Fortifications of Portsmouth

The walls of Portsmouth and the dockyard in 1773. The dockyard is to the north of the town and separated from it by the mill pond. To the East of the town is the Little Morass, an area of marshland.

The fortifications of Portsmouth are extensive due to its strategic position on the English Channel and role as home to the Royal Navy. For this reason, Portsmouth was, by the 19th century, one of the most fortified cities in the world.[1] The fortifications have evolved over the centuries in response to changes in tactics and technology and the area defended has increased. While the first defences focused on Portsmouth harbour, in step with the fortifications of Gosport, later defensive structures protected the whole of Portsea Island and an increasing distance inland. At the same time, the fortifications of Portsmouth and Gosport became part of the wider fortifications of the Solent. Old Portsmouth, on the southwest corner of Portsea Island, has been walled for much of its history.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pevsner422 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).