Fort Madalena

Fort Madalena, built during Queen Victoria's reign, is part of the vast defence lines once called the North-West Front and later renamed the Victoria Lines. Construction happened in three phases. First, a pentagonal fort was built from 1878 to 1880 as part of the Victoria Lines. Next, a 9.2-inch coastal defence battery was added to the fort's seaward side.
Later, the Royal Air Force occupied Fort Madalena, using it as a communications post. New structures were added during this time, marking the third phase. Today, it serves as the headquarters and training school of the St John Rescue Corps, with regular training exercises taking place on-site.
Though the original fort is relatively compact, the entire area covers roughly 20,000 square metres. Each short side of the pentagon is about 30 metres, with a surrounding ditch 6 metres deep and 4 metres wide. The seaward extension once held two 9.2-inch coastal guns, and the original mounts, as well as the 6-inch magazines and 9.2-inch shell stores with their ammo lifts, are still visible. Access to the fort is through a narrow passage in the scarp and a narrow concrete bridge, which replaced the original Guthrie rolling wooden drawbridge. The ditch is protected by intricate counter-scarp galleries.