A Small Taste of Local History

by Lottie Allen

The Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom was formed in 1859 prompted by public concern. It was instigated by Prime minister, Henry Temple and established in order to assert whether or not we had the ability to defend ourselves against an attempted invasion by a foreign power and especially, how we would compete with France's military and naval power to prevent a suspected invasion led by Napoleon III. The Commission's report recommended a massive programme of fortification and consequently, the four Palmerston Forts were constructed: St. Helen’s fort, No Man’s Land Fort, Horse Sand Fort and Spitbank Fort. Just a few nautical miles off of Portsmouth, they were constructed to defend the Dockyard from an invasion. Extensive work was also carried out on existing land fortifications. Though the costly £1.2 million (an estimated £154 million today) construction of the forts began in 1865, it was not completed until 1880, by which time the threat had long-since passed and there had been no invasion. Ultimately, the forts had been a hefty investment and had no apparent purpose.

However, they did have a brief use as temporary army barracks and later during WWII, when anti-submarine defences were strung between them to protect Portsmouth Harbour from enemies. With technological advances, the forts were armed and rearmed but never fired any shots during wartime despite being equipped with 35-tonne cannons. After years of neglect, they were decommissioned in 1956 and put up for sale in the 1960s. They did not sell until the 1980s. Now, 160 years after their construction these heavyset, circular, one-time military defences have been transformed into two luxury hotels, a museum, whilst the St. Helen’s fort is privately owned and closed to the public. There is an annual fort walk in early August, when the tide recedes enough that villagers and tourists can walk along the shingle bar directly to, and around the fort.

Photos: St. Helen’s Fort, No Man’s Land Fort and Horse Sand Fort taken from the RNLI Bembridge lifeboat station.