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Fort Blockhouse History 1

The following has been reproduced with the kind permission of: Lt Cdr C H Donnithorne (Rtd) © CHD 2000.

A motley collection of buildings of indeterminate age and doubtful architectural interest, surrounded on three side by the sea, but enclosing a reasonable croquet pitch and providing the best view of the harbour entrance - this is Blockhouse Fort to the uninitiated! In practice it is rather more than this and it is historically important on two counts; not only was it built up progressively over a number of centuries, unique to this side of the harbour, it is also thought to be the oldest fortified position still in active use by the Services.

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The earliest use of this spit of land is unclear, possibly by the Romans, the term ‘blockhouse’ deriving from a simple fortified position used to deny access to some important castle or, as in this case, haven. The burning of Portsmouth and Gosport during the Hundred Years War precipitated the need for proper defensive measures and, in 1417, expenditure was authorised on the king’s towers, to provide protection for the ends of the chain at the harbour entrance. The defences were further upgraded in 1495, with the building of the new dock at Portsmouth, when five pieces of ordnance were mounted on the “King’s Blokkehouse”.     NEXT PAGE

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Fort Blockhouse 15th September 2002

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