The Ottoman Dardanelles Gun
A 17-tonne bronze cannon of 1464, given by Sultan Abdulaziz to Queen Victoria, and the piece an Arab visitor will remember most.
On the crest of Portsdown Hill, well away from the harbour it was built to guard, sits a 17-tonne Ottoman bronze cannon cast in 1464 under Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and given to Queen Victoria by Sultan Abdulaziz in 1866. The Dardanelles Gun is the piece that stops Arab visitors first at Fort Nelson, in an artillery collection that runs from the Boxted Bombard of around 1450 to sections of the Iraqi 'supergun' impounded by British customs in 1990 before it could be finished. The fort itself is one of the 1860s Palmerston forts, built against a French landing from the landward side, and it never fired a shot in anger. Hampshire County Council restored it and opened it in 1994; since 1995 it has been the Royal Armouries' home for big guns. Nineteen acres take in a parade ground, ramparts you can walk, underground tunnels linking the magazines to the gun positions, and a roofed Artillery Hall that rescues a wet day. From the ramparts the view runs over Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. Entry is free; booking online in advance is recommended at weekends and in school holidays to guarantee a slot, and parking is £3 per car, paid at reception. On most open days a real gun is fired in a live demonstration, with the time announced on the day — ask as soon as you arrive, because it is the best moment of the visit for children. From central Portsmouth the drive is 20 to 25 minutes via the M27 or A27; public transport is a chore, so take a train to Fareham or Portchester and a ten-minute taxi. Allow two to three hours. Most of the site is outdoors and exposed on the hilltop, so it shines in summer and bites in England's dark early winter, though it opens year-round Tuesday to Sunday and daily in school holidays. Surfaces switch between gravel, grass and steps, but the main tunnel and the galleries take pushchairs and wheelchairs, and there is a modest café in the visitor centre. Anyone indifferent to cannon can skip it; for a family with children, or anyone drawn to Ottoman history, it is a half-day that earns the trip out of town.
A 17-tonne bronze cannon of 1464, given by Sultan Abdulaziz to Queen Victoria, and the piece an Arab visitor will remember most.
On most open days a real gun is fired in a live demonstration; ask for the day's time on arrival and plan the visit around it.
Walk the ramparts for the view over Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight, then drop into the Victorian tunnels linking the magazines to the gun positions.
Portsdown Hill Road, Fareham PO17 6AN
Honestly, only if you are happy to take a taxi. The fort sits on a hilltop outside Portsmouth; buses stop on the road below the hill and leave an uphill walk. The simplest route is a train to Fareham or Portchester and a ten-minute taxi each way, a reasonable cost given that entry is free. If you have a single car-free day in Portsmouth, the Historic Dockyard in town deserves your time first.
Yes, for the free site itself: a wide parade ground to run on, huge guns, and a firing demonstration that thrills small children (bring ear defenders for the little ones). The main tunnel and galleries take pushchairs. The paid guided tours, however, are not considered suitable for under-12s because of the tunnel, spiral stairs and low light, and the hilltop is exposed, so pick a dry day.