Fort Gomer

Fort Gomer was one of the Palmerston Forts, in Gosport, England, the southernmost and first-built polygonal land fort in the defence line to the west of Gosport. It was located on land immediately to the west of the present Gomer Lane. Fort Gomer was the most southerly fort in the line of five which formed part of the ‘Sea Front and Spithead Defences’, Inner Line, Land Front, Left Flank. This line of forts was later known as the Gomer-Elson Line or 'Gosport Advanced Line' This consisted of, from south to north, Fort Gomer, Fort Grange, Fort Rowner, Fort Brockhurst and Fort Elson. An inscription above the main entrance through the barrack block read `Erected AD 1853’. The fort was almost complete before work began on Fort Elson in 1855. The estimated cost of Fort Gomer was £92,000 in 1869.

Fort Gomer was constructed between 1853 and 1858 and as such it was the first of the Polygonal land forts based on the Prussian System of mutual defence. It was unique and an example of early attempts to break away from the old bastioned system of fortification. Fort Gomer had a wet moat surrounding it and provision was made to further hinder the enemy by flooding the ground in front of the rampart. It was nearly 500 feet wide and 800 feet long, its rear faced east and consisted of a defensible barracks, built in the shape of a shallow V. Two spiral staircases gave access to the roof of the barrack block. There is a possibility that the intention was to mount guns on the roof of the barrack, using it as a cavalier, but this was never done. Mortars were to be mounted on the central parade. on the ramparts between the gun emplacements were ten expense magazines for the storage of ready use ammunition for the guns. A main magazine were situated at each end of the barrack block. Two bastionettes at the northwest and southwest corners of the west ditch provided musketry fire along the north and south branches of the ditch. Two tunnels led from the parade through the thickness of the west rampart to the west ditch in order to provide flanking fire across the faces of the rampart.

In 1861 accommodation was provided in the barrack block for 1 field officer, 10 officers, 2 NCOs, 332 privates with 1 master gunner, 1 barrack sergeant, 1 hospital sergeant, 5 servants. Also provided was a hospital for 8 patients and its own kitchen. By 1893 this had been re-appropriated for 1 Field Officer, 7 officers, 2 unmarried NCOs and 310 gunners with separate accommodation for 4 married NCOs and men.

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