History '˜being thrown away' at town fort

Fort Brockhurst in Gunners Way is currently only opened for Heritage Open Days and Passport Days.

The site is currently temporarily closed, with English Heritage citing the lack of a keykeeper as the reason for the site’s current closure.

The fort is one of many which were built during the 1850s and 1860s to protect Portsmouth against the threat of French invasion.

But all that could be about to change.

A spokeswoman from Heritage England said: ‘I can confirm that we are currently looking at opening the keep of Fort Brockhurst one weekend per month from May to the end of October.

‘We are keen to recruit local volunteers who have an interest in history and would love to talk to visitors about this special place, to help us do that.

Cllr Peter Edgar has welcomed the news from Heritage England.

He said: ‘This is a move in the right direction but there’s so much more that could be done.

‘Fort Brockhurst was the last uninvaded castle built in the world and is now only open on special occasions.

‘It was not only a great place to visit but was also used for a number of community projects like concerts and car boot sales.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said: ‘I think it’s a great pity that Fort Brockhurst hasn’t been more widely open to the public in recent years.

‘After all, it is an important part of our area’s history that local people should be able to access.

‘English Heritage needs to remember it is our local heritage as well.’