| Summary : A "Palmerston Folly" fort on Portsdown Hill for the defence of Portsmouth Dockyard, built between 1861 and 1870. Although planned from the outset with armament, this was only installed from 1876, being fully armed by 1888 and disarmed in 1907. It was in dual use as a fort and as a barracks, retaining its use as a barracks and military training centre following disarmament. In the First World War it was armed with an 18-pounder heavy anti aircraft gun. In the period following the First World War the fort became a demobilisation centre and was later put to use as a training centre for the Ordnance Survey. Part of the site was refurbished as a Cold War underground communications centre, remaining in use as a communications centre for the Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command, to 2001. In 2003 the site was sold for development into apartments with a proposed adjoining on-site museum. |
More information : (SU 628 069) Fort Southwick [NAT] (1)
Fort Southwick (SU 628068)
This is the major work of the Portsdown Hill Line, less heavily armed than others but with considerable barrack accommodation for the troops garrisoning the other works of the line. Built between 1861 and 1870 the planned armament was 31 guns on the ramparts, but they were never installed. It was subsequently used as barracks and head-quarters accommodation by the Royal Garrison Artillery and eventually became a naval establishment, since which it has been considerably rebuilt within the trace. For some reason it is sometimes referred to as Fort Paulsgrove. (2)
In use by the Ministry of Defence. (3)
Fort Southwick. One of a series of forts (Wallington (now demolished), Nelson, Southwick, Widley and Purbrook) along the chalk ridge of Portsdown Hill, built for the defence of Portsmouth against landward attack in the 1860s, and known as Palmerston's Folly. Brick walls of English bond, the outer face of the defensive walls are of flint with horizontal and vertical bands of brickwork and a blind arcade at the upper level. The structure is partly within and above the natural ridge; a polygonal plan with four vertical faces to the deep dry ditch, a fire step behind the parapet, and two-storeyed caponiers at the three corners (to give raking fire along the ditches). Within this outer framework is an embankment with open gun emplacements at the top. Below the central parade ground there are brick-lined passageways, ammunition stores, and staircases to the several points, and behind the caponier positions sunken embrasures for mortars. The rear (south) of the fort has a set of barracks, and the south face is a high brick wall, originally protected by a continuous ditch; there are entrances at each side, once approached by drawbridges, comprising bold 'Norman' doorways of stone, with recessed orders of mouldings, above columns. The fort contains many interesting details of fortification design. Grade I. (4)
Plan of Fort Southwick. See Illustration Card 1. (5)
Armed from 1876, being fully armed from 1888-1907. (6)
Plans and photographs of site. Armament specified as 9 x 64pdr; 8 x 7" RBL; 6 x 8" RML Howitzers.
In the three years following WWI Fort Southwick became a demobilization centre, and was thereafter turned into a cartographic training centre for the Ordnance Survey, together with Fort Widley. [No specific date given for this use.] (7)
The underground areas of the site were refurbished as a communications centre and headquarters for the NATO post of Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel during the Cold War period, becoming operational during the Suez Crisis, 1956. Owing to reorganisation the Command headquarters moved elsewhere in 1968/9, but the site's role as a naval communications centre (COMMCEN) in various incarnations until 2001. (8)
In 2003 the Fort was sold to a development company, which was to develop the site into apartments, proposing to house a collection of military memorabilia and refurbish some areas as offices. (8)(9) |