Countdown to the free Big Bang at Fort Nelson

FAMILIES across Gosport and Fareham are being invited to experience the power and might of the Big Guns being fired at Fort Nelson over a weekend next month, which has been announced as October 8 (Saturday) and October 9 (Sunday) at the historic location based on Portsdown Hill.

This special free Big Bang Weekend will feature Second World War artillery, fired by uniformed members of the Garrison Artillery Volunteers. Furthermore a range of big guns, including field artillery plus anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, will be fired in three dramatic sessions – at 11am, 1pm and 3pm each day.

The gun crews and artillery experts will be on hand to talk with visitors about the guns alongside the firing drills. There will also be a range of short Insight talks throughout the day, but no times have been announced thus far and details on the contents are limited at this time.

The event is free, but tickets need to be booked in advance as numbers are limited. Readers are asked to book their ticket by visiting https://bit.ly/3QfEYuA as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

This will be the first time since 2019 that the Big Guns have been fired at the Victorian fort and Events Manager Elizabeth Puddick seemed excited as she said in a press release: “We are absolutely delighted to have gun firing back at the Fort for this one-off special weekend.

She continued to say: “Royal Armouries is home to the national collection of artillery and to be able to fire some of our exhibits and show them in action will really bring history to life. “The event is free, but we have limited numbers so remember to book in advance to guarantee your place – bring all the family for a really remarkable weekend.”

PICTURED BY FORT NELSON: Big Guns are fired at previous events and will feature in special weekend next month; with the guns set to be fired for the 1st time since 2019.