwezo wa kutua askari 10,000 na farasi na vifaa katika Sandown Bay ndani ya masaa 24. Katika miaka ya 1850 iligunduliwa kwamba ngome ya pili ilikuwa imepitwa na wakati na ilikuwa hatari kwa makombora ya kisasa, na hivyo Tume ya Kifalme ya Ulinzi ya Uingereza ya 1859 ilipendekeza ngome mpya. Jengo hilo lilikuja kujulikana kama Ngome ya Sandown Granite. "Sandown Castle na ""Uvamizi wa 1545"" ni sehemu ya ""Mafaramo ya Wight Mashariki.""" Sandown Granite Fort ni ngome ya Sandown Granite Fort, ambayo ilijengwa kwa kutumia silaha za kivita na silaha za kivita. Hata hivyo, mbinu hii ilikuwa na hasara kubwa, kama Sandown Granite Fort ilikuwa kujengwa wakati ambapo teknolojia ya silaha ilikuwa kuendeleza kwa kasi zaidi kuliko ilikuwa inawezekana kupanga na kujenga ngome uwezo wa makazi na kuvumilia silaha za kisasa. Hilo lilimaanisha kwamba mara kadhaa wakati wa ujenzi wa ngome hiyo, mipango ilibadilika. Silaha zake na vifaa vyake vya kujilinda, hasa ngao zake zenye silaha za chuma, zilibadilishwa, na hivyo kazi ya kujenga ngome hiyo ikasimamishwa. Kazi ya kujenga ngome hiyo ilianza Aprili 1861. Ingawa ujenzi wa ngome hiyo ulikuwa umekamilika mwaka wa 1864, haikuwa imefungwa hadi mwaka wa 1876. "Mipango ya awali ilikuwa kwa ngome ya granite iliyokuwa na silaha 18 katika casemates zilizolindwa na ngao za chuma, na bunduki 10 zaidi juu ya paa, ama katika nafasi au kwenye magari ya kutoweka yasiyo na hatari.""" Mwishowe, bunduki za paa ziliondolewa katika mipango hiyo ili kuokoa pesa. Makombora mawili yenye bunduki tano yangejengwa ili kuunga mkono pande zote mbili. Ingawa betri hizi pia ziliondolewa kutoka kwa mipango kwa sababu ya wasiwasi wa gharama, kazi ya kujenga ngome yenye bunduki kumi na nane iliendelea. Ujenzi wa ngome hiyo ulikuwa mgumu sana, hasa kwa sababu ya matumizi ya vifaa. "Hampshire Telegraph iliripoti hivi mwaka 1862: ""Ujenzi umehusika na idadi isiyo ya kawaida ya kazi, vifaa vyote vikubwa zaidi, ikiwa ni pamoja na vitalu vya graniti, ambavyo uzito wa kila moja ni tani 1.5 hadi 6, vinapaswa kutua katika Bandari ya Brading na kutoka hapo kusafirishwa kwa nchi kavu kupitia Bembridge Down, ambapo ngome inajengwa.""" "Kuchukua uamuzi wa mwisho wa mpangilio wa mwisho wa ngome mara nyingi ulicheleweshwa hadi dakika ya mwisho, mara nyingi kuahirisha kazi ya ujenzi: ""Uamuzi wa mwisho kuhusu chuma cha inchi 10 na embrasures lazima ufanywe.""" "Katika Desemba 17, 1863, gazeti la The Bradford Observer liliripoti kwamba ""watu wengi waliofanya kazi katika Sandown Fort walipewa mshahara siku ya Jumanne iliyopita, kwa sababu ya kazi zilizosimamishwa kwa muda, kwani inazingatia kufanya mabadiliko makubwa katika mipango ya sasa, ili kuwezesha kuunganisha bunduki za chuma nzito kuliko ilivyopangwa awali.""" "Mwaka 1866 ngome hiyo ilikuwa bado inangojea ngao za chuma, kama ilivyoripotiwa katika gazeti: ""Sandown Fort ni kazi ya granite-fronted casemated ya nguvu kubwa, na utoaji wa juu ya 20 ya bunduki nzito katika casemates yake, kupigana kupitia ngao za chuma." Ngome hiyo imekamilika miaka miwili iliyopita, lakini mabomu yake bado yanangojea ngao na bunduki zao, ingawa hii ndiyo kazi pekee ambayo inaweza kulinda Sandown Bay kutoka kwa shambulio la meli ya chuma, na milki ya adui ya Sandown, na vilele vilivyo karibu, ingehatarisha sana ulinzi wetu wa ngome za Spithead. Kuna betri nyingine kuliko ngome hii katika Sandown, lakini wote ni bure dhidi ya meli chuma, licha ya Palliser risasi na shell. ' Miaka mitatu baadaye, mwaka wa 1869, ngome hiyo ilikuwa bado ikibadilishwa. "Katika ripoti ya ujenzi wake, alisema: ""Sandown Granite Fort ni vizuri na ustadi kujengwa kwa heshima ya kudumu na utulivu na nguvu yake ya upinzani ni vizuri alibadilisha kwa nafasi inamilikiwa." "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mafunguo ya juu ya kuhifadhi silaha katika magari ya Moncrieff yana gharama ya £ 3,090.""" Moncrief Disappearing Gun Carriage (MCC) ni gari la bunduki lililotengenezwa ili kushusha bunduki nyuma ya ukuta uliohifadhiwa, mara nyingi saruji, kwa kupakia bunduki kabla ya kurudisha bunduki kwenye nafasi ya moto. Mfumo wa kupima uzito wa mwili ulianzishwa mwaka 1869. Ilitumiwa katika betri za bunduki katika miaka ya 1870 kabla ya kubadilishwa na mfumo bora zaidi wa kupanda bunduki ya hydropneumatic mnamo 1885. Muda mfupi baada ya ripoti hii, badala yake ilipendekezwa kuwa na parapet ya wapiganaji wa miguu kwenye paa la ngome. Mwishowe, katika mwaka wa 1876, ripoti zilisema hivi: 'Ulinzi wa ngome za Mashariki [Ziwa la Wight] unakamilika. Kikosi cha maofisa 38 wa daraja la pili na askari wa Kikosi cha Pili cha Royal Artillery, ambacho kitakuwa kimesimama hapa kwa kudumu chini ya amri ya Kapteni Burton, kimeajiriwa katika kupanda bunduki za tani 18 na kupiga risasi za pauni 400. "Hampshire Telegraph iliripoti hivi: ""Kijiji hicho cha Sandown kilikuwa na nguvu nyingi." Sehemu ya mbele ya kulia na ya kushoto ina urefu wa mita 156, na sehemu ya kulia na ya kushoto ina urefu wa mita 116 na sehemu ya kulia na ya kushoto ina urefu wa mita 150. Mto huo, wenye urefu wa futi 240, umefungwa na vyumba vya maofisa, na wote umezungukwa na mtaro mkubwa na wa kina, wenye mipako mikubwa. Sehemu ya mbele na ya kulia na ya kushoto ya jengo hilo imefunikwa kwa mawe ya graniti ya Penrhyn yenye unene wa meta tisa, yaliyofunikwa kwa chuma. "Mipango ya kazi ilitoa kwa ajili ya kufunika hii granite mbele na 10 inchi ya chuma plating, na na chuma embrasures, kila moja ya upana wa mita mbili, na kutoa bunduki katika casemates mafunzo ya 35 ""." "Kisemat za bunduki za ngome hiyo mpya, kumi na mbili mbele na tatu upande wa kulia na wa kushoto, zitakuwa na uwezo wa kuweka bunduki zenye uzito na kalibu za ajabu.""" Kazi itakuwa na amri nzuri juu ya pande zote mbili juu ya ardhi ya chini ambayo inasimama, wakati juu ya kazi itakuwa vizuri kuvuka kwa risasi risasi. Vituo vya nyuma vya makombora vilikuwa na nafasi ya kutosha ya kubeba watu 100 chini ya matao yaliyohifadhiwa. Katikati ya uwanja wa maandamano, tank imejengwa na vifaa vya kuchuja, uwezo wa kushikilia galoni 10,000 za maji kwa ajili ya matumizi ya askari. Maji hayo yatakusanywa kutoka katika eneo la ngome, kutoka kwenye paa la makao ya maofisa na kwenye uwanja wa kazi. Jumba kuu lina kuta za matofali zenye unene wa futi nne, zilizowekwa katika saruji, tabaka za nje za matofali zikiwa na nyuso za glasi ili kuzuia unyevu kwa kugusa na kifuniko cha ardhi. Ina vifuniko vya hewa vilivyo wazi kwenye kuta zake na itaweza kubeba masanduku 2,000 ya poda. Gharama ya kazi, bila chuma plating au embrasures, ni karibu £ 30,000. Kwa kweli, gharama ya jumla ya ngome, baada ya ucheleweshaji wote na ikiwa ni pamoja na gharama ya ngao za chuma, ilikuwa £ 73,876. Ngome ya Sandown Granite ilikuwa ngome yenye umbo la pembe saba, karibu na umbo la lozenge. Sehemu ya mbele ya ngome, iliyokuwa karibu na bahari, ambayo ilikuwa wazi kwa meli ya adui, ilijengwa kwa mawe ya graniti yaliyohifadhiwa na silaha za chuma; sehemu ya nyuma ya ngome ilijengwa kwa matofali. Mzunguko wa ngome nzima ulikuwa na mtaro uliohifadhiwa na wapiga-moto wanne, katika pembe za kaskazini-mashariki, kaskazini-magharibi, kusini-mashariki na kusini-magharibi: wawili wakikabili bahari, wawili wakikabili nchi kavu. Upatikanaji wa ngome ilikuwa karibu na kaskazini-mashariki caponier juu ya daraja liwezalo kuunganishwa na daraja fasta. Wakati ngome ilikuwa kwanza silaha, alipokea 12 RML bunduki badala ya 18 9-inch bunduki ilikuwa iliyoundwa kwa ajili ya. RMLs za inchi 9 zilikuwa nne, mbili kwenye kila upande wa mbele; RMLs za inchi 10 zilikuwa zimewekwa kwenye nane kati ya casemates kumi na mbili zinazokabili mbele. "Ilikuwa ni vigumu kwa jeshi la Marekani kuweza kuendesha makombora 18 ya inchi 10 kwa sababu ""ngome ilikuwa ndogo sana.""" RMLs 9 inch inaweza risasi kawaida, shrapnel, kesi au Palliser 3 50 lb shell hadi yadi 3,800 na zinahitaji wafanyakazi tisa kwa risasi. Ngome hiyo ilikuwa na uwanja wa maandamano katikati, na jengo la magazeti upande wa mashariki. Sehemu ya nyuma ya ngome ilikuwa na chumba cha walinzi, maduka, ofisi za maofisa na ofisi za maofisa. Makao ya askari-jeshi yalikuwa mbele ya ngome, nyuma ya bunduki na karibu na maduka ya risasi na makabati ya gharama. Baadaye vyumba viwili vya kambi vilibadilishwa kuwa vyumba vya kusoma na vya burudani. Ingawa ngome ilichukuliwa na Isle of Wight Artillery Militia kwa ajili ya mafunzo katika 1870, ngome hatimaye akawa silaha kikamilifu na kazi katika 1876. Hii ilikuwa baada ya mabadiliko ya mapendekezo ya silaha ya ngome, pamoja na kuondoa na uingizaji hewa wa jarida kuu, ambalo lilikuwa na matatizo na unyevu. Katika mwaka wa 1880, jeshi la Uingereza lilianza kuanzisha na kuimarisha ngome ya Sandown Granite. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""RML"" ya 10 inchi ilibadilishwa na ""RML"" ya 11 inchi yenye nguvu zaidi, bunduki za tani 18, na kuongeza upangaji wa silaha kwa inchi 5 za ziada." Hata hivyo, katika mwaka wa 1887 makombora mawili madogo ya inchi 9 kwenye upande wa mashariki yaliondolewa kwenye ngome hiyo. Hizi zilibadilishwa na mbili 10-inch RMLs kutoka mbele-kuangalia casemates. Vipande vya risasi tatu za risasi za haraka za paundi tatu viliwekwa kwenye paa, mbili katikati, moja upande wa mashariki. Hata hivyo, bunduki hizo hazikuwekwa kamwe. Kwa kuongezea, RML mbili za inchi 10 zilihamishwa kutoka kwa casemates za katikati na kupelekwa Sandown Barrack Battery ambapo zilipandwa kwenye magari mapya ya kipekee ya masafa marefu. Picha za wakati huo za operesheni hiyo zinaonyesha kwamba kuhamisha bunduki hizo kulihitaji timu ya farasi 12 wa kuvuta bunduki kupitia Sandown. Ili kusaidia na ulinzi, £ 1,000 ilitumiwa kujaza casemates tupu kwa saruji ili kulinda ngome katika kesi ya shell shambulio la adui. Vituo vyenye nguvu vilivyofungwa vingefanya kazi kama njia za kuvuka ili moto wa adui usisababishe uharibifu kwa ngome hiyo. Magazeti ya gharama na maduka ya cartridge pia yaliimarishwa na silaha za ziada za saruji. Kwa kuongezea, seli za Kupata Nafasi ziliwekwa katika eneo la karibu, mbili kwenye paa la ngome na nne kwenye Redcliff Down. Hizi zingekuwa na vifaa vya kugundua umbali na mwelekeo vinavyohitajiwa ili kusaidia kuongoza bunduki kwenye malengo yao. Katika 1894 Duke wa Connaught mwenyewe Hampshire na Isle of Wight Artillery manned Sandown Bay ulinzi ikiwa ni pamoja na Sandown Fort. Katika kipindi cha mazoezi, walirusha risasi kwenye shabaha iliyokuwa ikibebwa kwenye ghuba kwa kasi na umbali mbalimbali, na kuipiga mara moja katika raundi 14. Kufikia mwaka wa 1898, ngome hiyo ilipata bunduki nyingine tatu. Hizi zilitumiwa hasa kwa ajili ya mazoezi na zilionwa kuwa silaha zilizopitwa na wakati. "Kama vile ""RM"" ya paundi 9, ""RM"" ya paundi 32 na ""RM"" ya paundi 9." Hakuna mojawapo ya hizo ingekuwa yenye matokeo dhidi ya meli za majini zilizoletwa mwanzoni mwa karne hii. Mnamo mwaka wa 1904, silaha za ngome hiyo ziliondolewa. Mwaka 1905 silaha sita za 5 inch na tatu za 3 inch zilitumiwa kwenye ngome hiyo, lakini hazikuwekwa. Badala yake, ngome hiyo ilitumiwa kama makao. Nguvu ya ngome hiyo ilithibitika kuwa udhaifu wake. Vituo vya bunduki vilivyojengwa kwa nguvu kwa graniti na vilivyotengenezwa kuvumilia mashambulizi bila kuvunjika, havingeweza kubadilishwa ili kuhifadhi silaha za kisasa, zenye nguvu zaidi ambazo zilikuwa kubwa zaidi kuliko silaha ambazo ngome hiyo ilikuwa imebuniwa kuhifadhi. Silaha zenye nguvu zaidi hazikuweza kutengenezwa ili ziingie ndani ya ngome, na ingawa ilikuwa inawezekana kuweka silaha ndogo, nyepesi kwenye paa la ngome, kwa maneno ya vitendo, matumizi makuu ya ngome yalikuwa yamekwisha. Jukumu lake lilichukuliwa na Yaverland Battery iliyoboreshwa na Culver Battery iliyojengwa hivi karibuni. Katika miaka ya mapema ya karne ya 20, ngome ilikuwa na silaha tu na ulinzi umeme mwanga searchlight. Wakati wa Vita Kuu ya Ulimwengu, Ngome ya Sandown Granite ilitumiwa tu kama betri ya mazoezi ili kusaidia mafunzo ya askari waliojitolea. Sandown Granite Fort iliuzwa na kununuliwa na kampuni ya Ryde ya uharibifu, ambayo ilitaka kutumia au kuuza vifaa vya ujenzi. Ingawa sehemu ya nyuma ya ngome hiyo ilibomolewa upesi, sehemu ya mbele ya ngome hiyo ya mawe ya mawe, iliyojengwa kwa njia ambayo ingeweza kuvumilia silaha zenye nguvu zaidi zilizokuwa zikitumiwa, haikuweza kuharibiwa. Ingawa sehemu kubwa ya ngao za chuma ziliondolewa, uso wa mbele wa ngome ulivumilia shambulio kamili la kampuni ya uharibifu kwa miaka tisa, wakati vita vilipotokea mnamo 1939 na Sandown Bay tena ilihitaji ngome kusaidia kulinda Kisiwa kutoka kwa uvamizi. Ili kusaidia na ulinzi wa pwani na pier iliyotenganishwa, sanduku la bunduki ya saruji lilijengwa, badala ya kuonekana, juu ya Sandown Granite Fort ili kulinda sehemu hii dhaifu ya pwani dhidi ya mashambulizi ya wanajeshi. Sandown Bay ililindwa dhidi ya meli za adui na Culver na Yaverland Batteries. Mwaka 1944 vita vilipokuwa vikipenda Uingereza, ngome ya Sandown Granite ilikuwa na jukumu jingine la kucheza. Jengo la Sandown, lililojengwa ili kulinda Uingereza dhidi ya uvamizi wa Ufaransa, lilitumiwa kama ngome ya graniti wakati wa uvamizi wa Ufaransa. Sehemu ya operesheni ya PLUTO <unk> Pipe Line Under The Ocean <unk> ilikuwa msingi katika Sandown Granite Fort. Wakati wa kupanga uvamizi wa Ufaransa ilitambuliwa kwamba majeshi ya Uingereza yangehitaji kuwa na mafuta kwa ajili ya mizinga yao na magari ya msaada, vinginevyo jaribio lolote la kuachilia Ulaya lingekoma mara tu mabomu ya mafuta ya washirika yalipoisha. Kwa kuwa ilikuwa vigumu kwa Ujerumani kuruhusu mafuta yoyote ya bara hilo kuingia mikononi mwa Muungano, iligunduliwa kwamba njia pekee ya kufanikiwa kuvamia Ufaransa ilikuwa kwa kuweka mabomba chini ya Mlango-Bahari wa Uingereza kuelekea vituo vya Muungano huko Ulaya. Mfumo wa mabomba uliwekwa kutoka Mfereji wa Mersey na Bristol hadi vituo vya kusukuma vilivyojengwa kwa uangalifu kwenye pwani ya Kusini kwa mabomba mawili kutoka Uingereza hadi Ufaransa. Sandown Granite Fort ilikuwa moja ya vituo vya kusukuma, na injini ya kusukuma ya PLUTO bado iko katika ngome na inaonyeshwa leo. ingawa ugumu wa kiufundi ulizuia mafuta kutoka Sandown Granite Fort katika kiasi kilichotarajiwa hadi Septemba 1944, mtandao wa bomba la PLUTO hatimaye ulipanuka hadi Rhine. Wakati wa msimu huo, zaidi ya galoni milioni moja za petroli zilipeperushwa kila siku, ingawa nyingi zilitoka kwenye bomba la Dungeness huko Kent badala ya bomba la Sandown Granite Fort. Baada ya vita, Sandown Granite Fort ilinunuliwa na Halmashauri ya Jiji la Sandown, ambayo, katika miaka ya 1950, iliamua kufungua bustani ya wanyama ya kwanza ya Isle of Wight. Mnamo 1976, bustani ya wanyama iliuzwa kwa mwekezaji binafsi, ambaye alibadilisha jina lake kuwa Isle of Wight Zoo (ingawa wakazi wa Sandown bado wanaiita Sandown Zoo). Kama bustani ya wanyama, ngome bado ni wazi kwa umma, hata hivyo kutokana na asili ya wanyama enclosures kidogo sana ya ngome inaweza kweli kuchunguzwa. Hata hivyo, sehemu ya mbele ya ngome hiyo yenye ngome zilizofungwa inaonekana sana, na baadhi ya ngao za chuma bado ziko. Bonde la mbele la ngome lilijazwa ili kufanyiza mahali pa kuegesha magari; kwa hiyo paa tu za caponiers zinazolinda bonde hilo zinaonekana, kama mteremko wa saruji. Miongoni mwa wanyama wa kwanza walioletwa kwenye bustani ya wanyama baada ya ubinafsishaji walikuwa paka wakubwa na simbamarara, na mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1970 na mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1980, ilikuwa ni mahali pa kawaida kwa watoto wa simbamarara kutembea kando ya pwani huko Sandown na Yaverland. Sandown Granite Fort, ambayo sasa ni bustani ya wanyama ya Isle of Wight, ina mkusanyiko mkubwa wa simba nchini Uingereza, na hata ilikuwa na safu mbili za ITV ya programu ya televisheni, Tiger Island, iliyofanywa juu yake mnamo 2006. Wanyama wanaowasilishwa ni pamoja na wanyama wengine wengi - si simbamarara tu. Bustani ya wanyama inahusika katika usimamizi wa wanyama, uhifadhi, wote nchini Uingereza na ulimwenguni kote, na elimu. Ni ajabu kufikiria kwamba jengo lililojengwa kulinda Milki ya Uingereza sasa linatumiwa kusaidia kulinda simbamarara, moja ya wanyama maarufu zaidi waliopatikana katika milki ya zamani ya Uingereza, kutoka kwa kutoweka. 'Tiger, Tiger, kuchoma mkali katika Sandown Granite Fort juu ya Kisiwa cha Wight.'