- Joined
- Oct 19, 2015
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 151
- Points
- 33
It's taken me a while to get this one posted up, partially due to occasionally looking through the pictures and thinking "I wish I'd had a little more idea of what I was doing with the camera…" (having actually learnt how to work the thing better since, gained a tripod, and swapped for a better model too) then just putting it off 
But here goes
But here goes
A little history first -
Built on the site of the earlier Fort Monckton Auxiliary Battery, Fort Gilkicker was constructed to defend the deepwater anchorage at Stokes Bay.
Commenced in 1863, completed in 1871, it consisted of twenty-two gun emplacements in a semi-circular series of granite-faced casemates designed to sweep the approaches to Portsmouth harbour with devastating gun fire.
During its service history the Fort was modified several times. Its casemates were strengthened to protect it against the constantly developing artillery of the day. It was upgraded with the latest coast defence guns in the late nineteenth century and finally it was re-armed during WW1 to protect Portsmouth from air attack. After a brief new lease of life during WW2 it began to fall into disuse and was released by the military in 1956. From then on it served as workshops and was acquired by Hampshire County Council in 1986.
The Fort, a Grade II* Listed Building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, is still the property of Hampshire County Council and is awaiting proposals to convert it for modern use in order to secure it for the enjoyment of future generations. This unique piece of Victorian engineering is of immense importance to the history of coast defence in the United Kingdom and must be preserved at all costs. There are no proposals to open the fort for public access.
Stolen from http://www.fortgilkicker.co.uk
And the explore -
On a ridiculously windy day on the south coast, this was a second port of call for the day with two non-members (one of whom decided to stay in the car) and @TheVampiricSquid. Access was a little sketchy, purely thanks to the wind, which was determined to have me off the side!
On a ridiculously windy day on the south coast, this was a second port of call for the day with two non-members (one of whom decided to stay in the car) and @TheVampiricSquid. Access was a little sketchy, purely thanks to the wind, which was determined to have me off the side!
Once in, it was clear that it had been victim of the lovely youth of today, and there was a small cabin outside which had been burnt out, but I was rather surprised at the lack of graffiti, all things considered. There were some gorgeous vaulted ceilings over at the front (which I didn't get any pictures of *numty*) and over in the officer's quarters, the decay had set in nicely, presumably owed to it being pretty open and on the sea front.
Pictures -
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Thanks for looking
