The artillery of the Portsdown1 Forts with special reference to Fort Nelson

Fort Nelson and the Portsdown Forts were constructed between 1862 and 1871 in order to strengthen the defences of Portsmouth following fears of a French invasion and the recommendations of an 1859 Royal Commission.2 As the greatest peace-time fortification construction ever seen in Britain it is perhaps an unfortunate omission, especially for the student of artillery, that neither a detailed study exists as to the firepower of these structures at a time when rifled artillery became available for the first time nor an assessment of French artillery that could have appeared in the field against them. This article aims to redress those imbalances but firstly a degree of context is necessary.