Stokes Bay Gosport : Hampshire : U.K.

Built on the site of the earlier Fort Monckton Auxiliary Battery, Fort Gilkicker was constructed to defend the deepwater anchorage at Stokes Bay.

 

Commenced in 1863, completed in 1871, it  consisted of twenty-two gun emplacements in a semi-circular series of granite-faced casemates designed to sweep the approaches to Portsmouth harbour with devastating gun fire.

 

Fort Gilkicker: Raising a 25ton Gun at the Gilkicker Battery: from Illustrated London News

 

 

Change and Development:

During its service history the Fort was modified several times. Its casemates were strengthened to protect it against the constantly developing artillery of the day. It was upgraded with the latest coast defence guns in the late nineteenth century and finally it was re-armed during WWI to protect Portsmouth from air attack. After a brief new lease of life during WWII it began to fall into disuse and was released by the military in 1956. From then on it seved as workshops and was acquired by Hampshire county council in 1986.

 

 

	Arming the Fort: The Fort was armed with the latest Coast Defence Rifled Muzzle Loading guns . 2 x 12-inch R.M.L. 25-tons Upper Battery 3 x 11-inch R.M.L. 25-tons Upper Battery 17 x 10-inch R.M.L. 18-tons Casemated Battery 5 x 9-inch R.M.L. 12-tons Casemated battery

 

 

The Later Armament:

In 1898 the fort was fitted with the new 6-inch and 9.2-inch B.L. guns but their use was short-lived. They were declared superfluous in 1904.

 

 

 

The Fort Today:

The Fort, a Grade II* Scheduled Ancient Monument, is still the property of Hampshire County Council and is awaiting proposals to convert it for modern use in order to secure it for the enjoyment of future generations. This unique piece of Victorian engineering is of immense importance to the history of coast defence in the United Kingdom and must be preserved at all costs. There are no proposals to open the fort for public access.

 

Fort Gilkicker: Aerial view of the fort in 1990.