Fort Matilda
Fort Matilda is an area of the town of Greenock in Inverclyde, Scotland. Its name comes from a coastal battery built on Whiteforeland Point 1814–1819 to defend the River Clyde.[1]
History
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In 1862 the Confederate paddle steamer Iona I collided with Chanticleer and sank off Fort Matilda. There was no loss of life. The site of the wreck is designated as a Historic Marine Protected Area.[2]
The suburb is served by Fort Matilda railway station which was built for the Caledonian Railway in 1889.[1][3]
In the 1890s the fort was renovated with the addition of a pier to support a minefield which had been built offshore, and refurbished again in 1902–1904.[1][4]
A Royal Naval Torpedo Factory was opened in Fort Matilda in 1910–1912 which was designed to be the principal centre of torpedo manufacture and development in Britain.[5] The location sits on the opposite side of the River Clyde from the Holy Loch, which was used as a torpedo testing range.[6] The pier at Fort Matilda was widely used by the United States Navy as an unloading point for supplies destined for the base on the Holy Loch.[7]
During World War I the military base was the headquarters of the Renfrewshire Fortress Engineers.[8] The fort was demolished shortly before World War II[1] and the torpedo factory closed in 1951 when production was moved to Alexandria.[5]
Today
[edit | edit source]Today Fort Matilda is a mostly residential suburb of villas and town houses between Greenock and Gourock town centres.[9][10] It is home to the largest confectionery factory in Scotland, Buchanan's,[11] Greenock Wanderers rugby club,[12] and the Royal West of Scotland Amateur boating club.[13] Battery Park in the area also plays host to the Gourock Highland Games.[14]
References
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