▁priority . ▁ ▁Hur st ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁new ▁heavy , ▁R ML ▁guns ▁in ▁heavily ▁protected ▁cas em ated ▁positions . ▁These ▁weapons ▁were ▁slow ▁to ▁reload , ▁so ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁castle ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁good ▁chance ▁of ▁hitting ▁enemy ▁ships ▁passing ▁at ▁speed , ▁two ▁long ▁batter ies ▁of ▁weapons ▁were ▁built ▁onto ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁castle , ▁a ▁west ▁wing ▁with ▁ 3 7 ▁gun ▁positions ▁and ▁an ▁east ▁wing ▁with ▁ 2 4 ▁positions . ▁These ▁were ▁built ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁gun ▁batter ies ▁constructed ▁there ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁before ▁and ▁also ▁required ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁mo at ▁to ▁be ▁filled ▁in . ▁As ▁work ▁progress ed , ▁the ▁decision ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁rein force ▁the ▁batter ies ▁with ▁additional ▁iron ▁shield s . ▁ ▁The ▁work ▁eventually ▁cost ▁£ 2 1 1 , 0 0 0 ; ▁it ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁with ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁being ▁completed ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁the ▁additional ▁iron ▁shield ing ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁In ▁pe ac etime , ▁the ▁castle ▁held ▁around ▁ 1 3 1 ▁officers ▁and ▁men ▁but ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁substantial ly ▁rein for ced ▁during ▁w art ime ▁if ▁all ▁the ▁weapons ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁man ned . ▁Although ▁the ▁fort ▁never ▁received ▁its ▁full ▁complement ▁of ▁guns , ▁by ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁it ▁had ▁ten ▁ 1 2 . 5