Humber Forts

The Humber Forts are two large fortifications in the mouth of the Humber estuary in northern England: Haile Sand Fort (coord|53|32|4|N|0|2|1|E|type:landmark) and Bull Sand Fort (coord|53|33|43|N|0|4|3|E|type:landmark).

They were built in 1914 to protect the entrance to the estuary. They stand Convert|18|m|ft|lk=on above the water and have a diameter of Convert|25|m|ft|lk=off. There was accommodation for 200 soldiers. They took three years to build and construction finished at almost the same time as the war.During World War II they remained as a deterrent and were regularly attacked by enemy aircraft.During this time a netting was put up to prevent enemy submarines travelling up the estuary to Hull or Grimsby.

Haile Sand Fort is around the low water mark between Cleethorpes and Humberston on the Lincolnshire coast.

Bull Sand Fort is Convert|1.5|mi|km|lk=on from shore off Spurn Head. It is a 4 storey masonry building with Convert|12|in|mm|lk=on|adj=on armour, with Convert|4.6|in|mm|lk=off|adj=on guns, built with great difficulty as its sandbank is Convert|11|ft|m|lk=off below low water. There are plans to convert it into a drug detoxification centre. [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4985144.stm
title = Drugs detox plan for WWI fort
accessdate = 2008-07-11
coauthors =
date = 22 May 2006
work = BBC News Online
publisher = BBC]

Administratively, it is within the East Riding of Yorkshire.

References

External links

* [http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/Humberforts.htm Humber Forts page on North East Lincolnshire Council website]