| Fort Nelson, Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 64pdr R.M.L. on traversing carriage – part of the original armament of Fort Nelson. | |
| Type | Palmerston fort |
| Location | Boarhunt |
| Coordinates | 50°51′40″N1°08′20″W / 50.8610°N 1.1389°W /50.8610; -1.1389 |
| OS grid reference | SU 60696 07203 |
| Area | Hampshire |
| Built | 1860–1867 |
| Owner | Hampshire County Council |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Fort Nelson, Boarhunt |
| Designated | 22 Dec 1971 |
| Reference no. | 1350616 |
  Location of Fort Nelson, Hampshire in Hampshire | |
Fort Nelson, in thecivil parish ofBoarhunt[1] in theEnglish county ofHampshire, is one of five defensiveforts built on the summit ofPortsdown Hill in the 1860s, overlooking the important naval base ofPortsmouth and is a Grade IListed Building.[2] The current tenant is theRoyal Armouries, housing theartillery of the national collection of arms and armour.
Fort Nelson is a typicalPolygonal orPalmerston Fort. It is six-sided with a deep ditch protected by threecaponiers. Above each caponier is a well-protected emplacement for 13-inchmortars. It was originally entered by twoGuthrie rolling bridges and has a barrack block for 172 officers and other ranks, protected by a V-shapedredan. A large open parade ground gives access to themagazines 40 feet underneath it. There are open emplacements on the ramparts for64 pounder rifled muzzle-loading guns andRML 6.6-inch howitzers. There are also threeHaxocasemates for7 inch rifled breech-loaders.
TheNelson Monument, which gave the fort its name, stands adjacent.[3]
Fort Nelson is one of fivePortsdown Forts. Built as a result of the1859 Royal Commission byLord Palmerston to prevent aFrench land attack on thePortsmouth dockyard only 8 kilometres away, because the olderHilsea Lines at the bottom of the ridge were considered insufficient. A series of 6 forts were built along the 7 miles (10 km) of the ridge. From west to east they are forts Fareham,Wallington, Nelson,Southwick,Widley and Purbrook. The line was finished off at the eastern end with Crookhorn Redoubt and Farlington Redoubt. A garrison of around 200volunteers accompanied by regular army officers would have staffed the fort in time of war. Construction was protracted and Fort Nelson was not fully armed until the 1890s.[4] 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.
In 1979, after years of neglect and vandalism, it was sold toHampshire County Council[5] for £50,000. The Council, with assistance of volunteers from the Palmerston Forts Society, restored it at a cost of £3–4 million, and it opened to the public in 1994, becoming part of theRoyal Armouries in 1995. It houses their collection of artillery, including:
The fort covers around 19 acres (77,000 m2) 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 overPortsmouth, theSolent,Hayling Island andGosport, with theIsle of Wight beyond.
