"Real showcase" Gosport military site Fort Brockhurst transformed into "community asset" as others struggle
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Dedication and teamwork has led to a military fortification becoming a treasured “community asset” within half a decade.
Fort Brockhurst has become a vibrant hub in Gosport over the past five years - slowly increasing the number of events and public projects each year. The Victorian fortification started life primarily as an archaeological store, but is now a thriving military heritage location while many others are at risk of falling away.
English Heritage’s volunteer and engagement manager Joanna Forbes, who manages over 100 sites across the south coast, told The News: “When I first walked on to the site we were out of the first Covid lockdown, and no way in a million years did I believe that it would be the community hub it’s now five years later. It could be a real showcase model of what can be done.”
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The Gunners Way landmark is one of the Palmerston Forts and a scheduled monument. It was constructed in Victorian times to repel a French invasion by land, acting as a defensive barrier protecting Portsmouth dockyard. Several historical features remain in place, including the parade ground, gun ramps, moated keep, a bomb-damaged casemate, and restored barrack room to name a few.
It has always been a visitor attraction, but public open days were rare at just once a month between April and September. Thanks to the work of enthusiasts and English Heritage, this has grown to two weekends a month between April and October, while also having a calendar of seasonal winter events. Events include open days with military re-enactments. Ms Forbes said the fort’s prominence is due to community engagement with various organisations such as Gosport Passport, Hampshire Music Festival, Hampshire Culture Trust, and other smaller teams.
“Just because the doors are shut, it doesn't mean that there isn’t something going on,” she added. “We’ve been working to bring in more community engagement. You have to build on it. You can’t just do one community event and think that everything is going to come to you.
“It’s something you have to invest in, and for the past five years, I’ve been investing my time into the community of Gosport to bring more engagement for the site. We have a very good rapport, especially with regular visitors. It takes a lot of hard work to look after historic sites. I’m fortunate that I have a very proactive volunteer team that cares deeply about Fort Brockhurst.”
Ms Forbes said the fortification attracts around 26,000 visitors a year, with the numbers speaking to how popular the site is. English Heritage is working towards introducing maintenance volunteer teams who will be trained to take on work usually done by expensive contractors. Despite the success of Fort Brockhurst, not all of Palmerston forts have such a bright future ahead of them.
There are currently 25 sites - including those linked to the Royal Navy and places of worship - on the Heritage At Risk register. These locations are at risk of decaying and being lost to time if nothing is done. One of these is Fort Elson in Gosport, which has been overrun with vegetation. The building cannot be occupied because it lies within a munitions storage area of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), blocked from the general public.
Other military buildings owned by the MoD are also deteriorating while they’re in the process of being sold, including Fort Blockhouse. It’s hoped that Fort Brockhurst can be a blueprint for how to care for a military heritage building. Ginnie Slade, community engagement officer, said: “We want it to show what can be done when you work closely with the community and volunteers who are as passionate about the site as we are, coming in with lots of connections and ideas. They’re the heartbeat of this site. We want to show what can be done across the country.”
“It’s all about communication and understanding what the make up of the community looks like. It will include businesses and civil service departments like the MoD, so their needs to be an understanding of what their plans are for long term assets and what they would like from it. Fort Brockhurst is under English Heritage’s care, so our focus is here and to show what can be done elsewhere.”