Fort Rowner

Fort Rowner was designed by William Crossman to protect Portsmouth. With its formidable firepower, its main purpose was to guard the approach from potential landing areas on the south Hampshire coast. According to the record plans of Fort Grange, the estimated costs of Rowner, Brockhurst and Grange were £300,000 whilst the actual costs were :- Rowner £52,994, Brockhurst £51.514, Grange £60,676, a total of £169,228 charged to the vote and £2,956 to the loan. The contractor was Mr. Piper. During the construction of Fort Rowner in 1861 fractures were discovered in some of the arches of the left flank and keep. The former was reconstructed and tie rods were inserted to remedy the faults in the…

Rowner was heavily overgrown for many years until the Navy, at a cost of £400,000, cleared its ramparts and the roof of the keep in 1994. The keep is mostly derelict but its moat still holds water and is well stocked with coarse fish. Regular matches are held on the water and forms part of the Portsmouth RN & RM Coarse Angling association syndicate waters.