History-lovers will have the rare chance to see behind the scenes at Fort Nelson as part of a free Heritage Open Days event.
Two areas not usually open to the public – the Victorian Officers Quarters and the West Tunnel – will be open to the public on September 9 and 10.
Expert guides will lead five special tours on Saturday and Sunday, each lasting 30 minutes. Numbers will be limited to 12 people per tour and the free tours must be booked in advance at bit.ly/3rL3kpq
Fort Nelson was built in the 1860s to protect against a potential invasion by the French, which never materialised.
Although never used for its original purpose the Fort played a significant role in both World Wars; as barracks for troops waiting to be deployed to the front line in the First, and as an anti-aircraft ammunition supply depot during the Second.
Today it stands as the finest Victorian fort of its kind and as part of the Royal Armouries is home to the national collection of artillery, displayed in its museum.
Fort Nelson is open Tuesday to Sunday during term time and daily in the school holidays – 10am to 5pm.
Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, with thousands of venues opening up hidden places and giving visitors the chance to try new experiences.
Public Engagement Manager, Elizabeth Puddick, said: “It’s great to be part of such a prestigious national event and to be able to show visitors some behind the scenes areas which are usually not seen by the public.
“Come and discover a piece of Hampshire’s history. It’s a free event so bring all the family but remember to book in advance.”
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms
An action-packed summer of fun awaits visitors to Fort Nelson, with barrel-loads of children’s activities, including an exciting assault course.
Children will love the challenge of the junior assault course, suitable for ages 3 –11 years. Tickets cost £3.50, pay on the day.
Free ‘Fit for the Fort’ sessions will also take place every weekend of the school holiday with children given the chance to learn the skills a soldier would have been expected to have to report for duty.
Each weekend will focus on a different period of history including Victorian times and the First and Second World War with a range of activities from PT training sessions, military drills, to learning semaphore, morse code and survival skills.
Summer activities will run daily from Monday 24 July to Sunday 3 September and as a national museum, admission is to the Fort is free. Open daily 10am to 5pm.
Visitors are advised to book their free admission tickets in advance at www.royalarmouries.org to guarantee their visit, as the site has capacity limits.
The Victorian fort has 19 acres to explore with its tunnel, ramparts, and outdoor space, as well as a museum of treasures to discover.
There are lots of picnic benches around the site, and the café and refreshment kiosk will be open every day for light meals, snacks and drinks.
Elizabeth Puddick, Public Engagement Manager, said: “It’s going to be an action-packed summer at Fort Nelson. The assault course is always a big hit with the children, and they will enjoy the special free weekend activities too.
“We’re really looking forward to giving our summer visitors a warm welcome to Fort Nelson.”
Fort Nelson is a national museum and home to the Royal Armouries collection of artillery and historic cannon. The museum galleries and outdoor spaces display over 700 pieces, from early siege machines to modern-day superguns, from the UK and across the globe.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms
A tribute to those who lost their lives in the Falklands War has been extended for the school summer holiday, due to popular demand.
Standing with Giants is an art installation currently at Fort Nelson made up of 258 silhouettes representing the military and civilian lives lost in the Falklands Conflict.
The silhouettes have been at the Victorian fort since April and the display was due to end this week but now an extension until Sunday 3 September has been agreed to allow more visitors to see it. Admission is free.
Standing with Giants was created to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict in 2022, but this is the first time that Standing With Giants has been seen in the south. It was previously been displayed at Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire, and at the Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln.
Standing With Giants is a community project, set up by Oxfordshire artist, Dan Barton, and a group of local volunteers. They create large-scale art installations using recycled building materials.
To complement the art installation Fort Nelson is also staging an exhibition – Falklands 40: What Portsmouth Saw – which tells some of the personal stories of homecomings to Portsmouth after the conflict.
The exhibition features images from The News, footage from BBC South and interviews with local veterans, as well as a small display of guns which were used in the conflict.
Public Engagement Manager, Lizzie Puddick, said: “We have had thousands of visitors coming from far and wide to see Standing with Giants. It’s such a poignant tribute and has touched so many people.
“Lots of people have asked us if it could remain at Fort Nelson, so we’ve managed to agree an extension for the summer holidays so more families with school age children can come and visit.
“We are honoured to host this art installation and the fort seems to be such a fitting place for the tribute. Admission is free so come and visit and pay your respects to those we lost during the conflict whilst serving their country.”
Admission to the art installation is free and included with admission to the museum. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book their free tickets to guarantee entry as the site has limited capacity.
Fort Nelson is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm during term time and daily during school and bank holidays.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms
Standing With Giants – Dan Barton at info@standingwithgiants.co.uk or 07919182007
Website: standingwithgiants.co.uk
Falklands veterans have paid their respects to those who lost their lives in the conflict by placing scarves on a tribute at Fort Nelson.
Veterans gathered on Liberation Day to place their South Atlantic scarves on Standing with Giants – an art installation of 258 silhouettes, each one representing a life lost in the Falklands War.
The life-size figures currently stand on the Parade Ground and ramparts of the Victorian fort, as a tribute to those who did not return from the Falklands conflict in 1982.
The informal ceremony took place 41 years after the war ended on 14 June 1982 – known as Liberation Day.
A piper stood and played on the ramparts and a minute silence was observed by 65 veterans and their families during the tribute.
The special scarves are knitted by Rachel Simons, who was an 11-year-old living in the Falkland Islands at the time of the conflict.
In 2017, she started making the scarves and launched the charity ‘Scarves for Falklands veterans’ as a way of saying thank you to those who served in the conflict.
Now she has a group of 75 scarf makers who have made 1,000 scarves, in the colours of the South Atlantic medal ribbon, which are knitted for veterans.
The informal gathering was the idea of Standing with Giants creator, Dan Barton, after he saw veterans placing scarves on the launch day of the art installation at Fort Nelson.
Dan said: “It was really moving watching the veterans interact with the silhouettes and place their scarves around their shoulders, so it seemed a fitting thing to do on Liberation Day.”
Elizabeth Puddick, Public Engagement Manager, at Fort Nelson, said: “Today was very emotional and a very poignant sight to see with the veterans paying tribute to their lost comrades.
“We feel honoured to be hosting Standing with Giants at Fort Nelson and so many of our visitors have been moved and touched by the installation.”
Standing with Giants will be at Fort Nelson until 9 July – admission is free. Book in advance to guarantee your visit. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms
Standing With Giants – Dan Barton at info@standingwithgiants.co.uk or 07919182007
Website: standingwithgiants.co.uk
Veterans who served in the Falklands War will be at Fort Nelson for two special events to talk to visitors about the conflict.
Local veterans who served on ships in the 1982 conflict will be at the Victorian fort on Sunday 28 May and Sunday 25 June between 10.30am and 12.30pm for the special ‘Meet the Veterans’ events.
Life-size silhouetted figures, representing the 258 military and civilian lives lost during the Falklands conflict, are currently on show at Fort Nelson. The Standing with Giants art installation will be at the site until 9 July – admission is free.
Standing with Giants was created to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict last year and this is the first time it has been seen in the south during its tour of the country.
The Meet the Veterans events have been set up so families can bring their children to talk to the veterans and get a real-life account of the Falklands War.
A free trail of ‘Letters Home’ written and designed by children of military families is also on site for children to enjoy during the May Half Term holiday and will run until 9 July.
To complement the art installation Fort Nelson is also staging an exhibition – Falklands 40: What Portsmouth Saw – which tells some of the personal stories of homecomings to Portsmouth after the conflict.
The exhibition features images from The News, footage from BBC South and interviews with local veterans, as well as a small display of guns which were used in the conflict.
Events Manager, Elizabeth Puddick, said: “These two Meet the Veterans events are a great way of bringing history to life and we would love the local community to come and chat to the veterans, with the backdrop of our Standing with Giants installation.
“The tribute will be with us during the May half term so do bring your family to remember those lost in the Falklands conflict. Do book in advance as we have limited capacity on site.”
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. Free admission. Car parking £3 – pay on arrival. Book tickets in advance at www.royalarmouries.org
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk
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A royal gun salute has taken place to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Fort Nelson.
Hundreds gathered to watch as a 21- round salute took place at midday – the exact moment the King was crowned monarch – delivered by the Garrison Artillery Volunteers (GAV).
The 21-gun salute was fired by members of the GAV on four British Army World War Two 25-pounder field guns. At 10-second intervals the gun detachments discharged the blanks as a mark of respect for the monarch on this special Royal day.
The GAV, a living history group based on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, were the centrepiece for Coronation celebrations taking place at the Victorian fort on top of Portsdown Hill.
Brigadier Shane Rutter-Jerome received the royal salute. He served for 31 years in the Royal Artillery and in 2000 was appointed Colonel Commandant Royal Regiment of Artillery, a post he held until 2005.
Brigadier Shane Rutter-Jerome, said: “This event will live long in the memory of those who were able to come and see the gun salute today. It was an amazing way to mark this very special day.”
Keith Brigstock, GAV Training Officer and army veteran, said: “It’s an honour to be here today. The GAV is an organisation dedicated to the history of the Royal Artillery and with our link to Royal Armouries, made Fort Nelson the perfect place for gunners to mark this Coronation.
“We do a lot of ceremonial shoots, for the Queen’s Jubilee and William and Kate’s wedding and so we wanted to mark this special Coronation Day with a royal gun salute”.
The GAV group is made up of armed forces veterans, serving soldiers, MOD civil servants, historians, and mechanics.
Shay Pomfret, the youngest on parade celebrated her 17th birthday earlier in the week, said: “It was certainly a once in a life-time opportunity that I’m very grateful to have experienced.
“It’s not every day that someone my age can say they fired a WW2 artillery gun in honour of the Coronation. It is something I can look back on and be proud of”.
Elizabeth Puddick, Public Engagement Manager, at Fort Nelson said: “It’s such a special day for the whole country, and to mark the moment King Charles was crowned with a gun salute was really special – something we will always remember.”
Admission to Fort Nelson is free but visitors are asked to pre-book free tickets online in advance at www.royalarmouries.org as the site has limited capacity due to the size of its car park.
Fort Nelson is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm during term time, Bank Holidays and daily in the school holidays.
The GAV is an international organisation with membership from North Yorkshire to the south coast, Holland, Czech Republic, Belgium and Malta.
The group concentrates its efforts on portraying basic Territorial Artillery regiments of the Royal Artillery normally 69th Field Regiment RA (TA) and 124th Field Regiment RA (TA).
The female section of Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) enact the 93rd (Mixed) Searchlight Regiment RA (TA), part of Ack Command, manning the only fully working 150cm carbon arc searchlight in Britain.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk – 01329 848 516
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
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Two Falklands veterans who served on HMS Sheffield have paid tribute to the shipmates they lost at an art installation at Fort Nelson.
John Galway and David Atkinson were both on the ship when it was hit by an Argentine missile on 4 May 1982 during the Falklands War.
Forty-one years later and the pair laid crosses with the names of those who were killed in action at the feet of 20 naval silhouettes.
Standing with Giants is an art installation currently on display at Fort Nelson as a tribute to the 258 military and civilian lives lost during the Falklands conflict.
HMS Sheffield was the first British ship to be lost in enemy action since World War Two, and the first of four British ships to be sunk by the Argentine air force in the Falklands conflict.
David Atkinson, 66, who was a Leading Radio Operator on HMS Sheffield, made the crosses with the names of every man lost 41 years ago on the ship.
He said: “We wanted to make a gesture for my fallen comrades and having Standing with Giants at Fort Nelson gave us a suitable place to do it.”
Chairman of HMS Sheffield Association, John Galway, 63, said: “We will always remember them – on this anniversary day and everyday.
“It doesn’t feel like 41 years ago but placing crosses at the feet of Standing with Giants this seems a fitting way to remember them on this anniversary.”
Standing With Giants is a community project, set up by Oxfordshire artist, Dan Barton, and a group of local volunteers who create large-scale art installations using recycled building materials.
Created to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict in 2022, the installation at Fort Nelson is the first time it has been seen in the south. It has previously been displayed at Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire, and at the Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln.
To complement the art installation Fort Nelson is also staging an exhibition – Falklands 40: What Portsmouth Saw – which tells some of the personal stories of homecomings to Portsmouth after the conflict.
Admission to Standing with Giants at Fort Nelson is free and runs until 9th July.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk – 01329 848 516
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms:
A gun salute will take place to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III at Fort Nelson on 6 May.
The 21-round salute will take place at the same time as the King is crowned at approximately midday – admission is free.
The salute will be delivered by the Garrison Artillery Volunteers on the Parade Ground at the Victorian fort on top of Portsdown Hill. The Coronation ceremony will not be televised at Fort Nelson.
Children can also enjoy a free special Kings and Queens trail to explore the museum galleries and discover some interesting royal connections in the national collection of artillery.
Elizabeth Puddick, Public Engagement Manager, at Fort Nelson said: “It will be a special day for the whole country, and we wanted to mark it with a gun salute.
“Unfortunately, we are not able to show the Coronation ceremony live at the Fort but visitors who would like to join us for the gun salute are very welcome.”
Please pre-book free tickets online in advance at www.royalarmouries.org as the site has limited capacity due to the size of its car park.
Fort Nelson is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm during term time, Bank Holidays and daily in the school holidays.
Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk – 01329 848 516
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms:
Life-size silhouetted figures, representing the 255 military personnel and three civilians who lost their lives in the Falklands War, will shortly be installed on the Parade Ground at Fort Nelson.
The art installation, Standing with Giants, will be open to visitors from 21st April to 9th July – admission is free.
Created to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict in 2022, this is the first time that Standing with Giants will be seen in the south. It has previously been displayed at Thoresby Park, Nottinghamshire, and at the Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln.
The art installation is particularly pertinent to the Portsmouth area, which played such a significant role in the Falklands conflict and will offer people the opportunity to pay their respects to those who were lost and consider the impact of the war on the lives of all the service personnel and civilians caught up in it.
Standing With Giants is a community project, set up by Oxfordshire artist, Dan Barton, and a group of local volunteers. They create large-scale art installations using recycled building materials.
To complement the art installation Fort Nelson is also staging an exhibition – Falklands 40: What Portsmouth Saw – which tells some of the personal stories of homecomings to Portsmouth after the conflict.
The exhibition features images from The News, footage from BBC South and interviews with local veterans, as well as a small display of guns which were used in the conflict.
Public Engagement Manager, Lizzie Puddick, said: “We are honoured to host this art installation and think it will be a striking reminder of how many lives were lost in the Falklands conflict.
“The Falklands affected a lot of our local community in Portsmouth and Hampshire, so Fort Nelson seems a fitting place for Standing With Giants to be on display.
“Admission is free, so please do come and visit and pay your respects to those we lost during the conflict whilst serving their country.”
Dan Barton, Creator of Standing with Giants said: “We have been overwhelmed by the amazing reactions from veterans and families of the fallen who have visited our installations. The installations seem to connect with people and evoke emotion.
“Our ethos is to value life, to understand and appreciate why we have our freedom, and to remember and pay tribute to those who have fallen so we can live the lives we have today – Standing With Giants is a great way of using art to do this.”
Portsmouth Veteran, John Erskine, who served on HMS Hydra during the Falklands, said: “It’s great that Standing with Giants is coming to Fort Nelson. Portsmouth has such strong connections with the Falkland Islands, so it seems a perfect place for the installation.
“It will be very emotional to see the installation, the veterans can’t wait to see it on show at the fort.”
Admission to the art installation is free and included with admission to the museum. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book their free tickets to guarantee entry as the site has limited capacity – www.royalrarmouries.org.
Fort Nelson is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm during term time and daily during school and bank holidays. Admission is free.
Fort Nelson – Cathy Brooks, Communications Officer at cathy.brooks@armouries.org.uk – 01329 848 516
Visit Fort Nelson’s website – https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson
Connect with Fort Nelson’s social media platforms:
Standing With Giants – Dan Barton at info@standingwithgiants.co.uk or 07919182007
Website: standingwithgiants.co.uk
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