"A building once abandoned to time is now breathing again" - Inside Fort Gilkicker where a huge transformation is underway

Fort Gilkicker is no ordinary building—and this is no ordinary restoration and reuse project. Long languishing on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, the iconic Victorian fort is now undergoing a remarkable transformation led by a dedicated, locally rooted team that is breathing new life into its massive masonry, vaulted casemates, and layered military history.

The fort off Stokes Bay is being remodelled into 22 homes utilising the Casemates - with the two-storey fort being transformed, and a third additional light and airy storey being added to the new repaired roof where guns were once placed.

It was built in 1871 to protect the Royal Navy from a potential attack by the French, with the semi-circular ark filled with gun emplacements to defend the deep water anchorage at Spithead. But it was later ‘remodelled’ so that it could accommodate the heavier guns placed on its roof. This led to concreate and ballast being placed in front of the fort - effectively burying it from view - as well as inside the Casemates to strengthen them.

But it has slowly been undergoing a transformation, with 30,000 cubic meters of ballast and 15,000 cubic meters of concrete removed from inside the Casemates and from the area surrounding the Fort. This unearthed its first floor for the first time in decades - exposing its stunning granite exterior which will also be restored as part of the works.

The team working on the project plan to restore many of its original timber doors, as well as create balcony views out towards the Solent from each Casemate. Brickwork has also been repaired and restored, and space for spiral staircases connecting the first and second floors has also been created.

14 rarely seen photos of Fort Gilkicker before the works began

Conservation Architect Deniz Beck said: “This is not a copy-and-paste conservation scheme. Every detail has been carefully studied, often using traditional techniques as a compass, but deploying latest innovations when needed. One example is the dramatic circular staircases now being introduced through some of the thickest parts of the structure which were cut using one of the largest circular diamond drills—a precision technique that preserves the fragile brick arch details above.

“The unusual brick shapes and patterns were a welcome side effect due to this clean cut which will reveal the ‘make up’ of the structure to its new occupiers.

“These decisions are not only about aesthetics or technical correctness—they are about safeguarding the fort’s spirit while unlocking its usability.

“What makes this project all the more special is the team behind it. Unlike many speculative developments, this is being delivered by two brothers who grew up here, live locally, and care deeply about the future of the Fort Gilkicker. One is even planning to make the fort his home. Without external funding, and despite immense financial pressure, the team has moved forward with painstaking care—care that previous national owners with deeper pockets could not manage.

“Although none of us had worked together before, a shared mission quickly unified us: to return this undervalued, misunderstood structure into something both beautiful and alive. That meant not just removing unsympathetic later additions—like the crude rooftop installations that once destroyed four historic casemates—but also painstakingly rebuilding the arches with local craftspeople, one brick at a time.”

Another important part of the project is the former barrack block inside the fort which will also be repaired transformed into four homes as part of the project. And the team also hopes to install public art made from original ironwork removed during restoration, and hopes to reuse a building at the entrance of the fort as a cafe for the benefit of walkers and the golfers who pass the site daily.

Deniz explained: “As the architect who previously helped bring the Spitbank Fort back into reuse—a project that won two RIBA Awards one of them for Conservation—it’s hard to overstate the pride I feel watching Gilkicker rise again. But this is more than professional pride. It’s a community effort. From the support of the Palmerston Fort Society to the backing of local MPs, it feels as though we’re not just rebuilding a building—we’re rebuilding the identity of this coastline.

“What’s happening at Fort Gilkicker is rare. A building once abandoned to time is now breathing again. And it’s being done with heart, care, and imagination — by a team who believe, fiercely, that heritage is not just to be preserved, but to be lived.

“For me personally, this project builds on a career dedicated to bringing places back to life — from the award-winning reuse of Spitbank Fort to a portfolio of community-driven heritage transformations. But Gilkicker is especially close to home. It’s not just a project — it’s a commitment to place.”

It is hoped the works will be complete in the summer of 2027.