Legends & Mysteries
 Created 25-02-2002    Last update 08-06-2009

 

HM Naval Base and the Palmerston Forts

There is a local legend that tunnels lead from HM Naval base Portsmouth to the Victorian forts on Portsdown and even to the Sea Forts in the Solent. Another that a tunnel runs from Gosport to Portsdown. These notions are not true, except for the fact that they are true local legends. As an electrical apprentice in HM Dockyard Portsmouth in the early 1970s, I worked in Yard Service Maintenance for a while and visited just about every underground location there - I never found any evidence to support these ideas. There is also no evidence of tunnels, either physical or on plans, at the forts end.

 
 

Tunnels between the Forts

The idea that the Palmerston Forts on Portsdown were all linked together by tunnels, is probably more entrenched as a local legend than the one above. However, there is absolutely no documentary or material evidence to support this. The only connection between them is an aqueduct. Each fort was designed as a self sufficient unit and connecting tunnels would have been un-necessary. Some people may disagree with these statements and I would welcome any contributions that would conclusively prove it wrong. 
 

 

The Fort Nelson Riddle

On the bed of the ditch at the front of Fort Nelson (the North side) is a domed feature which looks suspiciously like the roof of a vaulted tunnel. 

This feature generated a huge amount of academic interest, from around the world, with the following explanations having been proposed:

  • Countermine gallery, where access was via a trapdoor in the roof of the vault.

  • Sally port

  • In-fill, covering a fault in the underlying ground

  • A pile of builders rubble

It is in fact a firing step used for rifle practice. There are bullet impacts dating from the turn of the 19th century all over the face of the caponier shown in the background of the photo below. The site was uncovered by contractors during a period of restoration work and its purpose verified.

 

With thanks to David Moore of the Palmerston Forts Society 

who finally laid this subject to rest.

 

Aerial photo site location    Panoramic photo site location

Google Earth Aerial View

Grid Ref SU606073

 
 
The north ditch of Fort Nelson

This is the ditch on the Northern side of Fort Nelson, looking West. 

The hump in the centre of the picture was used as a firing step. The caponier at the top centre still clearly displays the evidence of stopped rounds.

 
 

East of Fort Purbrook - SU682065
possible tunnel entrance at crookhorn

This is an aerial photograph east of Fort Purbrook taken in 1969 when the Crookhorn Pass was being built - the big chalk scar in the centre. The corner of Fort Purbrook can be seen on the top left.. What is the arrowed feature cut into the hill? It is running north / south and looks like a tunnel entrance. Today a small depression in the ground  marks this site.

With thanks to Peter Rogers

 

 

The Farlington Aqueducts
 

This topic has been moved to here
 

 

Wymering Manor - SU650055

Wymering Manor is supposed to be connect to Wymering Church by a tunnel. Some authorities believe that it ran as far as Southwick Priory which was then about three miles to the north. This tunnel, it is said, could have been used for smuggling, Wymering being so close to the sea, and much more accessible in older times.
 
wymering church and manor

Wymering church on the right, with the Manor in the background, in which there is supposed to be a priests hole.

 

 

Here is an extract from an email received about Wymering Manor. Any italicised comments in [] brackets are mine. 
NEW 15-01-2006

During the late seventies/early eighties I was a choirboy at the above church and we were allowed access to the cellar of the vicarage at weekends as there was a snooker table, dartboard, and table tennis table we could use. In the far right hand corner, I think it was the right hand corner, there was a small doorway with wooden makeshift door blocking access. One day, being as inquisitive as young boys are, we managed to prise the top of the door open slightly and with the use of a torch we tried to see what was inside. All we could see was a dark, cold blackness that I have never forgotten. Tunnel entrance? I don't know but maybe.

Jason Suthers 
 

 

Other accounts of Legends and Mysteries

 
 

NEW 08-06-2009

  
 

I don’t know if this bears any relevance but its bothered me for years. Around twenty years ago when I lived in Carmarthen Ave, Drayton me and a neighbour were out in the road playing on our bikes and we’d made a jump on the grass verge, you can guess our amazement when my friends front wheel disappeared into the ground. After a good few minutes of stamping about on the grass around the hole there was a crater of over a meter across, inside the hole we could see brickwork forming the top of an arch typical of a tunnel. Annoyingly I wasn’t as inquisitive as I am today and my dad informed the council and it was promptly backfilled with concrete the next day?.

So my question being have you ever heard of any tunnels in that area? The way the brickwork was if it were a tunnel it would have been running from north to south and the hole appeared about two thirds up the road. It may be nothing but I’ve always wondered.

Gray New - June 2009

  
 

 
 

NEW 27-11-2007

 

Having just had a look through your site and being born in Portchester and having also gone to Purbrook Park school I have a few comments.

There are stories of two other tunnels to those you mention :- one between Portchester Castle and Wymering Manor (which the ghost of Reckless Reggie is supposed to pass to haunt the manor when there is a honeymoon couple there) . The other one is supposed to run from Fort Purbrook to Purbrook Park school which is the old Purbrook Park house. I have no idea how much truth if any there may be in these stories but, as they say, anything is possible.

The other point I would mention is that there was vehicular access from the road along the top of the hill to the tunnels as I can remember seeing tanker lorries using it on several occasions when I was young. They came down the track, which is still there, at the western end of the side [This is the Fort Southwick UGHQ low level access road].


Barry Dunne - November 2007