Battle re-enactment in 'Britain's noisiest museum'
Fort Nelson was built in the 1860s as part of Lord Palmerston's great defensive scheme to protect Portsmouth from a French invasion that never came. It now houses the Royal Armouries national collection of artillery.

Exhibits span the centuries and important guns on display include components of the infamous Iraqi 'supergun' impounded before the Gulf War and the 20 ton Dardanelles cannon of 1464. A wide range of other weapons illustrate the development of artillery.

Visitors can explore the underground ammunition tunnels and the finely restored barracks and Officers Mess. Exhibits in the living quarters show the life style of the soldiers and volunteers who were based here in the 19th Century up to the 1950s when the fort was finally abandoned by the Army.

Open daily except December 25 and 26. Admission free; charges for special events outside normal hours. Free parking for cars and coaches. View older pages