Fort Nelson
| Fort Nelson | |
|
Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 64pdr R.M.L. at Fort Nelson | |
| Type: | Palmerston fort |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU607072 |
| Location: | 50°51’40"N, 1°8’20"W |
| Village: | Boarhunt |
| History | |
| Built 1860–1867 | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Council |
Fort Nelson, by Boarhunt in Hampshire, is one of five defensive forts built on the summit of Portsdown Hill in the 1860s, overlooking the important naval base of Portsmouth. It is now part of the Royal Armouries, housing their collection of artillery, and a Grade I listed building.[1]
Description
Fort Nelson is a typical Polygonal or Palmerston Fort. It is six-sided with a deep ditch protected by three caponiers. Above each caponier is a well-protected emplacement for 13-inch mortars. It was originally entered by two Guthrie rolling bridges and has a barrack block for 172 officers and other ranks, protected by a V-shaped redan. A large open parade ground gives access to the magazines 40 feet underneath it. There are open emplacements on the ramparts for 64 pounder rifled muzzle-loading guns and RML 6.6-inch howitzers. There are also three Haxo casemates for 7 inch rifled breech-loaders.
The Nelson Monument, which gave the fort its name, stands adjacent.
History
Fort Nelson is one of five Portsdown Forts. Built as a result of the 1859 Royal Commission by Lord Palmerston to prevent a French land attack, on the Portsmouth dockyard only five miles away, because the older Hilsea Lines at the bottom of the ridge were considered insufficient. A series of 6 forts were built along the 7 miles of the ridge, which from west to east are:
- Fort Fareham
- Fort Wallington
- Fort Nelson
- Fort Southwick
- Fort Widley and
- Fort Purbrook
The line was finished off at the eastern end with Crookhorn Redoubt and Farlington Redoubt. A garrison of around 200 |volunteers accompanied by regular army officers would have staffed the fort in time of war. Construction was protracted and Fort Nelson wasn't fully armed until the 1890s.[2] The fort was disarmed in 1907 and then used for accommodation. In 1938, it was converted to an area anti-aircraft ammunition store; ten large magazines were built on the parade ground. Fort Nelson was abandoned in the 1950s.
Royal Armouries
In 1979, after years of neglect and vandalism, the local council bought the fort[3] and with assistance of volunteers from the Palmerston Forts Society restored it at a cost of £3-4 million. It opened to the public in 1994, becoming part of the Royal Armouries in 1995. It houses their collection of artillery, including:
- The 'Boxted Bombard', an English wrought iron cannon from around 1450, which was powerful enough to fire a 60 kg granite ball
- The 'Dardanelles Gun', a Turkish bronze cannon from 1464 which was powerful enough to fire stone balls with a diameter of 63 cm[4]
- French field guns captured at the Battle of Waterloo
- Fortress guns from India and China.
- Parts of the famous Iraqi 'Project Babylon' Gulf War-era supergun.
- One of the two Mallet's Mortars.[5]
- Several SBBL 32 pounders
The fort covers around 19 acres and is open all year round, with no charges except for some special events. Live firing demonstrations are held every day, costumed guides, video presentations, and visitors are able to explore the tunnels that run below the fort connecting the magazines with gun emplacements. There are displays demonstrating the living and working conditions of the soldiers who defended the fort, and views over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson) |
References
- ↑ {National Heritage List 1350616: Fort Nelson, Boarhunt (Grade I listing)
- ↑ Moore, David (1994). Arming the Forts The Artillery of the Victorian Land Forts. The Palmerston Forts Society. p. 4. ISBN 0-9523634-0-2.
- ↑ Anon. Fort Nelson, Home of the big guns. Royal Armouries. p. 5.
- ↑ Treasures of the Royal Armouries A Panoply of Arms. Royal Armouries Museum. 2022. p. 80. ISBN 9781913013400.
- ↑ Moore, David; Salter, Geoffrey (1995). Mallet's great mortars (Great Victorian guns-1). Palmerston Forts Society. pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-9523634-3-7.
| Palmerston forts on Portsdown Hill, Hampshire |
|---|
|
Fort Fareham • Fort Wallington • Fort Nelson • Fort Southwick • Fort Widley • Fort Purbrook |
