Fort Perch Rock is a former defence installation situated at the mouth of Liverpool Bay in New Brighton, Merseyside, England. Built in the 1820s to defend the Port of Liverpool, it is now a tourist attraction and museum. It has been used as a venue for musical concerts and is a Grade II* listed building. The fort's cafe "The Mess" is open daily from 9 a.m. A World War 2 escape room concept "Escape the Fort" runs within the fort.

History

Fort Perch Rock is a coastal defence battery built between 1825 and 1829, with the foundation stone being laid in 1826. It was built to protect the Port of Liverpool and proposed as a fortified lighthouse to replace the old Perch Rock Light; however, a separate lighthouse was built. mounted on platforms. It was nicknamed the 'Little Gibraltar of the Mersey'.

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The projected cost of building was £27,065.0s.8d. Kitson ensured that this budget was not exceeded, finishing the fort for a total cost of £26,965.0s.8d. The "Escape The Fort" escape room opened in 2022 and is available for bookings daily.

The World War Two drama The Black Rock was filmed at Fort Perch Rock in 2024. The film stars Kyle Brookes and Charles Riley, and is directed by Andrew Games.

In literature and the arts

In the poetical illustration The Black-Rock Fort and Lighthouse, by Letitia Elizabeth Landon to an engraving of a painting by Samuel Austin, she imagines the beacon light as a welcoming sight to voyagers returning home to England.

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File:Fort Perch Rock Lighthouse.jpg|Perch Rock Lighthouse

File:Fort Perch Rock entrance crest.jpg|Crest above the entrance

File:Fort Perch Rock 1991.jpg|Fort Perch Rock with Liverpool in the distance

Image:Fortperchrock.jpg|View from the top of Fort Perch Rock

Image:Fort Perch Rock 2 Wirral.jpg|Fort Perch Rock

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See also

  • Fort Crosby
  • Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
  • Listed buildings in New Brighton, Merseyside
  • Seaforth Battery

References

Bibliography

  • Fort Perch Rock's website