Monument MPM153 - Fort Widley

Part of the ring of forts known as 'Palmerston's follies' built in the 1860s to protect the town of Portsmouth, dockyard and harbour from a French invasion. Originally an artillery fort, it was used to house various army units during the Second World War and has also been the HQ of a Bomb Disposal Squadron and Civil Defence Control Centre. The site has been owned by Portsmouth City Council since 1972.

Fort Widley formed part of the ring of forts known as 'Palmerston's follies' built during the 1860s to protect the town of Portsmouth, dockyard and harbour from a French invasion. The fort was designed by Captain William Crossman of the Royal Engineers and was built between 1862 and c1868. It is a polygonal fortification, with straight sections of deep wide ditch and parapet. The fort was manned by units of the Royal Artillery until 1939. During the Second World War the fort was used to house various army units including the ATS and Royal Corps of Signals working in the underground communications centre at Fort Southwick. Between 1952 and 1957 Fort Widley was used as the headquarters for No. 2 Bomb Disposal Squadron Royal Engineers. In 1955 the main magazine and ground floor of the barracks were established as the Civil Defence Control Centre for Portsmouth, later becoming the Portsmouth District Control and Hampshire County Standby Home Defence Control. The fort was purchased by Portsmouth Corporation (City Council) in 1972. [1, 2]

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Fort. c1860. By William Crossman (Capt. Royal Engineers). Red brick in English bond, flint, stone dressings. Roofs concealed by earth. Main elevation facing road has to barrack block a brick chimney stack at far left and right with 3 evenly spaced at centre. PLAN: massive polygonal trace plan surrounded on 3 sides by wide dry moat with scarp and counterscarp walls in flint set between bays of brick piers with round relieving arches. Extensive earthworks to ramparts with gun emplacements and expense magazines set within earthworks. Projecting into rear facing moat (north) is a brick caponier with embrasures at centre and to left and right corners (west and east). Underground gallery cut through chalk runs from centre of barrack block leading to underground magazine and thence to a spiral staircase with ammunition hoist rising up to parade level. From spiral staircase, 3 underground galleries lead to centre caponier and west and east mortar batteries. Barrack block 2 storeys 13 bays (1/1/3/1/3/3/2/3/2/3/1/1). Stable block 1-storey 14 bays (2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2/2). EXTERIOR: main entrances, barracks, stores and stable blocks are positioned on side facing Portsdown Hill road. The main entrances to left and right of barrack block are approached by inclined roads up to high level. Each of the 2 openings are set within a thick brick curtain wall with Norman style entrance. Stone round arch, moulded dripstone with dropped bosses engraved with Crown and V.R. insignia, flanking attached stone columns with scalloped capitals and bases. To left of right entrance and right of left entrance are 4, and on opposing sides 3, stepped and splayed embrasures each set under a flat stone arch. Brick castellated parapet with, on rear face, a stone slabbed firing platform supported on cast-iron cantilevered brackets with attached railings. To right of right entrance is the 1-storey guardhouse and stores block with 4 small paired 9-pane metal casements, each set under a gauged brick segmental arch. To right are 4 wide openings each set under a flat stone arch with C20 metal shutters, stone coped brick parapet. Further right are 7 similar openings set within a projecting slated lean-to wing. To right of projecting wing is a similar opening with embrasures on the right. Parapet splays down to top of escarp wall. At centre the barrack block from lower road level has flanking projecting wings. Centre part 9-bays wide has ground floor window openings blinded with brickwork. First floor windows follow through with on far left bay 1 and to right bays 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9, each bay has a group of three windows comprising two 8-pane 2-leaf recessed casements with rounded brick jambs set under flat stone lintel with stone sill. Similar single casement to Bay 2. On right is a similar window with larger 4-pane casement except that windows to bays 3 and 8 are set under a gauged brick segmental arch. Similar paired casements to bays 5 and 8. Rounded stone band, brick parapet with stone coping, embrasure to centre and left and right flanks. Each of the projecting flanking wings is splayed inwards 2-bays wide, each bay with paired recessed 4-pane casements to each floor set under flat stone arches. Each inward return is 2 bays wide, each bay with 3 grouped windows similar to centre part. Entrances to barrack block are at rear with four 2-leaf boarded doors and overlight to each floor, approached by stone steps to dry moat area and concrete bridges over moat to upper level. To left of left (west) entrance is a 1-storey stable block (converted c1913). Each bay has paired casements each set under a gauged brick segmental arch. From left are four 9-pane wood casements, then ten 12-pane wood casements, then two 9-pane metal casements, two 12-pane wood casements and ten 9-pane metal casements. Stone coped brick parapet which on far left splays down to top of Scarp wall. INTERIOR: most of the items in fireplaces, joinery, stable partitions are intact. HISTORY: part of Palmerston's defences, initiated in anticipation of a war with France. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (Portsmouth City Museums: Corney A: Fort Widley and the Great Forts on Portsdown: Portsmouth; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 80, 81; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 387, 388).

Selected Sources
Book Reference - Author: Lloyd, D W - Title: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs - Date: 1974 - Page References: 80,81
Article Reference - Author: Corney, A - Title: Fort Widley and the Great Forts on Portsdown - Journal Title: Portsmouth City Museums
Book Reference - Author: Pevsner, N - Title: The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight - Date: 1967 - Page References: 387,388

[3]

<1> Portsmouth City Council, n/a, Portsmouth City SMR Cards, SU60NE48 (Index). SPM1.

<2> Corney, A, 1984, Fort Widley and the Great Forts on Portsdown (Bibliographic reference). SPM520.

<3> Historic England, The National Heritage List for England (Index). SPM35.