"Hard work and dedication" pays off as Gosport's 18th century Bastion No 1 transformed and saved from ruin
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A late 18th century bastion which is synonymous with Gosport has been saved from falling into disrepair.
Bastion No 1 has been taken off the heritage at risk register thanks to the efforts of English Heritage volunteers. Sites are placed on the list when urgent action is needed to stop them from falling into disrepair.
Locations that are given a new lease of life and brought back into use are removed from the register. The scheduled monument has been transformed into a green space and public park.
Richard Whittington, Gosport Borough Council’s principal conservation and design officer, said: "The removal of Bastion No.1 from the Heritage at Risk Register reflects the hard work and dedication of all those involved. This includes the Friends of Bastion No. 1, Gosport Borough Council and Historic England, who were funded by the Gosport Heritage Action Zone & Coastal Communities Fund.
“Its removal from the Heritage at Risk Register will help protect Bastion No.1's legacy, allowing the public to continue to enjoy this much-loved local landmark for years to come. The Heritage Action Zone project also produced a Conservation Management Plan for Bastion No.1 to ensure its future upkeep."
History of Bastion No 1
Bastion No 1 was built between 1797 and 1802 as part of a larger line of earthworks and forts called the Gosport Lines. It’s one of the last surviving examples of this kind of military defence in an English town. These defences were designed to protect Portsmouth from attack. Its one of many military fortifications in Gosport, such as Fort Brockhurst and other Palmerston forts.
The bastion would have had cannons mounted on it, as well as a floodable moat to deter enemies from crossing - now designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). In the 1950s, Gosport Council bought the land and subsequently restored the site in the 1980s as a public attraction.
It also has buried archaeological remains on site. Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Emma Squire CBE, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said: “The best way to protect our buildings is to reuse them, turning them into places of local connection and joy.
“The sites that have been saved and have come off the Register this year really highlight the benefits of working together in partnership, and with communities, to create positive, sustainable change. Together we can safeguard our heritage for future generations.”