3
Historical Development
3.1
The fort context
The design of Elizabeth Fort was based on the star fortifications which evolved in Europe from the 15 th century on. The change from medieval fortress to star fort came about as the use of cannon developed. They were further developed in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries primarily in response to the French invasion of the Italian peninsula. In order to counteract the power of new weapons, defensive walls were made lower and thicker and were built of earth and/or stone or brick. The development of bastions with sharply constructed corners provided cover for each other, while deep ditches outside the walls were another line of defence from attack. The bastions were surmounted by parapets, with access by steps or ramps. The design came to its ultimate development in the designs by Vauban and others in the late 17 th century. After the siege of 1690, when Elizabeth Fort was taken, it was no longer an e ff ective defensive structure against advancements in artillery. The area immediately outside the fort had been developed and built upon, so that modernisation by expansion was not an option. A description of the fort in 1690 from Wolseley’s John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough states: “Fort Elizabeth was a strong, square, well-built modern work with four bastions and a sort of ravelin in the middle of its northern face. The rock on which this fort stands was scarped towards the city, but its south face was weak and it was looked into by the Catt….The terre-plein of the bastions is about sixty-five feet higher than the city at the North and South Gates. ”
David Kelly Partnership with Margaret Quinlan Architects
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