Walls, towers and ramparts.
Hillforts, Roman walls, castles and gun towers, from the Isle of Man to Japan. Every fact here links to its source. Start with the game: can you tell your forts apart?
Name that fort
8 clues. Pick the kind of fort each one describes.
Press start for your first clue.
Eight kinds of fort
- Hillfort
- Broch
- Roman wall fort
- Motte-and-bailey
- Edward I castle
- Star fort
- Martello tower
- Japanese castle
Each clue in the game is one of the facts on the fort file. After you pick, the full fact and its source appear. The gate drawing is our own, not a real place.
What is forts.im?
forts.im is a small hub for castles and fortifications, for adult heritage fans, families and schools. Each subject gets its own site with sourced facts, games and printables. Some true things to start with:
A wall across Britain
Hadrian’s Wall was 118 km (73 miles) long, crossing northern Britain from coast to coast. [source]
The Isle of Man’s castle
Castle Rushen in Castletown is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the British Isles. [source]
Towers against Napoleon
When Napoleon threatened to invade, 74 Martello towers were built on the most vulnerable stretch of England’s Channel coast. [source]
Built for a king
Caernarfon is grouped with Edward I’s castles at Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech as a World Heritage Site. [source]
Open now
Two fort sites are open. Their links open in a new tab.
- Hadrian’s Wall & Roman forts
hadrians-wall.forts.imThe Wall from coast to coast, its forts, milecastles and turrets, and life for the soldiers who lived there.
Open nowThe Complete Hadrian’s Wall Printables Bundle, $12.99 - Motte-and-bailey castles
motte-and-bailey.forts.imThe mound-and-yard castles of the 11th century, how they were built and how they turned into stone castles.
Open nowThe Complete Motte & Bailey Castles Printables Bundle, $12.99
Coming soon
Eight more sites are planned. The three marked “First wave” come next.
- Edward I’s castles in WalesFirst wave
welsh-castles.forts.imPlanned: Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech, the World Heritage castles built for Edward I.
Coming soon - HillfortsFirst wave
hillforts.forts.imPlanned: Iron Age hillforts in Britain and beyond, from Maiden Castle in Dorset to smaller hilltop forts.
Coming soon - Isle of Man castles & fortsFirst wave
isle-of-man.forts.imPlanned: Castle Rushen, Peel Castle and the other fortifications of the Isle of Man, told from the island.
Coming soon - Star forts
star-forts.forts.imPlanned: why gunpowder gave forts their star shape, from Venice’s bastions to the forts of Vauban.
Coming soon - Martello towers
martello-towers.forts.imPlanned: the round coastal gun towers built against Napoleon, and where to find them today.
Coming soon - Japanese castles
japanese-castles.forts.imPlanned: Himeji and other Japanese castles, their wooden towers, stone bases and white plaster walls.
Coming soon - Crusader castles
crusader-castles.forts.imPlanned: Krak des Chevaliers and the castles of the Crusades in the Middle East.
Coming soon - Brochs
brochs.forts.imPlanned: Scotland’s Iron Age stone towers, with Mousa Broch in Shetland as the star.
Coming soon
Sister hubs
forts.im is part of the same REALLYBYTE family as these hubs:
Enjoyed the forts?
forts.im has no adverts and sets no cookies. A little support helps the next fort site get built.