Description

PORTSMOUTH

SU60NW JAMES CALLAGHAN DRIVE
774-1/1/292 Fort Southwick, that part in
30/10/69 Portsmouth CP
(Formerly Listed as:
PORTSDOWN HILL
Fort Southwick)

I

Fort. c1860. By William Crossman (Capt. Royal Engineers). One
of a series of forts (Wallington (now demolished), Nelson,
Southwick, Widley and Purbrook (qv) along the chalk ridge of
Portsdown Hill, built for the defence of Portsmouth against
landward attack in the 1860s, and known as Palmerston's
Follies. Brick walls of England 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.
PLAN/EXTERIOR: 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
2-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. This fort is similar to Fort Widley. It is mainly
within the boundary of Winchester City Council and is
accordingly listed there also. The southernmost part of the
fort is within the Portsmouth Council boundary.
Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Listing NGR: SU6610802158

External Links

• Historic England Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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