| Summary : Artillery fort, built between 1858 and 1863, as part of an outer defence line for the protection of Gosport. It is one in a series of forts and virtually identical to Forts Brockhurst and Rowner. It was built as a 6-sided, symmetrical polygonal fort surrounded by 2 moats. Only part of the inner moat around the keep remains. There are many surviving details and the main structure is intact, however, the earthworks have been much reduced and much of the moat is infilled. The fort was used as a military headquarters from 1910 and was derelict in 1983. By 2008, Fort Grange had become the home of HMS Sultan VCC (Voluntary Cadet Corps). In 1916 it was armed with a 1-pounder heavy anti aircraft gun on a travelling carriage. |
More information : (SU591 002) Fort Grange (NAT) (1)
Fort Grange (SU591 002)
After Gomer and Elson forts had been approved in 1852, further
consideration led to a decision to fill the gap between them by
three more forts, and Grange is the most southerly of the
three. Work began in 1858 and it was completed in 1863.
Someone blundered, however, since a report later said "The work
is surrounded with a wet ditch but with no provision for
filling it with water".
There is no record of what armament went into the work, but it
was probably the customary 32-pounder smooth-bore, probably
replaced by 64-pounder converted RML guns. Like all the other
works of the outer line its defensive value declined in the
closing years of the century and by 1910 it was the District
Headquarters of the Royal Garrison Artillery. It is now
occupied by the Department of the Environment and used as a
store. They appear to have solved the ditch problem; it has
recently been filled with earth. (2)
Derelict, owned by the Ministry of Defence. (3)
Fort Grange is now the much loved home of HMS Sultan VCC (Voluntary Cadet Corps). The VCC is a voluntary cadet force which is made up of 5 units HMS COLLINGWOOD VCC, HMS SULTAN VCC, HMS DRYAD VCC, the Royal Marines VCC (based at HMS EXCELLENT) and HMS DOLPHIN VCC, all in the Portsmouth/Gosport area. (4-5)
Documented. (6) |