Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson
The displays include the Great Turkish Bombard of 1464, that once protected the Dardanelles, Saddam Hussein’s infamous ‘Supergun’ and Mallet’s Mortar one of 3 Guinness world record holders on show.
Covering every period of history from every corner of the world the collection is brought vividly to life every day with the live firing of one of the field guns.
Fort Nelson was built in the 1860s, as part of a chain of fortifications protecting the great naval harbour of Portsmouth in Hampshire and its Royal Dockyard from a feared French invasion.
Covering nearly 19 acres and now fully restored, Fort Nelson sits majestically atop Portsdown Hill, with amazing views of the Solent and the Meon Valley. The Fort stands today as a monument to the skills and ingenuity of Victorian engineering and architecture.
The Collections:
Opened in 1995 as home to the Royal Armouries collection of artillery, Fort Nelson has over 350 big guns and historic cannon on display, all part of the national collection of arms and armour.
The Royal Armouries collections are diverse and reflect the changing fashions in collecting arms and armour in Great Britain since the 19th century. Combined with its historic collection, originating in the Tower of London, what survives today is a truly world class collection.
The Royal Armouries collection consists of some 70,000 examples of arms, armour and artillery dating from antiquity to the present day. It includes royal armours of the Tudor and Stuart kings; arms and armour of the English Civil Wars, including the Armoury from Littlecote House; British and foreign military weapons from the Board of Ordnance and MOD Pattern Room collections; hunting and sporting weapons, as well as an exceptional collection of oriental arms and armour.
The Royal Armouries also has a significant collection of fine and decorative arts, and a special collection of material relating to the Tower of London, including antique prints and drawings, paintings, early photographs, stereoscopes and lantern slides, and rare books.
The Royal Armouries library contains material relating to the history, development and use of arms, armour, artillery and fortifications, and to the Tower of London. It has special collections of original military manuals, drill books, and fencing manuals. The collection amounts to some 30,000 books and pamphlets, 10,000 journals and magazines, and 6,000 auction sales catalogues.
There is a large Picture Library containing some 70,000 images of objects in the collection, which are available for purchase and reproduction. The Archives contains records relating to the Museum, collections of research material from scholars such as Sir James Mann and Howard Blackmore, as well as the records of the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Opening times
Summer April – October
Daily 10am – 5pm
except Wednesday 11am – 5pm
Winter November – March
Daily 10.30am – 4pm
except Wednesday 11.30am – 4pm
The Fort is closed 24-26 December
(inclusive)
Admission
Free: some events may be chargeable.
Last admission is one hour before closing
Travel
Car
Exit the M27 at junction 11.
Take the exit signposted for Gosport and Fareham.
Stay in the left-hand lane, this will take you down a slip road to a roundabout.
Landmark: A railway viaduct on your left.
At this roundabout take the first left turn, signposted A27 Portchester.
Landmark: Delme Arms Public House on left.
Stay in the left-hand lane.
Go through the first set of traffic lights.
At the second set take a left-hand turn into Down End Road.
Follow the road up and around for approximately ½ mile.
Fort Nelson will appear on your left-hand side.
Brown tourist signs for Royal Armouries will help guide you on this route.
Bus
At present there is no bus service to Fort Nelson.
Taxis
Taxi services are widely available in the local area.
Parking
Car parking is freely available to the public opposite the Fort, but across a busy road.
Address
Royal Armouries Museum
Fort Nelson
Portsdown Hill Road
Fareham
PO17 6AN