Hampshire Treasures

Volume 11 ( Portsmouth)

Group 3 - Man-made Features (Broad Street)
Description and Date:	Buildings and their related settings
Remarks:	The Square Tower, King's Stairs, Sally Port, Eighteen Gun Battery, Round Tower, Flanking battery, Walls. The Square Tower stands at the south-west end of the High Street, part of the sea defences first constructed 1494, but repaired and reconstructed since. Once residence of the Governor of Portsmouth, then a powder magazine. Plain massive square ashlar tower. Ashlar wall to north-west connects tower to King's Stairs, and the Sally Port. From the Sally Port the Eighteen Gun Battery extends northwards to the Round Tower with a return section at right angles known as the Flanking Battery. The Round Tower is probably the earliest of the stone built defences, circa 1415. It is cylindrical with string courses dividing the three storeys. The ground floor circa 1538-40 gun ports of this period mostly blocked. Upper storeys probably part of Sir Bernard de Gomme's reconstruction, but largely rebuilt in early C.19, when the interior was recast with massive brickwork vaulting, casements behind the gun ports. Top reconstruction circa 1847-50 and adapted as gun platform. Eighteen Gun battery and Flanking battery are part of the last phase of De Gomme's scheme, reconstructed 1847-50, when casements deepened and upper tier added to the flanking battery. The seaward walls were all refaced in ashlar at this time.
Protection:	T&CP Act CA SAM 261
Grid Ref.:	SZ 630 992
Punchcard No.:	2713 47

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