Fort Nelson
Fareham, Winchester
Photo: Julian Colander, CC BY-SA 3.0Photo: Julian Colander, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fort Nelson is a restored Victorian fortress on Portsdown Hill, overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. Its artillery collection from around the world includes a 15th-century Turkish bombard, a 200-tonne railway howitzer and the Iraqi supergun known as Big Babylon.
Highlights
- 19 acres of tunnels, ramparts and artillery
- Big Babylon supergun and railway howitzer
- Free family activities
- Onsite café
Good to know
- Book ahead at weekends and in school holidays
- Entry is free, but parking on arrival is paid for non-members
- Exhibitions change regularly
Getting there
Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 6ANParking: Royal Armouries members park free at the onsite car park. Non-members pay on arrival.
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against royalarmouries.org. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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What's on at Fort Nelson
Image: Fort NelsonOuter Defences Tour
A 90 minute outdoor tour at Fort Nelson near Portsmouth, descending into the fort's large defensive ditch. Visitors learn how the ditch was made and the part it played in protecting the fort. Tours run at 10:30am and 2pm on 19 September 2026 and 20 March 2027, with pre-booking recommended and up to 16 people per tour. Not suitable for under 12s.
Image: Fort NelsonDefences & Discovery: Fort Nelson Revealed
Guided 50-minute tours of Fort Nelson, near Portsmouth, trace the fort's origins in the 1870s and its roles in the First and Second World Wars. Tours run at 11am, 1pm and 2:30pm on listed dates between 21 October 2026 and 31 March 2027. Tours suit visitors aged 12 and over, with under 16s accompanied by an adult.
Image: Fort NelsonEast Tunnel Tours
Guided tours of the East Tunnel at Fort Nelson near Portsmouth, a part of the fort normally closed to the public and with original features largely untouched. Tours run on 14 November 2026 and 16 January 2027 at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:00pm, last 60 minutes and hold 12 people, so pre-booking is required. The route is not accessible, lighting is by torch and portable lamps, and the tour is not suitable for under 12s, with under 16s needing an adult.
Nearby
Portchester Castle
Portchester Castle began as a Roman fort on the Saxon Shore, built to defend the south-east coast, and it still keeps most of its Roman walls. Visitors can climb the 12th-century Norman keep for views across the Solent.
Fort Brockhurst
A Palmerston fort built in the 1850s and 1860s to protect Portsmouth harbour, and largely unaltered. Visitors can see the keep, the parade ground, the gun ramps and the moated keep.
Hilsea Lido
The historic Hilsea Lido, renovated by Portsmouth City Council as part of the Hilsea Lines project and now run by South Downs Leisure. It offers swimming, adult swimming coaching, sauna sessions and family activities.