History Challenge & Journal

[Jimbob]

Not in the UK,not that old. A bit dry looking for the UK. You could (say edit.) the word Iron is associated.

[STEVE G]

I enjoy this thread very much. It's inevitable that the answer is out there somewhere - the trick is to make it difficult enough so that it can't be answered with a simple google search, but not so obscure that it's impossible.

Can you give us a challenge, Steve?

I'll try to have something ready for when we've worked out where Jimbobs fort is.

[dtaai-maai]

Well, he's stumped me. It's somewhere drier than the UK and it's less than 2,000 years old. And it might be associated with the word "iron".

[bonnielass]

Och JimBob, goan give us a wee clue, will ye....

[STEVE G]

To me it looks like a temporary fortification on a battlefield but i can't place it. I thought of the Boer war but the trees don't look right for that.

[sandman67]

looks to me like some early ore smelting set up....the two rows of four kiln entries on the front of the two lozenge ditch things. The tower could be a pit head like you see in Cornish tin mnes.

1700s?
Germany or France?

[Jimbob]

Its sorta linked to the last quiz in being referenced to the Iron Duke (not the Puke Duke: John Wayne).

[dtaai-maai]

Ah, now we're talking - probably the site of a battle in the Peninsular Wars - Spain, or maybe Portugal.

[dtaai-maai]

Site of a battle or the basic remains of a ruined fortress, but I can't find it. Those pentagonal shapes suggest a fortress, something like this

neuhause.jpg (37.51 KiB) Viewed 291 times

[Jimbob]

DM: your last posts are in the right direction. Find the right synanom for this style of fortress and you will quickly get it. It was built in secret and gave the French a shock when they marched up to it.

[pharvey]

The shape depicted in DM's post is a Trace Italienne. A design developed during the French invasion of the Italian Peninsula as a defense against canon fire(?).

15th century......

Can't seem to find this one anywhere though.

[dtaai-maai]

I'm thinking 'redoubt' for the moment...

[dtaai-maai]

One of the Lines of Torres Vedras built 1809-1810 on Wellington's orders to defend Lisbon?

[pharvey]

Fair shout DM - it seems it is: -

The Great Redoubt at Sobral, also known as Alqueidão Fort, military building nr. 14, was one of the most important military fortifications of the first line. Its garrison consisted of approximately 1,600 men and was equipped with 25 pieces of artillery, of calibre 12 in their majority. The construction of the Fort started on November 4th, 1809, under the supervision of Captain Williams.
Due to its privileged location it is a fantastic belvedere over the region.

Taken from http://itinerante.pt/poi/forte-alqueidao?lang=en

[pharvey]

Assuming DM is correct and has nailed this History Challenge, thought I'd post a sneaky question.....

What and when is this, and how are the 2 fine gentlemen connected?

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