Fort Belan

Fort Belan is a compact coastal fortification built according to the polygonal system, likely influenced by Fort George in Scotland, dating from the 18th century. It comprises curtain walls and concentric walls enclosing a stone-reveted ditch and an inner parade ground and barracks. The fort has an oblong plan with salients on the north and south ends and is constructed of rubblestone with slate roofs to the inner ranges.

At the landward end, the wall projects as a redan featuring a gun platform with broadly battered walls and rounded corners. An inner wall runs from this to circular sentry towers to the west and east, then north to defend the barracks. The main entrance is through a vaulted tunnel beneath the gun platform, crossing the ditch via a drawbridge. The tunnel's gateways are edged with ashlar. This leads to the crenellated perimeter wall of the inner parade ground, which is partially cement-rendered to the south and buttressed to the sides. The gatehouse features mock cross-loops, broad archways flanked by rectangular gun-ports, and a plaque displaying the Wynn family's double-headed eagle.

Outbuildings at this end include stables to the east, featuring brick voussoirs, and a possible magazine to the west. Barrack quarters on the west and east sides, partly later additions, are cement-rendered with monopitch slate roofs, cement-rendered chimneys, and small-pane sash windows, some with porches and segmental arched entrances. Belan House and Newborough House to the west have camber-headed windows. Newborough House has been enlarged with a gable to the right of the porch and square-headed sashes, with a four-window range at the north end stepped forward.

On the east side, the five-bay central block, named Over The Way, is stepped up with a central porch flanked by camber-headed 16-pane sashes. A further gatehouse lies at the north end, flanked inside by monopitch powder stores; a sundial above the archway is dated 1898. A later timber navigation look-out tower sits atop the gatehouse. At the extreme north end is a gun battery platform retaining 14 cannons dated 1846 or 1847, and one smaller cannon in the centre. Access to this platform and the wall-walk is provided by steps and ramps.

Half-hipped roof buildings are sunk between the wall-walk and parade buildings at the centre; the one to the east has a broad carriage arch with half-glazed doors, and the one to the west is weatherboarded. A former bakehouse is at the north-west end, and a postern gate on the north end of the east side leads underneath the inner wall-walk.

The interior was not accessible at the time of survey.