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343:. With only two narrow gaps to allow small craft to pass through, this barrier (and a much shorter one running south from No Man's Land Fort towards Ryde Sands) remains as the cost of demolition is deemed too high. A 2020 report stated that during the WW II, "the forts were used to defend the Portsmouth dockyards. Life on site was grim; those serving were deliberately chosen for their inability to swim, to avoid any attempt to escape".
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blocks, the interior being filled with clay and shingle and covered with a thick layer of concrete. The lower foundation walls of the fort are 18 metres (59 ft) thick. The fort is split into three levels with the top measuring 62.4 metres (204 ft 9 in) in diameter. The floors would
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In March 2012, the fort was purchased by
Clarenco LLP (previously known as Amazing Retreats) (which also owned No Man's Land Fort and Spitbank Fort) and was to be converted into a museum. In 2015, it was reported that Clarenco planned to open Horse Sand Fort for public use the following year, but
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An
October 2018 report stated that restoration work on Horse Sands Fort was delayed "by the presence of a resident family of peregrine falcons". In 2020, all three Clarenco-owned Forts were listed for sale. A news item stated that Horse Sand Fort was "a blank canvas, with 100 chambers and living
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have originally provided storage of armoury and guns and the things needed to sustain the men that were stationed on site. The top of the fort consisted of a lighthouse and various chimneys and ventilators. The fort has its own
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on the gun floors with 10 12-inch RMLs mounted on the roof in five turrets. In fact the turrets were never built and the limited space meant the 12.5-inch guns had to be operated with less than full charges of powder. In 1882,
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which provided fresh water. The seaward side of the fort was covered in a heavy iron-armoured plating to protect it from seaborne attack. Access to the fort was by a wooden-decked landing stage supported on cast-iron piles.
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https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/khm/portsmouth/documents/19_0117-qhm_leaflet_a4_single_pages.pdf?la=en-gb&rev=78ee1c6d057846d48c642d6555157eb3&hash=F710971EBBB4ACEEEB728FFCF06368AC
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Beginning in 1908, extensive submerged defences were built in the form of large concrete blocks running about 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) below sea level from the fort to the shore at
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293:. Construction work began in 1865, and the fort was completed in 1880, long after the threat of a seaborne invasion from France had passed, at a cost of
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quarters, plus the original gun carriage". In
October 2021, it was announced that the fort had been sold to an unnamed buyer for £715,000.
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constructions. It is 200 feet (61 m) across, built between 1865 and 1880, with two floors and a basement and armour-plated all round.
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Live in your choice of
Victorian sea forts, from a boutique delight with helipad to a crumbling wreck that’s a blank canvas
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Live in your choice of
Victorian sea forts, from a boutique delight with helipad to a crumbling wreck that’s a blank canvas
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In the late 19th century the Solent forts were painted in a black and white chequered paint scheme as an early form of
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Horse Sand Fort was designed by
Captain E. H. Stewart, overseen by Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications,
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Horse Sand Fort was built on a ring of masonry consisting of large concrete blocks with an outer skin of
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336:. In its unrestored state remains of this pattern are still visible on parts of Horse Sand Fort.
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6-inch Breech
Loading (BL) gun on top of Horse Sand Fort, 1940 (IWM H 4618)
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581:"Sea forts designed to defend south coast floated on property market"
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that did not occur and by 2019, it was expected that Horse Sand,
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Other ranks sleeping quarters in Horse sands sea fort, 1940
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277:, England. The fort is one of four built as part of the
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Solent Forts an amazing visit off the
Hampshire coast
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Sea fort in the Solent off
Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
407:Submerged barrier from Southsea to Horse Sand Fort
300:The original armament was to have been forty five
533:"Millionaire snaps up three forts off Portsmouth"
521:Clarenco to operate a trio of forts in the Solent
440:"Solent forts", National Museum of the Royal Navy
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868:List of Palmerston Forts on the Isle of Wight
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902:Military installations established in 1880
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478:"Portsmouth, Submerged Barrier Commenced"
625:"Derelict Solent fort sold for £715,000"
423:included a clip of a visit to the fort.
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417:In January 2015, the BBC TV programme
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314:12-inch rifled breech-loading guns
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458:from the original on 12 July 2018
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907:1880 establishments in England
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452:"History of the Solent Forts"
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355:would be put up for auction.
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676:Victorian Forts data sheet
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488:: 114. January–June 1908.
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291:Colonel W. F. D. Jervois
892:Sea Forts in the Solent
826:Sandown Barrack Battery
371:Horse Sand Fort in 1940
106:50.750000°N 1.0725472°W
454:. Royal Naval Museum.
735:The Needles Batteries
261:is one of the larger
111:50.750000; -1.0725472
745:Warden Point Battery
651:"Antiques Road Trip"
230:United Kingdom
791:Nodes Point Battery
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102: /
857:No Man's Land Fort
796:Steynewood Battery
740:Hatherwood Battery
730:Freshwater Redoubt
420:Antiques Road Trip
413:In popular culture
349:No Man's Land Fort
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180:Reference no.
155:Scheduled monument
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816:Yaverland Battery
755:Cliff End Battery
631:. 28 October 2021
583:. 11 October 2019
559:"Horse Sand Fort"
334:dazzle camouflage
265:sea forts in the
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897:Palmerston Forts
811:Redcliff Battery
786:Puckpool Battery
770:Bouldnor Battery
750:Golden Hill Fort
712:Palmerston Forts
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561:. Amazing Venues
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259:Horse Sands Fort
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821:Sandown Fort
779:Eastern side
723:Western side
655:. Retrieved
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482:The Engineer
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226:Headquarters
206:Site history
175:12 June 1967
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143:Open to
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760:Fort Albert
109: /
97:1°4′21.17″W
94:50°45′0.0″N
85:Coordinates
881:Categories
657:17 January
635:28 October
587:19 October
565:17 January
427:References
271:Portsmouth
172:Designated
887:Sea forts
306:12.5-inch
297:424,694.
275:Hampshire
214:1865–1880
198:Condition
629:BBC News
543:27 March
537:BBC News
456:Archived
341:Southsea
201:Complete
714:on the
462:12 July
321:granite
304:and 44
302:10-inch
285:History
243:Website
184:1018588
35:England
835:Solent
267:Solent
31:Solent
653:. BBC
211:Built
135:Owner
659:2015
637:2021
589:2019
567:2015
545:2012
464:2018
351:and
269:off
125:Fort
122:Type
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257:or
148:No
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295:£
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