SU5902 : Fort Brockhurst - Bridge over the moat
taken 9 years ago, near to Hardway, Hampshire, England
See shared description below
Fort Brockhurst (SU596020) was built between 1858 and 1862 and is one of a line of five forts which together comprise the "Gosport Advanced Line" which was intended to provide landward protection for the great naval and dockyard establishment at Portsmouth. A nearly identical fort "Fort Rowner" is just a few hundred metres down to the road, and yet another, "Fort Grange" is a little further on. Curiously while both Brockhurst and Grange are scheduled Ancient Monuments, Rowner is not, though it is listed Grade II.
Brockhurst Fort is polygonal in overall plan and measures over 430m north to south by 340m east to west, with a circular main bastion (with an internal circular courtyard) on its WSW flank. The entire structure is surrounded by a moat. It is built mainly of red brick and looks to be in very good condition.
Owned by English Heritage it is open occasionally - supposedly for four hours (11:00-15:00) every second Saturday of the month from April to September Link- however when we visited on Sat. 9th April 2016, we (along with several other visitors) found it securely locked with no English Heritage personnel in evidence - I'm glad we hadn't come too far on the day.
The fort's Ancient Monument listing here Linkwhich contains a lot more technical information.
See listings also for:
Fort Rowner (SU594011) Link
Fort Grange (SU591011) (A.M.) Link& (Grade II) Link
Also Fort Elson (SU599029)(a slightly different design to the north of Brockhurst) Link
Nothing remains of the fifth fort, Fort Gomer, which was to the south of Fort Grange at SZ588993. It was sold to developers in 1964, was entirely demolished and is now covered by a housing estate .
There is a brilliantly informative 30 page pdf about all the Gosport forts here Link