Upnor
- Photograph,Mixed Media
- 15 by 10 inches or bigger
- unframed
-
£55.00
- Upnor Castle is a well preserved gun fort, built between 1559 and 1567 on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I to defend her warships at anchor in the reaches of the Medway and Chatham Dockyard.
Due to its sheltered position, close to London, the River Medway was used to build and repair warships, and to moor them in ordinary, that is with the rigging sails removed.
To protect this fleet, Queen Elizabeth and her Privy council ordered in 1559, that a bulwark be built on the river at Upnor in the parish of Frindsbury for the protection of our navy.
Six 'indifferent persons' selected a site opposite St Mary's Creek and 6 acres of land was purchased for £25 from Mr Thomas Devinisshe of Frindsbury.
The bulwark was designed by Sir Richard Lee, but the building was supervised by Humphrey Locke and Richard Watts.The building cost £3621. Stage one was finished in 1564.
A further £728 was immediately spent on lead for the roof. In 1564 twenty three ships of the Queen largest ships were moored in Bridge Reach.
In 1582, the Queen held a review of ships at Upnor, in honour of the Duke of Anjou.
In 1585, at the instigation of William Bourne the Master Gunner, a chain was laid across the river, as this was more effective than gunfire in sinking enemy ships.
The castle however was inadequately manned, and further modifications were planned.
In October 1599, Sir John Leveson's estimate for new works was accepted. A timber palisade was placed in the river, the water bastion was raised to a greater height with a parapet of good height and an enclosing ditch 18 ft deep and 32 ft wide dug to protect the castle from the landward side.
This was costed at £761 9s 10d. 612 tons of rag-stone and 223 tons of ashlar was removed from Rochester Castle.