Local History: Life from Forton Barracks
GOSPORT has been a naval town for many years now.
However, in the past all of the Armed Services were stationed within the borough. Over the next few weeks, I will cover a short history and photographs of each of the Armed Forces to have called Gosport their home. This week we look at the Royal Marine Light Infantry and its Forton Barracks…
At the end of the 18th century, a Mr Mathew Carter sold his land south of Forton Creek to the Board of Ordnance which decided to build a new military hospital.
The foundations for this were started in 1796 but it became clear that the new military hospital at Haslar could meet the needs for injured and sick military personnel. So, the Board decided that the new barracks should be built on the site.
Architects
The architects were instructed to alter their designs to fit the new requirements which would consist of four lofty pavilions connected by arcades, a large parade ground and officers’ quarters.
When the barracks was completed in 1807 it was used by various regiments as a transit base for troops embarking at Portsmouth for service abroad.
In 1848 the Royal Marine Light Infantry took over the barracks having moved from Clarence Barracks, Portsmouth, due to cramped conditions.
During the early years, more land around the site was purchased so that the barracks could be expanded to house 3,000 officers and men. The village of Forton increased in size, with quarters for married men, shops and a school for the children of the Marines.
Forton Barracks grew with many new building being erected including a theatre seating 600, a gymnasium and land opposite the main gate was purchased so that it could be used for playing fields.
Musketry
Land at Browndown was used by the Marines as a school of musketry and a firing range A gunnery practice battery was constructed on the other side of Forton Creek in which ships guns were fitted for drills and practice firing. Also some of the creek was re-claimed and a outdoor swimming pool was constructed.
Time marches on and in 1923 it was decided that the Royal Marines should become a single fighting force. It meant that the Royal Marine Light Artillery would amalgamate with the Royal Marine Artillery and just be known as the Royal Marines.
Consequently, that year Forton Barracks closed and everything was transferred back across to Portsmouth, in fact to a new barracks at Eastney, thus ending the association of the Royal Marine Light Infantry with Gosport.
That was not, however, the end of Forton Barracks, which was to emerge as a new home for the Royal Navy. But that is another story to be told later,..
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PICTURED BY ALAMY (RY9HX0): Depiction of Royal Marines leaving Forton Barracks during late 1900s.
