Fort Rowner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Rowner
Fort Rowner entrance
Type	Palmerston Fort
Location	Gosport
OS grid reference	SU 59406 01122
Area	Hampshire
Built	1858–1862
Architect	William Crossman
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Fort Rowner, Gosport
Designated	20 Apr 1983
Reference no.	1233871
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Fort Rowner is an old military fort located in Gosport, England. It's one of the famous Palmerston Forts, which were built a long time ago to protect Britain. This fort was constructed around 1858. It was part of a line of forts designed to defend Gosport, working with other forts like Fort Brockhurst and Fort Elson. Later, Fort Rowner was used as a place for soldiers to live, called a barracks. The Royal Navy also used it for a special purpose called Degaussing, which helps ships avoid magnetic mines. Since 1983, Fort Rowner has been a Grade II Listed Building, meaning it's an important historical site.

Building Fort Rowner: Design and Construction

Fort Rowner was designed by an architect named William Crossman. Its main job was to protect the important naval port of Portsmouth. The fort was built to guard against any enemy ships or soldiers trying to land on the coast of Hampshire. It had a lot of powerful guns to help with this defense.

Building these forts was a big project. Fort Rowner, along with Fort Brockhurst and Fort Grange, cost a lot of money to build. During its construction in 1861, some parts of Fort Rowner, like the arches, started to crack. These parts had to be rebuilt or fixed with strong metal rods.

These three forts were designed to work together. They were built in a straight line so they could support each other during a battle. Each fort had a special circular building at the back called a "keep." Even though some people thought keeps were old-fashioned, they were still considered important. They were meant to protect any soldiers who were left if the fort was taken over by an enemy.

Interestingly, Fort Rowner was found to have problems by an inspector in 1862. The original builder was fired, and the British Army's Royal Engineers finished the work using their own soldiers. This helped fix the issues and complete the fort.

Fort Rowner's Weapons: Armament

Fort Rowner was planned to hold a huge number of heavy guns – 53 of them! These guns were placed in different spots around the fort. Some were on the main walls, others in special side galleries under the ramparts. There were also 30 lighter guns in the keep and other defensive spots. On the main parade ground, there were even four large 13-inch mortars, which are like giant cannons that fire shells high into the air.

By 1886, Fort Brockhurst, a nearby fort, had a mix of different types of guns. These included large smooth-bore guns, rifled breech-loaders (which were more modern), and rifled muzzle-loaders.

The guns stayed at Fort Rowner until 1902. At that time, all the forts in the Gosport Advanced Line were disarmed, meaning their weapons were removed. However, during World War I in 1916, Fort Rowner was re-armed with a 6-pounder Hotchkiss gun. This was a heavy anti-aircraft gun, used to shoot down enemy planes.

Life at the Fort: Use of the Fort

Fort Rowner was staffed by soldiers from the Royal Garrison Artillery. In the 1880s, it became a training base for a part of this artillery group. Many different army regiments stayed at the fort over the years. They would live there as they moved to and from different assignments in the UK and other parts of the British Empire. By 1902, it was home to a specific artillery depot and several artillery companies.

During World War II, in 1945, Fort Rowner and nearby Fort Grange became part of a Royal Navy base called HMS Siskin. Later, in 1956, this base became HMS Sultan. Both forts are still part of the HMS Sultan naval base today.

After 1947, Fort Rowner briefly housed the Naval Air Medical School. This school had special decompression chambers inside the fort. These chambers are used to help people get used to changes in air pressure, which is important for pilots and divers. This facility later moved, and Fort Rowner then became home to the Royal Navy Degaussing Establishment for over 20 years, until 1991.

Fort Rowner Today

Today, Fort Rowner is located inside the active HMS Sultan naval base. This means it's not usually open to the public. However, it does open its doors once a year during "Heritage Open Week," allowing people to visit and learn about its history.

While Fort Grange, another nearby fort, is still in use and has been changed a lot over time, Fort Rowner was very overgrown for many years. In 1994, the Navy spent a lot of money to clear the overgrown plants from its walls and the roof of the keep.

Most of the keep building is now in ruins, but its moat (the ditch around it) still holds water. This moat is full of fish, and fishing matches are often held there. It's a popular spot for local anglers.