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Address Broad St, Portsmouth PO1 2JE, UK Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursSuggest an edit Similar Square Tower, Domus Dei, Portsmouth Harbour, Portsea Island, Southsea Castle | ||
The Round Tower is a fortification at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour. It is a Grade I listed building.
Contents
History
The site was originally occupied by a wooden tower before being replaced by a stone one.
The wooden tower
The wooden tower was built between 1418 and 1426 on the orders of King Henry V. In 1422 a defensive chain that could be raised in an emergency was built from the round tower across the harbour entrance.
The stone tower
In the 1490s the tower was rebuilt in stone. In the 1680s a line of ramparts was added that connected the tower to the square tower. The upper section was later rebuilt during the Napoleonic wars. Between 1847 and 1850 the roof of the tower was modified to serve as a gun platform. Portsmouth city council purchased the tower in 1958.
References
Round Tower (Portsmouth) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA