Fort Widley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Widley |
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| Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth, England | |
View from north of Fort Widley
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| Coordinates | 50°51′15″N 1°04′03″W / 50.8541°N 1.0676°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Portsmouth City Council |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1860–1870 |
| Built by | William Tredwell |
| Materials | Brick, earth |
Fort Widley is an old fort located on Portsdown Hill near Portsmouth, England. It was built between 1860 and 1868. This fort was part of a group of forts known as the Palmerston Forts. These forts were designed to protect Portsmouth from attacks coming from inland.
Building Fort Widley
Fort Widley was designed by William Crossman, an officer from the Royal Engineers. The fort was shaped like a polygon, which means it had many sides.
It was built using chalk from the hill itself. Red brick and local flint were also used for the buildings. A large, dry ditch was dug around the fort to help protect it.
The fort had different types of weapons.
- Main guns were placed on a curved rampart.
- Large mortars, which fired shells high into the air, were in special protected areas.
- Smaller guns for close-range fighting were in areas called caponiers.
There were also living quarters inside the fort for officers and soldiers.
Fort Widley's Weapons
The forts were built quickly, but weapons technology changed fast. Because of this, the guns were not put in place right away. This delay meant the fort ended up with different guns than first planned.
By the 1890s, Fort Widley had several types of cannons and howitzers. Howitzers are like cannons but fire shells in a high arc. Some of these guns could be moved to different spots as needed. All the guns were removed from Fort Widley in 1902.
History and Use of the Fort
During the Victorian era, Fort Widley was used as barracks for soldiers. Different army units lived there over the years. For example, the 30th Regiment of Foot stayed there in 1875.
In the First World War, the fort became a transit depot. This means it was a place where soldiers would stay briefly before moving to another location. During the Second World War, more living spaces were added. It housed members of the Royal Corps of Signals and the Auxiliary Territorial Service. These groups helped support the navy command at nearby Fort Southwick.
In 1952, a bomb disposal team moved into the fort. A year later, a special emergency control center for Portsmouth was built inside the fort's old magazine. This center was for civil defense in case of an emergency.
In 1961, Portsmouth City Council started leasing the fort. They bought it completely in 1972. Since 1990, the fort has been used as an activity center by the Peter Ashley charity. They offer many activities, including an equestrian (horse riding) center.
In 2010, the fort was used for a big search and rescue practice. It was like a pretend earthquake, and teams from seven countries worked together.
Today, Fort Widley is still home to the equestrian center run by the Peter Ashley Activity Centres. The fort and a gun outside it are protected as Listed Buildings.
Images for kids
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South side of the fort
