Questel Fort
| Fort du Questel | |
|---|---|
| Brittany in France | |
|
Fort du Questel | |
  Fort du Questel | |
| Coordinates | 48°24′02″N 4°32′01″W / 48.400574°N 4.533491°W |
| Type | Fort |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1783 |
| Architect | Vauban |
The Questel Fort (Fort du Questel) is a " redoubt " based in Brest. It is a fortified structure of type Vauban. It forms a closed square, with the main entry point placed on the least exposed side. This large quadrangle 100 meters wide is located between Fort Keranroux (1.5 km south) and Fort Penfeld (1 km to the North-east), and is also part of the same fortifications as Fort Montbarey.
The Fort du Questel monitors across the valleys of the Moulin du Buis where the enemy could be established to bombard the city and Brest harbor. Surrounded by deep moats and accessible by a drawbridge, it consists of a masonry wall (scarp), topped by a covered way for the Musketeers. This path is itself dominated by an earthen rampart, down for supporting artillery (26 guns in total).
The garrison in place, about 200 men, had access to various galleries, including two large underground ones that connect the central courtyard to the parapets. Note also the presence of toilet facilities, which at the time of Vauban, was still a privilege.
Built on a 6-hectare site, the Fort du Questel dominates the valley of Allégoet, a stream tributary of the Penfeld. This site is now part of a set of refurbished natural spaces that lead to the banks of Penfeld by a circuit passing in front of the hospital in the Cavale Blanche.
On site, the fortress offers walks through its sheltered green moat and its underground, its staircases, scarps and counterscarps, its esplanade and fresh undergrowth nearby.
Gallery photos
The front door of the fort
The East Side of the fort (1783)
See as well
Bibliography
- Lécuillier, Guillaume; et al. (2011), Presses universitaires de Rennes, ed., Les fortifications de la rade de Brest: Défense d'une ville-arsenal, Cahiers du patrimoine (in French), 94, Jean-Yves Le Drian (Preface), Rennes, ISBN 978-2-7535-1334-1
Coordinates: 48°24′02″N 4°32′01″W / 48.4006°N 4.5335°W