A schoolboy has discovered the remains of what may be one of the Island's missing 17th century forts along the South Shore.

Mount Saint Agnes student Mark Fox, 17, was already awestruck at the damage that had been wrought by Hurricane Fabian as he explored Warwick Long Bay in the aftermath of the category three storm last September.

But images of destruction were offset by a sense of mystery after he discovered a foot-high wall hidden among some bushes under the roots of a tree.

After e-mailing Bermuda Maritime Museum director Edward Harris about his find, he found out that the wall may in fact be the front battlement of Warwick Fort, which records say was built some time in the middle of the 17th century to watch for invading Spanish ships.

Dr. Harris said he had made an application to the National Parks Department to conduct an archaeological excavation of the site, in order to save the remains from whatever erosion is caused by any future major storm.

The fort, which was otherwise known as Watch House Fort or Heron Bay Battery, was one of about 20 outposts along the South Shore which were built by Bermudians and manned by maybe six to eight men with cannon to give enemies a moment of pause before they decided to attack.

"These things were small affairs. Few of them survive above ground, mainly because they were just so flimsily made. They aren't like the larger forts built by the British in the 19th century. They were outposts put together by Bermudians in order to make a show."

Dr. Harris said there was not much known about what happened at the fort, apart from the fact that the commander was Captain John Darrell. But he said a military report of 1783 described Warwick Fort as a rectangular structure, some 24 feet by 18 feet. It mounted two six-pound cannon for the defence of the eastern end of what is now Warwick Long Bay.

He said the fact that a later report notes that the masonry was not mortared gives credence to the supposition that Mr. Fox's find is in fact the fort.

"If it proves to be a fort that had been lost to history it'll certainly be a significant find. There hadn't been one of these big hurricanes for a long time. Good things sometimes come out of bad things I suppose."

He added that Mr. Fox had also found what could be the remains of a musketry trench nearby that may have been built during the 19th century or the First World War.

"I'm glad he alerted the authorities and has taken such an interest in the built military heritage of Bermuda."

Yesterday, Mr. Fox said he was ecstatic when he found out that the remains he found could in fact turn out to be one of the Island's missing forts.

"I was excited and I was jumping all around the house," he said. "I had just been exploring after the hurricane and I came across this wall. It was in a section where all the sand had been taken out.

"I had read Dr. Harris' book and I thought maybe that's one of those missing forts he was talking about. I've always been interested in history. It's sort of something I do as a hobby."