Some lovely pastel colours this morning on my walk around Gosport.
Whilst I started working in Gosport roughly ten years ago, I didn’t move here until roughly three years had passed. It was only when I moved here, that I really began to appreciate the history that abounds in the town. I’ve talked previously about the leaflets published by the Gosport Historic Records & Museum Society. I had only a very limited number of leaflets. In the shop where I bought them, there were two more leaflets that were slightly more detailed than the others, because it was a research piece dedicated to a particular topic.
The title of this piece was “The Earlier Fortifications of Gosport.” by G H Williams, published by the GHRMS With Portsmouth being just across the harbour, being a major naval base, it is only natural that the security of Portsmouth would have to be ensured by contributing to the securing of Gosport. The leaflet I have been reading indicates early mentions of parts of Gosport are around the 1470’s. The focus was on Fort Blockhouse, guarding the entrance to the harbour. A chain was first deployed from Portsmouth as early as 1420, several were deployed between then and 1520.
It seems that the vulnerability of Portsmouth to attack from Gosport was highlighted in the 17th Century, when in the 1640’s Parliamentary forces held gosport, and the Royalists Portsmouth during the civil war. The guns of Gosport were turned on Portsmouth, lives were lost, and damage inflicted. From 1660 onwards, the fortifications of the area started to receive closer scrutiny.
As the defences of Portsmouth and Gosport were done under one banner, during the reviews of borough charters 1681-82, Gosport was made part of Portsmouth. This only lasted six years, being in done in 1688.
By 1742 the Gosport Lines encircled the land side if the town going from Trinity Church, this. Recent picture shows part of the ramparts and the moat
Up to the Gosport side of Forton Lake, adjacent to Priddy’s Hard. the trinity ramparts, the walls between gosport Railway Station, and some structures around Priddy’s Hard are now all that remains of the Gosport Ramparts. In away, I am sorry that they have gone. They would have made a wonderful walk, and a classic piece of history.
I am likely to do another article on this later.
Bills Posts 