33:
194:
accurate over a number of miles to take place. The forts were intended to prevent a hostile force landing further along the coast, approaching
Portsmouth from the mainland, taking the tactical high ground to the north of the dockyard. As such, the forts are designed so that all of their main weapons
108:
1,177,805. By the time the forts had been completed, the threat of invasion had long since passed and although the forts were armed and re-armed as technology advanced, they were never used in anger. They were decommissioned in 1956 and put up for sale in the 1960s, although they were not sold until
109:
the 1980s. The subsequent purchaser, in 2012, was
Clarenco (previously known as Amazing Retreats), operated by Michael Clare. His plan was for two of the forts to be converted into hotels and one into a museum.
146:, the low-lying island on which most of the city of Portsmouth is located. None of the forts were originally built as a result of the 1859 Royal Commission, but they did receive improvements because of it.
360:
244:
peninsula. Again, they were built to prevent an enemy force landing along the coast and approaching
Portsmouth from inland, and had their main weaponry facing away from Portsmouth.
410:
112:
The restoration was completed for
Spitbank Fort and No Man's Land Fort, both hotels at the time, but not for Horse Sand Fort. In 2020, the three were listed for sale.
62:
and civilian contractors (under Royal
Engineer supervision). In addition to the newly constructed forts, extensive work was carried out on existing fortifications.
339:
100:
from attack by enemy forces. The four armour-plated forts were designed by
Captain E. H. Stewart, overseen by Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications,
51:
155:
17:
392:
361:
Live in your choice of
Victorian sea forts, from a boutique delight with helipad to a crumbling wreck that’s a blank canvas
323:
459:
190:
overlooking
Portsmouth, and were a response to advancing weapons technology. This new technology made it possible for
85:
65:
The
Portsmouth defences can be split into four distinct groups of forts, comprising four sea forts built in the
84:
As well as these forts surrounding
Portsmouth, further protection for Portsmouth was provided by additional
449:
305:
454:
150:
204:
389:
379:
54:
dealing with the perceived threat of a French invasion. The forts were intended to defend the
131:
335:
8:
229:
191:
97:
96:
These man-made island forts were originally built to protect the eastern approaches to
263:
224:
258:
42:
396:
288:
199:
165:
126:
101:
59:
55:
253:
209:
187:
143:
121:
74:
70:
384:
443:
425:
412:
248:
219:
170:
116:
374:
268:
175:
283:
278:
214:
32:
293:
273:
160:
47:
36:
The Victorian forts of Portsmouth, including those on the Isle of Wight
104:. Construction took place between 1865 and 1880, at a total cost of
105:
241:
78:
66:
195:
face inland, protecting Portsmouth from the rest of England.
402:
77:
overlooking Portsmouth, and a group of forts on the
58:in Portsmouth. Construction was carried out by the
324:Clarenco to operate a trio of forts in the Solent
441:
31:
181:
137:
14:
442:
86:Palmerston forts on the Isle of Wight
24:
25:
471:
368:
342:from the original on 12 July 2018
235:
91:
354:
328:
317:
186:These forts are located along
50:were built in response to the
13:
1:
375:Victorian Forts and Batteries
336:"History of the Solent Forts"
311:
27:Group of sea forts in England
380:Portsmouth forts map on Bing
306:Fortifications of Portsmouth
142:These forts are situated on
18:Palmerston Forts, Portsmouth
7:
299:
10:
476:
240:These are situated on the
460:Lists of Palmerston Forts
73:, a group of forts along
385:Palmerston Forts Society
102:Colonel W. F. D. Jervois
395:18 January 2007 at the
205:Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
390:Royal Engineers Museum
338:. Royal Naval Museum.
69:, a group of forts on
37:
52:1859 Royal Commission
35:
182:Portsdown Hill forts
138:Portsea Island forts
450:Forts in Portsmouth
422: /
455:Forts in Hampshire
230:Farlington Redoubt
132:No Man's Land Fort
98:Portsmouth Harbour
38:
264:Browndown Battery
225:Crookhorn Redoubt
156:Eastney Batteries
16:(Redirected from
467:
437:
436:
434:
433:
432:
427:
426:50.783°N 1.100°W
423:
420:
419:
418:
415:
403:Solentforts site
363:
358:
352:
351:
349:
347:
332:
326:
321:
259:Stokes Bay Lines
43:Palmerston Forts
21:
475:
474:
470:
469:
468:
466:
465:
464:
440:
439:
430:
428:
424:
421:
416:
413:
411:
409:
408:
399:Coastal Defence
397:Wayback Machine
371:
366:
359:
355:
345:
343:
334:
333:
329:
322:
318:
314:
302:
289:Fort Brockhurst
238:
200:Fort Wallington
184:
166:Southsea Castle
151:Fort Cumberland
140:
127:Horse Sand Fort
94:
60:Royal Engineers
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
473:
463:
462:
457:
452:
431:50.783; -1.100
406:
405:
400:
387:
382:
377:
370:
369:External links
367:
365:
364:
353:
327:
315:
313:
310:
309:
308:
301:
298:
297:
296:
291:
286:
281:
276:
271:
266:
261:
256:
254:Fort Gilkicker
251:
237:
234:
233:
232:
227:
222:
217:
212:
210:Fort Southwick
207:
202:
188:Portsdown Hill
183:
180:
179:
178:
173:
168:
163:
158:
153:
144:Portsea Island
139:
136:
135:
134:
129:
124:
122:St Helens Fort
119:
93:
90:
75:Portsdown Hill
71:Portsea Island
46:that encircle
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
472:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
447:
445:
438:
435:
404:
401:
398:
394:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
372:
362:
357:
341:
337:
331:
325:
320:
316:
307:
304:
303:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
282:
280:
277:
275:
272:
270:
267:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
252:
250:
249:Fort Monckton
247:
246:
245:
243:
236:Gosport forts
231:
228:
226:
223:
221:
220:Fort Purbrook
218:
216:
213:
211:
208:
206:
203:
201:
198:
197:
196:
193:
189:
177:
174:
172:
171:Point Battery
169:
167:
164:
162:
159:
157:
154:
152:
149:
148:
147:
145:
133:
130:
128:
125:
123:
120:
118:
117:Spitbank Fort
115:
114:
113:
110:
107:
103:
99:
89:
87:
82:
80:
76:
72:
68:
63:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
44:
34:
30:
19:
407:
356:
344:. Retrieved
330:
319:
269:Fort Fareham
239:
185:
176:Hilsea Lines
141:
111:
95:
92:Solent forts
83:
64:
41:
39:
29:
429: /
284:Fort Rowner
279:Fort Grange
215:Fort Widley
81:peninsula.
444:Categories
312:References
294:Fort Elson
274:Fort Gomer
161:Lumps Fort
48:Portsmouth
393:Archived
340:Archived
300:See also
192:shelling
56:Dockyard
414:50°47′N
346:12 July
242:Gosport
79:Gosport
67:Solent
417:1°6′W
348:2018
40:The
446::
88:.
350:.
106:£
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.