Dilapidated Royal Navy Rum Store in Gosport starting to take shape with structure 'brought back to life'
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Engineers have been preparing the deteriorating building for the next phase of construction
Transformation efforts to breath new life into a historic military structure are slowly starting to take shape.
Architects and engineers are progressing with regeneration works at the old Royal Navy Rum Store in Victoria Quay Boatyard, Gosport. The News were invited on a tour of the site alongside Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage to see how much has changed since the project began in the autumn of last year.
“You can really see it starting to take shape,” the Conservative politician told The News. “A few years ago it was chaos, full of trees and in a terrible state of dilapidation. The roof had fallen in and there was rubble everywhere. Now, you can see the visible signs of what it can be as it’s brought back to life.”
The Grade II listed structure is being turned into a vibrant business hub, under the guidance of UK Docks Marine Services. Built around 150 years ago, the site originally stored alcohol, sugar and beer for Royal Navy sailors at HMNB Portsmouth.
It was a vibrant hub of activity in Victorian times and afterwards as part of the historic Royal Clarence Yard. By the 1970s though, it fell into disrepair. The Rum Store was heavily bombed in the Second World War, and only the blast-proof doors - still part of the structure today - kept it from caving in. A partial roof collapse in recent years also created problems.
Gosport Borough Council was awarded £11m from the Government's Local Regeneration Fund in 2023 to bring the building to its former glory. UK Docks matched the sum to make it a £22m restoration project.
Dame Caroline, and Gosport Borough Council leader Zoe Huggins, tried her hand at woodwork by cutting one of the roof beams during the tour. “One day someone will look up and realise it’s a bit wonky,” she said, “that’ll be on me”. The Gosport MP said she’s proud of the efforts to restore the site.
“These buildings are part of our national heritage and they’ve got huge potential to bring economic prosperity, cultural opportunities and employment spaces to a local community,” she added. “They can be properly reimagined with a bit of investment.
“Part of that is not allowing them to fall into a state of degradation in the first place. The Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence (MoD) have a part to play in maintaining the listed buildings on their sites, so we don’t end up in a situation like this where we’re investing millions of pounds to fix them. I’d like the MoD to un-grip their cold fingers from some of the sites that are rotting at the public’s expense.”
Dame Caroline said Gosport is leading the way in repurposing and protecting abandoned military sites, with transformation works at Fort Gilkicker being just one example. She believes the Rum Store can be the centrepiece of regenerating the waterfront.
“This is about breathing economic opportunity into the Gosport peninsula and bringing jobs so people have to commute to go to work,” she said. “It creates new opportunities. Our heritage is our local superpower.
“You can’t swing a cat in Gosport without knocking down several listed buildings. They’ve been seen as an obstacle, but we need to see them as something that can really attract people to this area, and make it a fabulous place to live and work.”
Nearly 7,000 sqm of mixed-use space will be created amid painstaking efforts to safeguard the architectural and historical interest of the building. Early enabling works are due to be completed imminently, with the engineers proceeding to main infrastructure work inside the Rum Store.
The core structure and fittings are expected to be completed by around March 2028. UK Docks’ business development director Ben Mason said the project is in a really good place, despite challenges with lead times and sourcing the right materials.
“The teams have been really good and it hasn’t taken too long to get things established and underway,” he added. “Redeveloping a military heritage site comes with additional hurdles you wouldn’t normally expect. We’ve gone through a lot of design and engineering work, as well as approvals. The project is on track.”
Once completed, the new Rum Store is expected to host various businesses including restaurants and cafes. Bringing in an estimate 150-200 jobs, it’s projected that millions of pounds will be generated by the increased footfall and other sources.
Fresh plans accepted in July saw an alternative layout accepted, which includes a new ground floor unit. In around eight weeks time, the number of contractors at the site will double to start the main infrastructure works.
Mr Mason said the whole of the top floor has to be rebuilt, which involves some demolition work. Stairways, partitions and other features need to be constructed. Underground works also need completing, including the installation of power and water sources, and drainage.
He said the transformation from the very beginning, when trees were growing inside the building and floors that were seeped in guano, has been remarkable. “It was almost on the verge of collapse,” he added. “It was unsafe.”
“There was vegetation growing everywhere and the smell was poor. Having the smell of new wood and building materials in there, and a clean site without any moss or mould, is great.
“On the outside, all the pointing works and repairs to the windows bring it back to life. The main aspiration is to turn this building into a hive of activity in Royal Clarence yard.”