About

Fort Nelson is home to the Royal Armouries national collection of artillery and historic cannon – the big guns – and is a great day out for all the family.

Step back in time and explore a fully restored Victorian fort with its high ramparts, original fortifications, massive parade ground and underground tunnels. Plus, there's the national museum housing over 700 pieces of artillery from across the world and spanning 600 years of history – each with their own story to tell.

Located in a key position above Portsmouth, Fort Nelson was built in the 1860s to protect against a potential invasion by the French, which never materialised.

Although never used for its original purpose, the fort played a significant role in both World Wars; as barracks for troops waiting to be deployed to the front line in the First, and as an anti-aircraft ammunition supply depot during the Second.

Discover the fort’s intriguing history in the building itself and through the museum exhibits.

Highlights of the collection on display include an innovative 15th-century Turkish bombard, a gigantic 200-tonne railway howitzer and the infamous Iraqi supergun.

With an exciting collection of big guns, stunning panoramic views, entertaining children’s activities, a museum shop packed with gifts and souvenirs, and a café serving delicious refreshments – there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Admission is free, parking £3.

No animals except assistance (guide/hearing) dogs.

Royal Armouries has three museums – Fort Nelson, the White Tower in the Tower of London, and the purpose-built Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

D-Day 80 at Fort Nelson

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which took place on June 6, 1944, with troops leaving from Portsmouth heading to Normandy. The occasion will be marked at Fort Nelson with a host of events including a special exhibition, artillery trail and a D-Day weekend.

The exhibition, D-Day: A Portsmouth Story, will open on 24 May and will hear people with a connection to Portsmouth recalling their memories of D-Day. The display will feature the planning of Operation Overlord through to the events of D-Day and the quiet days afterwards in Portsmouth. The people's voices will be accompanied by images from The News, The Imperial War Museum and first-hand accounts from The D-Day Story and the National Museum of the Royal Navy. This free-to-visit exhibition will run until the end of the year.

A museum trail of 10 people, depicted in laser-cut silhouettes, created by Standing with Giants, will also stand alongside pieces from the Royal Armouries collection which have a connection with D-Day for 12 weeks.

The Sexton 25-pounder self-propelled gun, which played a key part on the Operation Overlord, will be on display in time for the D-Day commemorations as part of the artillery trail. The Sexton came from Canada in 1943 and was designed to be able to fire and move quickly. It fired its guns from the landing craft in support of troops ashore. On June 1 and 2, a special D-Day weekend will take place at Fort Nelson to mark the 80th anniversary. The event will feature the Sexton, plus historical reenactors and wartime singing duo Perfect Vintage.

The D-Day weekend event is free but tickets must be booked in advance online at royalarmouries.org. Entry is not guaranteed for those who do not book tickets in advance.

A lecture series will also run alongside the series of D-Day events at Fort Nelson with speakers including Andrew Whitmarsh, Curator of The D-Day Story, and Dr Kate Vigurs, an expert on women in World War Two.

Tickets cost £7.50 and can be booked online at royalarmouries.org.