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Report - - Browndown battery (Fort Gilkicker update) | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Browndown battery (Fort Gilkicker update)

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UKexplorer

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Hi, recently moved to Portsmouth looking for some urbex mates. Newish to the game have done 5 or 6 solo trips

.............

Date of Visit: Jan 2021

Fort Gilkicker update


Our original intentions were to go to fort Gilkicker. This is a 19th century coastal defence battery in Gosport that has already been well covered on here.

The fort is very easy to get to but unfortunately there is a reasonably robust perimeter fence and a manned security position at the front gate (we went sunday morning) there were loads of runners and dog walkers. Braver urbexers who don't mind security would find access fairly straight forward but on this occasion we didn't fancy it. I have attached an image of the fence .

gilkicker 1.PNG


IMG_20210131_095729.jpg


Fortunately there is a consolation prize just a couple of miles up the coast in the form of Browndown battery.

Browndown battery

Browdown battery is a small coastal defence emplacement originally built in the 1840s. It was manned in varying capacities until 1905 and sits next to the old browndown camp which is now some kind of airsoft site. The battery itself is not the worlds greatest urbex site but it's decent enough if you are close or are on your way to gilkicker.

There are 2 gun positions a lookout tower and a few small rooms to go in.

Location

3 miles west of Gosport near browndown training camp. The site is on a popular public beach. There is a very convenient pay and display car park a few hundred metres east of the site.

Access

Pretty easy, no security, watch out for rusty barbed wire. There is a newer complex attached that seems to be in use but nobody was there at the weekend.


Aerial pictures (google earth)

browndown battery 2.PNG


browndown battery.PNG


The google earth is fairly representative, note the military trucks/cammo net aren't there.



Our pictures


IMG_20210131_103736.jpg

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IMG_20210131_103407.jpg

IMG_20210131_102755.jpg
 

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Hidinginplanesite

Khurbanx
28DL Full Member
I loved fort gilcker when I went ! We just walked though the front door - there wasn’t secca back then !
But it wasn’t untill recenetly I found out about the fort just down the road from it the battery ! So I’ll be taking another trip up there soon aha
 

UKexplorer

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Yeah it was a bit of a shame. Access isn't impossible and probably doable at night but climbing the fence with tonnes of dog walkers around and security on site is a bit brazen.

If you're going back there's a couple of other things in the area. There is a small firing range and assault course. Not super exciting but close to the battery, they are more recent and both are locked with newish padlocks

browndown area.PNG


Assault course and 25m firing range

assault course.PNG


The camp over the road that has been turned into an airsoft site would be quite interesting too and is presumably abandoned during covid. I actually went there on a cadet camp when I was about 12 years old so it would be nostalgic to go back in. Might go to the airsoft when it opens up again.

camp.PNG
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Nice 1st report. Great photos and maps. Though the mth & yr of visit need to be in title bar. You mention barbed wire, I do hope this was prior to the 5th Jan when we went into lockdown.
 

UKexplorer

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Oh nice one, didn't know about this goat place and it looks good, will definitely take a look
 

Whitey94

28DL Member
28DL Member
Hi, mind sharing some details? Time of day, day of week etc.
Want to go but not much experience so would rather avoid any security
Thanks!
Can't really give much info bud, there was no one there other than other explorers, looks like they been resecuring the place
 

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