Round Tower (Portsmouth)
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The Round Tower is a fortification at the entrance to
Portsmouth harbour Portsmouth Harbour is a / biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it ...
. It is a Grade I listed building.


History

The site was originally occupied by a wooden tower before being replaced by a stone one.


The wooden tower

The wooden tower was built between 1418 and 1426 on the orders of
King Henry V Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, or c1415. In 1422, a defensive chain that could be raised in an emergency was built from the round tower across the harbour entrance.


The stone tower

In the 1490s the tower was rebuilt in stone. In the 1680s a line of ramparts was added that connected the tower to the square tower. The upper section was later rebuilt during the
Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
. Between 1847 and 1850 the roof of the tower was modified to serve as a gun platform. Portsmouth city council purchased the tower in 1958.


See also

*
Fortifications of Portsmouth 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 Fortification, fortified cities in the ...


References


External links


Round Tower
– Portsmouth City Council {{Hampshire-struct-stub Forts in Portsmouth Tourist attractions in Portsmouth Grade I listed buildings in Hampshire