The most recent ‘at risk’ register lists 25 local buildings from across the Portsmouth area including brickworks, military buildings and boatyard buildings and outlines the action needed to preserve these historical gems. The public body said the programme shines a light on historic sites most in need and has brought local people together in caring for and enjoying their heritage.
However huge strides have been made to protect some of these sites including at Fort Widley, where the Victorian military fort turned activities and equestrian centre, is making good progress to being saved following recent conservation work.
Fort Widley is a Victorian military fort built between 1861 and 1870 on top of Portsdown Hill, overlooking the city and is is part of a group of forts known as the Palmerston Forts, which were built to defend Portsmouth from a possible French invasion. These forts were never used in battle, and some people later called them “Palmerston’s Follies” because the threat never came.
During the World Wars, Fort Widley was used for storage, troop movement, and later as a bomb disposal and command centre, and then the 1960s, it was taken over by Portsmouth City Council. It is now managed by the Peter Ashley Activity Centres Trust under a full repairing lease from the council. The site is home to the Fort Widley Equestrian Centre and offers community room and space hire, as well as a hub for heritage tours.
It is listed as a Scheduled Monument and currently on the Heritage at Risk Register but is making good progress towards its removal. A grant of £270,957 from Historic England to conserve the six-foot bridges that lead into the former barrack block has greatly increased accessibility for the community.
Darren Bridgman, Chief Executive, Peter Ashley Activity Centres Trust said: "The conservation work at Fort Widley marks a really positive step in safeguarding one of Portsmouth’s most unique heritage landmarks. The repairs to the bridges have not only protected an important part of the fort’s historic fabric but also improved access for the community, opening up new opportunities for education, community use and inclusion.
“We are extremely grateful to Historic England and Portsmouth City Council for their support and proud to play a part in ensuring the fort continues to inspire future generations.”
Other sites where huge progress is being made is at Gilkicker Fort in Gosport which is in the process of being transformed into new homes (see the video embedded in this story), and at No 2 Battery in Gosport, home to The Diving Museum, which is undergoing a refurbishment.
Another success story is Bastion No. 1 in Gosport, a late 18th century bastion, which is now a public green space and has been saved thanks to the work of the local community and has been removed from the ‘at risk’ register.
Bastion No.1 is part of the old defences of Gosport. It was built between 1797 and 1802 as part of a larger line of earthworks and forts called the Gosport Lines, and is one of the last surviving examples of this kind of military defence in an English town.
These defences were designed to protect Portsmouth Harbour from attack. At one point, the bastion would have had cannons mounted on it, as well as a moat that would be flooded to make it hard for enemies to cross.
In the 1950s, Gosport Council bought the land and subsequently restored the site in the 1980s, so that locals could visit. Scheduled as a monument in the 1970s, it is now a public green space, and thanks to the work of Friends of Bastion No. 1 & Gosport Borough Council, funded by the Gosport Heritage Action Zone & Coastal Communities Fund, it has been saved and removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
Richard Whittington, Principal Conservation and Design Officer, at Gosport Borough Council 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."
Historic England said around 6,800 historic sites have been rescued over the past 25 years – equivalent to around three-quarters of the entries on the original register from 1998 and that being on the ‘at risk’ register can help to attract much-needed funding or assistance to take action.
Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Emma Squire CBE, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said: “The heritage we see all around us impacts how we feel about our local places. The annual Heritage at Risk Register gives us the opportunity to celebrate the many benefits of bringing our historic buildings back into use.
“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.”
17. Haslar Gunboat Yard, Gosport
A row of ten gunboat sheds and three maintenance workshops, designed in 1856 by William Scamp of the Admiralty Works Department as part of the Haslar Gunboat Yard for the housing and repair of British gunboats, and their successor craft, of the Royal Navy. The adjacent traverser system was used for their launch and movement. The site ceased to be used in the mid-1970s but remained in MOD ownership. Once vacant, its condition deteriorated, with only minimum maintenance undertaken. Planning permission has now been granted to to widen the opening to the Gunboat Yard from Haslar Road by demolishing some of its walls to make a new entrance from Haslar Road. It is hoped that this will help to find a new use for the site. The Grade I listed building is described as being in a 'generally satisfaction' condition. | Historic England
18. Fort Elson, Gosport
Fort Elson is currently being severely damaged by vegetation, which has taken hold of the site. The Scheduled Monument is described as being in a poor condition. | Google Street View
19. Gilkicker Fort, Fort Road, Gilkicker Point, Gosport
An Artillery fort 1865-71 with later additions it is subject to heritage crime in parts, and casemates and magazines were threatened by water penetration. The fort was sold at auction and work is well underway to convert it into 26 homes, which will have stunning views across the Solent and bring the site back to life. The Scheduled Monument is described as being in a poor condition. Picture: Marcin Jedrysiak | Marcin Jedrysiak
20. No 2 Battery, Stokes Bay Road, Gosport
Batteries No.1 and 2 were built in the Stokes Bay area of Gosport, primarily to defend against a sea-borne attack, and are located at the north-west end of the Stokes Bay Lines. They were part of a system of ramparts, moats and batteries built in the 1860s. The building is partly in use as The Diving Museum which is currently closed for refurbishment. The Grade II* listed building is described as being in a poor condition. Photo: Contributed