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| Aerial photograph of Fort Nelson |
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| Brief Description: Aerial photograph of Fort Nelson showing walls, inner building and road, about 1970. |
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| Subject Date: About 1970 |
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| Creator: Aerofilms Ltd |
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| Owner: Hampshire Library and Information Service |
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| Contributor: Hampshire Library and Information Service |
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| Full Description: Fort Nelson is situated on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth and was built to defend the city and coast from overland attack by the French. A string of forts and defences were commissioned by the Prime Minister Lord Henry Palmerston and they were known as Palmerston's Follies. Five forts, Fort Nelson (with 26 guns), Fort Wallington (17 guns), Fort Purbrook, Fort Widley (21 guns) and Fort Southwick (23 guns) were built between 1861 and 1874 and all had a complement of about 220 men.
Fort Nelson is a six sided fort, built of brick, chalk and earth and protected by a deep ditch. The plan is in the form of a broad north pointing arrow head, slightly irregular to suit the terrain. The ramparts have gun emplacements on top, and tunnel vaulted chambers opening into the enclosed area. The keep is of triangular shape. Three tunnels run under the fort from the barrack block area through the chalk of the hill to the caponiers. The centre tunnel to the full caponier also passes through the main magazine forty feet beneath the parade ground. The centre of the gorge is closed with a barrack block and redan containing officers quarters. The original entrance gates are neo- Norman. Access to the fort from the military road is on two levels each fitted with a Guthrie rolling bridge.
Nelson was disarmed in 1907. It was occupied from 1905 to 1914 by 35 (Heavy) Battery Royal Garrison Artillery. From 1938 the fort was extensively altered to house an area magazine. Ten huge Anti-Aircraft shell storage magazines were constructed on the parade. The fort is currently leased by the Royal Armouries as its Museum of Artillery. It is the home of the Palmerston Forts Society and the Society's uniformed section performs authentic gun drills on the fort's complement of Victorian armament.
Fort Nelson was so named because of its close proximity to Nelson's Monument.
References:
1. Moore, David. Palmerston Forts Society. Fort Nelson. Http://users.argonet.co.uk
2. County Architects Department. Hampshire County Council. Hampshire Buildings of Architectural or Historic Interest Part 3, p.N2. |
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| Place: North Boarhunt, Winchester City, Hampshire |
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| Subject: building, fort, Fort Nelson, Fort Widley, Fort Wallington, Fort Purbrook, Fort Southwick, hill, Portsdown Hill, military, artillery, tunnel, rampart, gun emplacement |
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| Name Subject: Lord Henry Palmerston, Palmerston Forts Society, 35 (Heavy) Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, Royal Armouries, Museum of Artillery |
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| Content Type: Photograph |
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| Location: Fareham Library |
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| Local Ref: 300 |
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| Unique ID: hs-hl-hs2492-i-00-000.jpg |
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| IPR: Aerofilms |
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