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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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Coll,
thought you might like this, taken two weeks ago in PMB.


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Alan

Many thanks !

It looks to be in good condition, or is there some work necessary ?

Thanks again.

Coll
Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Location: Wales
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Coll,

it seemed generally sound and apart from a few weeds was in good order.
The rest of the cemetery was also in good order and well tended with many military graves ranging from that period to the second world war. I have other pics of the area if wanted.

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Location: Wales
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Coll, you may also be interested to know that there is a 'Durnford Lodge' in Ladysmith. If you get out there, that's obviously where you'll stay!

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Alan

Great to know all are being cared for in the cemetery.

It appears that I'll be easy to find, if I ever get to S.A., as anywhere with Durnford in the title, that's where I'll be ! Wink

In saying that, I've recently been looking at pictures of Fort Durnford, which Col. D. was involved in, and wondered if you've ever visited it, as it appears to be a very impressive solid building ?

Thanks

Coll
Alan
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Coll wrote:
wondered if you've ever visited it, as it appears to be a very impressive solid building ?


Afraid not Coll. Not even sure where it is.

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Alan

It is mentioned as being built in Estcourt 1874/75.

Apparently it became the barracks of the Natal Mounted Police, but is a museum now.

Coll
Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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That's right, Coll. By Nov 1874 "a strong party of the 75th" was already at work on the laager, or fort, which had originally been due to be named "Fort Cooper" but was eventually named after the Colonial Engineer who chose the site & designed the laager in the aftermath of the Bushman's River Pass episode. It was finished in 1875.

It was erected fairly close to the old Bushman's River Drift (the name by which Estcourt was previously known up to 1863), and just to the east of the road to Pietermaritzburg, which left the town in a south-easterly direction. It was never garrisoned by imperial infantry, nor did it ever see a shot fired in anger and, as Coll says, was thereafter used by the NMP - until c1900, when it was converted into a reformatory. In 1960 it was apparently turned into accommodation for teachers at the African school which had been established in the old stable block, but was in disrepair before being purchased by Estcourt's municipal council from the goverment, being declared a national monument in 1974. Four years later moves were made to convert it into the museum it is today.

I'd very much like to visit it myself one day - the design itself seems remarkable (to someone ignorant of fort architecture). Without looking up Laband & Thompson right now, I have a feeling it was prepared for use as a laager in 1879 for the people of Weenen District. I daresay Smith was very familiar with it during his incumbency of the parish, even though his original church of St Matthew was at the far, northern end of Estcourt itself.

Peter
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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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Peter,

I passed the NMP building on 15th January......very impressive.

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Alan
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This is the NMP building in PMB which I passed a couple of weeks ago.




Just thought you'd be interested.

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Peter

Is Fort Durnford's layout shown in a detailed diagram in a book by Laband & Thompson ?

I've only got the small layout shown in Droogleever's book.

Not from any books, but I'd really be very keen to know if it would be possible to obtain a full-size (A3?) copy of the actual plans (blueprints) of the building's original design.

It would look great in a frame on my wall.

I doubt it though. Sad

Thankyou.

Coll
Bill Cainan1


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 107
Location: Lampeter
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Coll

Send me your EMail address and I'll send you some photos of Fort Durnford (Estcourt), taken 3 years ago. One of the photos is of Durnford's plans of the fort which appear on one of the wall-boards. I suspect the original plans may be lodged in the RE Museum at Chatham. Unfortunately there was no guidebook for sale at the time of my visit.

The museum also contains a 7pdr gun on a naval carriage.

Bill

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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Coll

I have a copy of the museum guide (date of publication unknown but my edition sponsored by the Rotary Club of Estcourt). It contains detailed plans, with a key in each case, of the ground and upper floors respectively, although is almost certainly not a signed copy of Durnford's, merely a modern diagrammatic copy produced for this publication and based on his plans. There is also a detailed sketch of the double shutters "from drawings by Col Durnford, 1874." It also contains a photo of the fort & laager set in its landscape (which seems familiar to me from at least one other publication, the title of which escapes me at present) and a sketch map - apparently based on one in the Natal Archives - of Victorian Estcourt, indicating the dates of some of the buildings, although showing Ft Durnford as 1873.

If these are different or additional to Bill's material, by all means let me have your details & I'll forward copies. The only representation in Drooglever that I can see is the photo (p128) of the east wall & tower with, presumably, the author in the picture. Is this the "small layout" you refer to or does my copy lack something?

Peter

P.S. We'll have your Durnford Shrine all stocked up in no time! Wink
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Bill/Peter

Thankyou both very much for your kind offers.

Please may I contact you both at a later date, as for now my e-mailing facility is causing me some problems, which I'm sure will be rectified soon.

Peter

On Page 255, there is a section titled -

Appendix II : An Engineer's Legacy - Fort Durnford, Estcourt.

At the bottom of this page, there are 3 small drawings of the fort's layout and doors.

It is highly-detailed plans, or blueprints, of these, that I would have liked to obtain the full-size copy(ies) of, but I don't know if engineers at that time used a standard A3+ size of sheet, which would look great framed, as it is a prime example of Col. D.'s engineering skills.

Thanks again

Coll
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