Horse Sand Fort
| Horse Sand Fort | |
|
Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Horse Sand Fort | |
| Type: | Palmerston fort |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SZ655948 |
| Location: | 50°45’0"N, 1°4’21"W |
| History | |
| Built 1865–1880 | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Complete |
Horse Sand Fort is one of the larger sea forts in the Solent off Portsmouth, Hampshire, built from the 1860s as a result of the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom. This is one of four ' Palmerston Forts' built in the Solent, and the middlemost of three guarding the entrance to Spithead and thus the approach to Portsmouth.
The three forts from north to south are:
- Spitsand Fort
- Horse Sand Fort
- No Man's Land Fort
Horse sand Fort is 80 yards across. It was built between 1865 and 1880, with two floors and a basement and armour-plated all round. It is now a luxury hotel.
History
The original armament was to have been 45 10-inch and 44 12.5-inch rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns on the gun floors and 10 12" RMLs 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, 12-inch rifled breech-loading guns were placed in alternate bays.
Horse Sand Fort was built on a ring of masonry consisting of large concrete blocks with an outer skin of granite 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 60 feet thick. The fort is split into three levels with the top measuring 205 feet in diameter. The floors would 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 artesian well 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.
In the late 19th century the Solent forts were painted in a black and white checkered paint scheme as an early form of dazzle camouflage. In its unrestored state remains of this pattern are still visible on parts of Horse Sand Fort.
During the Second World War extensive submarine defences were built in the form of large concrete blocks running about 6 feet below sea level from the fort to the shore at Southsea. With only a single narrow gap 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.
In March 2012, the fort was purchased by AmaZing Venues who operate the venue under the Solent Forts brand (owners of No Man's Land Fort and Spitbank Fort) and is to be converted into a museum.[1]
In January 2015, the BBC television programme Antiques Road Trip included a clip of a visit to the fort.[2]
Current owners AmaZing Venues will open Horse Sand Fort for public use in 2016.[3]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Horse Sand Fort) |
References
- ↑ "Millionaire snaps up three forts off Portsmouth". BBC News. 26 March 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17512499. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ↑ "Antiques Road Trip". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04yjmnt/antiques-road-trip-series-10-episode-7. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- ↑ "Horse Sand Fort". AmaZing Venues. http://www.amazingvenues.co.uk/venues/solent-forts/horse-sand-fort/. Retrieved 17 January 2015.