Meetings are held at Fort Nelson on the third Wednesday of every month, excluding August and December, often with speakers on military subjects that may range from Victorian guns to local history to World War One and Two.
The meetings are held at Fort Nelson from 19.30 to 21.00 hours, and are both informative and social occasions. One meeting each year is normally a visit to a local fort or gun battery not generally available to the public.
PFS member James Doherty provides an insight into one of the worst British military disasters of Queen Victoria's reign, and ponders the contribution of the rapscallion, but fictional, Harry Flashman. The meeting will be at Fort Nelson, with access via the Lower West Gate which opens at 7.00pm. There is car parking in this gate area and also on the approach road to the Upper West Gate. The meeting commences at 7.30pm and the gate will be closed at this time. All PFS members are welcome but please be aware that some Covid-19 guidelines may still be in place, although this will be determined by Government advice at the time.
The next in the series of these Fort Talks organised by the Royal Armouries is definitely going to be interesting to Palmerston Forts Society members and followers of this page. On Thursday 18th November at 1900, Nicholas Hall, Curator Emeritus of the Royal Armouries will be giving a talk titled: ‘Fort Nelson: Palmerston folly or prudent policy? European power politics during the mid-19th century’.more...
The Palmerston Forts Society, together with the Fortress Study Group and the Ordnance Society, are pleased to announce the following Zoom webinar… On the 24th November, Lars A. Hansson will give a talk entitled 'Swedish Defences Against the Soviet Threat' The talk will commence at 2000hrs, and all PFS members are welcome to attend. The link has been emailed to the members but if you are unsure then contact the Membership Secretary at membership@palmerstonfortssociety.org.uk
The BBC website has just announced the following.... 'A derelict sea fort built to deter a French invasion in the 19th Century has been sold for £715,000. Horse Sand Fort is one of a group of four so-called “Palmerston's Follies” - artificial island fortifications - in the Solent. It was sold by businessman Mike Clare, who has transformed two of the other forts into luxury hotels. Estate agent Colliers said the unnamed UK buyer aimed to "develop the site for a leisure use". Previously the firm said Horse Sand Fort had planning permission for 22 luxury residential apartments. In a marketing brochure, it said the property boasted "100 original chambers and living quarters, plus original gun carriages and armour-plated walls". Mr Clare, who founded the Dreams bed company, put all three of his forts up for sale in 2019. He has set a deadline of 26 November for offers for No Man's Land Fort after dropping the asking price from £4.25m to £3.6m, Colliers said. His third fort, Spitbank, has been marketed for £4m. Construction work on the Solent forts began in 1865 under former prime minister Lord Palmerston. By the time they had all been completed in 1880,' the invasion threat had passed. The hotels on No Man's Land and Spitbank Forts were officially closed to guests in 2020. Solent Forts' website said reopening would be deferred until there was no threat of further coronavirus restrictions.
The 2021 issue of The Redan has been received from the printers, and a general mail out to members who have renewed has commenced. A digitised version can be found in the members' area of the PFS website.
The AGM reports presentations are now available in the members area of the web-site for viewing.read more ...
The 2021 - 2022 PFS Membership started on the 1st October, and thanks to all members who have renewed their subscription which will last until the 30th September 2022. A polite reminder to the few members who have yet to pay their subs; it's so easy by cheque, bank transfer or PayPal. Contact the Membership Secretary if you have any questions: membership@palmerstonfortssociety.org.uk
The Palmerston era Fort Widley is the home to The Pompey Pals Charity which was initially set up to erect a memorial at Fratton Park (the home of Portsmouth FC), to honour the Portsmouth men who, during the First World War, joined the 14th & 15th Battalions of The Hampshire Regiment known as The Pompey Pals. Since 2014, the charity has expanded its aims and now looks to honour and commemorate all Portsmouth citizens who have served in this country’s armed forces, or who have lost their lives as a result of enemy action from 1914 to the present day. Whether it is through this website, social media, organised memorial events, or via the museum and research centre located at Fort Widley, the aim is to record and to tell the individuals story. The museum at Fort Widley is able to open, all be it on a strictly pre-booked basis only, and can accommodate groups of up to 4 people. For more details or to make a booking: Fort Widley, Portsdown Hill Road, Portsmouth, PO3 3LS / tel: 07982 402229
In February and March this year, we surveyed the PFS membership on the subject of the PFS website. This was the third members’ survey, the previous two concerning Social Media and Meetings and Events. Members were asked six questions about the website and one question each about our Facebook page and the Newsletter: 66% of members responded – a high response rate that gives us confidence that the results are representative. We were pleased to find that the PFS website was rated highly by most members. The most common response was that the website was “fine as it is” but there were some good ideas for improvements and some of those have already been implemented. For example, you will find a new page in the website on the PFS committee – how the committee works and who the members are. Feedback on the Newsletter was also very positive. The full results of the survey and the agreed actions can be found in the Members Area Menu on the website.
The PFS has just launched a new publication - 'The Portsmouth Artillery Volunteers 1797-1908' by PFS member Duncan Williams. This full colour, 36 page booklet, follows the story of the Volunteer Artillerymen that manned the nation’s fortifications from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. Although the book uses the units formed in Portsmouth to illustrate the development of the nation's Volunteer Artillery force, the information would be useful to anybody with an interest in a rarely covered topic on British military history or the local history of Portsmouth. Full details of how to purchase this publication can be found on the Information tab of the PFS website.
On Wednesday 5th May, four members of the Palmerston Forts Society meet with two directors of the development company that has bought Fort Gilkicker and their architect. We were invited to the meeting after approaching the developers with a request for clarification of their plans for the fort.read more ...
EH have issued a statement on their web site concerning the collapse of part of the castle and the work currently being carried out.read more ...
Fort Nelson will be open from 12 April 2021. Once again, visitors will be able to enjoy the panoramic views from the fort’s ramparts, The galleries will then be opened on May 17th as the Covid restrictions are relaxed. Although the main café will not be open, the snack bar will be open with plenty of picnic space. Social distancing and various other forms of safety control will be in place, and so the number of people on site can be managed it is necessary to book advance for the timed daily sessions. Admission is free but on-site car parking incurs a small charge. Disappointingly, it looks as if there are no plans for live firings in 2021. Nigel Hosier, the Operations Manager, is quoted: "The guns have been silent for more than a year now but we have big plans for their return in 2022. They are the life, sight and smell of the fort. We plan to revamp and remodel how we do it." For advance booking check the Royal Armouries website: https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson/
Interesting news about FORT GILKICKER (perhaps) The Fort Gilkicker Information Group today reports: “………. I just wanted to update you with an important piece of news I have been informed of today. Two reliable sources of information have told me that contracts have been exchanged very recently for Gilkicker which means that the fort now possibly has a new owner and work is again going to commence very soon. I am awaiting a final reply from …….regarding this issue but will keep you all updated accordingly. …….” We will keep you posted on this one ! read more ...
At this morning's PFS Committee, the catastrophe that had struck the East Wing Battery of Hurst Castle was discussed. The committee felt it appropriate that an official public statement should be made.read more ...
Terrible news form Hurst Castle as the front seaward-facing wall collapses due to coastal erosion. A report from the BBC news website follows....read more ...
Earlier this week, a delegation from the Palmerston Forts Society met with the new owners of the site of the former Royal Marines Museum which includes the battery. The owners plan to develop the site into Portsmouth's first five star hotel. We were invited to discuss options for the future of the battery site.read more ...
The PFS have registered with Amazon Smile. If you use Amazon why not use Amazon Smile instead, there is no difference to you as the customer, but for every £1 you spend, those nice folk at Amazon will give the PFS a ha'penny!read more ...