Former Gatehouse Datestone, Fort Blockhouse

The former gatehouse datestone of Fort Blockhouse was originally constructed around 1709. It was altered with an additional inscription around 1813 and was moved to a concrete plinth as a freestanding monument after the gatehouse was demolished in 1960.

This datestone, now a standalone feature, is made of Portland stone ashlar and stands approximately 4 meters high and 2 meters wide on a two-tiered stepped concrete plinth. The lower section consists of tooled Portland stone voussoirs that once formed the entrance arch of the gatehouse. The keystone is intricately carved with a shield displaying three cannons on wheeled gun carriages, accompanied by three cannon balls. Above the shield, the inscription "ANNO" is present, with the date "1709" below it, both enclosed within a decorative cartouche.

The next section features a stone course followed by a frieze topped with a cyma-reversa moulding. The frieze bears the inscription "REFORMED/ MDCCCXIII." At the top of the frieze is a stone panel carved with the royal cypher and crown of Queen Anne, flanked by two shoulder-scrolls, one adorned with rose decoration and the other with a thistle. The monument is finished with a cornice that has a cavetto and cyma-recta moulding. The back and sides of the monument are plain and have been finished with render.