Priddy's Hard: Armament Depot: Gosport

 

Priddy's Hard magazine was constructed in the 1770s to store gunpowder for the navy at Portsmouth. IThe site was extended as a Victorian ammunition magazine supplying cartridges and shells to the fleet at Portsmouth, as well as to the forts and batteries surrounding the harbour. It was expanded in the twentieth century and continued supplying the navy until it closed in the late 1980s.

The original gunpowder store was constructed behind earth ramparts that were part of the De-Gomme fortifications of Gosport. Parts of the ramparts and magazines survive, close to Gosport's Explosion museum.

 

Priddy's Hard: Shell Painting Room (1900) taken in 1991
Priddy's Hard: Proof House 1896-97 taken in 1991 Priddy's Hard: Shell Pier taken in 1991 Priddy's Hard: interior of mine and counterning store 1899 taken in 1991
Priddy's Hard: Mine and Counterming store (left) Filled Shell Store (right) taken in 1991 Priddy's Hard: Plan of site 1891

 

 

 

 

The laboratory buildings and many of the anciliary buildings have been completely removed for safety reasons leaving only the bases.

Many of the surviving buildings are derelict. The photographs below were taken in April 2012

 

Priddy's Hard: Priddy's Hard: Ditch with E magazine beyond Priddy's Hard: Priddy's Hard: Ditch with E magazine beyond
Priddy's Hard: Priddy's Hard: Ditch with E magazine to the right Priddy's Hard: Ditch with E magazine beyond Priddy's Hard: Ditch
Priddy's Hard: Ditch with traverses between sites of cordite filling rooms Priddy's Hard: Chicane tunnel to main magazine with shifting room
Priddy's Hard: Ditch site for examining room Priddy's Hard: E magazine with shifting room on right
Priddy's Hard: Ditch with sites of cordite filling rooms Priddy's Hard: Ditch with sites of cordite filling rooms
Priddy's Hard: Ditch with sites of cordite filling rooms Priddy's Hard: View towards shifting room Priddy's Hard: View towards shifting room with rampart to the left
Priddy's Hard: View towards rampart with Shifting Room Priddy's Hard: View along ditch
Priddy's Hard: Ditch with bridge connecting east and west sites
Priddy's Hard: Ditch Priddy's Hard: Proof House Priddy's Hard: Boiler House 1895
Priddy's Hard:View laong Ditch Priddy's Hard: Expense Magazine for Shell Filling Rooms 1886 Priddy's Hard: Expense Magazine for Shell Filling Rooms 1886
Priddy's Hard: Q.F. Shell Filling Room 1887-89 Priddy's Hard: Interior of Q.F. Shell Filling Room
Priddy's Hard: Ditch with sites of cordite filling rooms Priddy's Hard: Proof House
   

 

 

Aerial view of Priddy's Hard on Flash Earth.

Website of Explosion Museum at Priddy's Hard Gosport