Browndown Battery facts for kids
Browndown Battery is an old military site on the coast of England, in a county called Hampshire. It was built to defend the shoreline. The first parts of it were put up in the mid-1840s. Over the years, it was changed and updated many times. The big guns were finally removed in 1905 or 1906. Since 1983, it has been a special historic building, known as a Grade II Listed Building.
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Early Defenses at Browndown
The very first defenses at Browndown were built right on the shore at Browndown Point. This spot was important because it protected the western entrance to Portsmouth harbour. The idea was to stop any enemy ships from landing on the beach. These early defenses were called Browndown Battery East and Browndown Battery West.
They were finished by 1852. However, some people, like James Fergusson, thought they weren't strong enough. He wrote about his worries in papers like The Peril of Portsmouth. In 1860, these batteries had many large guns. For example, Browndown Battery East had places for three 68-pounder guns and seven 8-inch guns. The western battery had similar weapons. By 1870, the eastern battery was no longer used. The western one stayed active until a new, stronger battery was built in its place.
A New Battery is Built
In 1890, military leaders decided to update the old Browndown Batteries. They thought the eastern battery should be removed because new defenses nearby made it unnecessary. They decided to keep the western battery but remove its old guns.
Even though other defenses had been built, there was still a need to protect the deep water near Browndown Point. So, a completely new Browndown Battery was constructed. It was built on the same spot as the old Browndown Battery West. This new battery was designed to hold two very large 12.5-inch guns. Building started in October 1888 and finished in August 1889. The back wall of the old battery was kept. New concrete platforms were built for the huge guns, which could turn to aim. Storage rooms for shells and cartridges were placed between the two gun positions.
The Last Version of Browndown Battery
Around 1890, plans were made to add even more powerful guns to the defenses around Stokes Bay. Two 6-inch guns and two 9.2-inch guns were to be placed at each end of the bay. These types of guns were standard for coastal defense at that time. They often worked in pairs to fight against different kinds of enemy ships.
Fort Gilkicker was updated for two 6-inch and two 9.2-inch guns. The No.2 Battery of the Stokes Bay Lines was updated for two 6-inch guns. The other two 9.2-inch guns were to be placed at Browndown Battery. This new version of Browndown Battery had larger storage areas for shells and cartridges. A kitchen for the soldiers was added, along with two shelters. A special command post and telephone room were built above the artillery store. This allowed communication with other nearby forts like Fort Gilkicker.
By 1904, the battery had its new guns: two 9.2-inch Mark 10 guns. However, in 1905, a military committee decided that these guns were no longer needed. They felt that any enemy ships reaching Browndown would have already passed other strong defenses. Because of this, the battery was declared "superfluous," meaning it was no longer useful. The guns were removed in 1906, and the battery was no longer an active defense site.
What Happened Later
After its guns were removed, Browndown Battery was still used by the army. It became part of the Browndown Training facility and shooting ranges. For a short time, a lookout post was built on top of one of the old gun positions. This was used for training by a special unit that worked with hovercrafts.
Military experts say that Browndown Battery is still in great condition today. Even though it has been changed and made stronger many times, you can still see much of the original building.
Browndown Camp
Browndown Camp was a military base located at the same site. It had barracks (places for soldiers to live), an obstacle course, and a 25-meter shooting range for small guns. The old fort itself was sometimes used for training, but it was too small for large exercises.
Many different military groups used Browndown Camp over the years:
- The Royal Marines' Small Arms Corps used it from 1922 to 1959.
- The British Army used it as a training facility in 1961.
- It was also used by cadet forces like the ACF, CCF, and ATC, as well as the Territorial Army.
In 2002, the camp was used as the set for a TV show called Lads' Army. It pretended to be a 1950s British Army training course. The show used the site two more times in 2005 for a similar series called Bad Lads' Army.
In 2009, the Ministry of Defence decided that Browndown Camp was no longer needed. It was closed and sold to a private company in 2012 for £754,000. Even though the camp is closed, the beach nearby is still used for military training, especially for amphibious warfare (training for landings from the sea), because it is close to the Marchwood Military Port.
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