Bastion No 1: Historic Gosport monument to become a community garden

Following proposals submitted by Friends of Bastion No 1, Gosport Borough Council has granted £11,603.05 towards the project.

The voluntary group proposed the new garden within the bastion ‘to reflect on its past and encourage residents to come and enjoy this special place’.

A bastion is part of a protective fortification built at an angle to the line of a wall, so it allows defensive fire in several directions.

Councillor June Cully said: ‘We are delighted that we have found funds to deliver the plan that we’ve worked on for a couple of years now.

‘We’re trying to encourage people to come back and enjoy a part of our heritage for a long time.

‘It allows people to envisage how Gosport was many years ago when it had embankments surrounding it.’

Cllr Peter Chegwyn, leader of the council said: ‘This place has been closed to the public for at least 40 years now.

‘It’s been a little gem tucked away – this opens it up to the public whilst protecting and restoring our heritage which can only be a good thing.

‘This is a great project, it will also enhance the building alongside which we could have lost.

‘It’s not just important for our heritage but for national heritage, as well as there’s only two of them in the country and we’ve got one of them, it would be pretty daft to not look after it.’

Council funding will be provided through Community Infrastructure Levy – otherwise known as developer contributions.

The Bastion was originally part of a series of fortifications used in the 19th century to protect Portsmouth Harbour from attacks from the French.

The Ministry of Defence originally owned the site before it was acquired by Gosport Borough Council in 1955.

As it was considered a unique example of urban fortifications, it was made an ancient monument in 1970.

The site includes grassed earth banks, gun emplacements, a moat and a caponier – which was a covered passage to protect troops from direct fire.