Fort Cumberland

Fort Cumberland stands on the south coast of England, east of Portsmouth Dockyard, guarding the entrance to Langstone Harbour. Built as a pentagonal artillery fort, it is the finest surviving bastion trace fort in England. The first earthwork fort was started in 1747 by the Duke of Cumberland, with brick buildings inside including a guardhouse, storeroom and powder magazine. In 1785 the fort was rebuilt in masonry on a larger scale, enclosing 24 acres and adding five bastions and a ravelin. It was the last angle-bastioned fort built in the United Kingdom and introduced casemated ordnance. The fort’s role changed as artillery improved. In the 1850s rifled cannon made its guns obsolete, and in 1859 it became headquarters of the Royal Marine Artillery. By the 1890s three 6-inch disappearing guns defended the site alongside heavier pieces. During the Second World War a German air raid killed eight Royal Marines at the fort. After military use ended in the 1970s, English Heritage took charge and established an archaeological centre there. Visitors find a well-preserved pentagonal fort with massive brick walls and five bastions. The guardhouse and storeroom from the first fort remain inside the later masonry work. Surrounding Grade II listed buildings include the hospital and officers’ quarters. Today parts of the casemates house a distillery making rum and gin, while veterans’ charities also use the site. Guided tours allow limited access to the fort’s interior and its long military history.