Bembridge Fort, Culver Downs

The Bembridge Fort Trust

Bembridge Fort Trust will now seek to develop the fort as one of the Island’s major attractions

About the Trust

As part of an ambitious conservation, restoration and community development programme, Bembridge Fort Trust have agreed a long-term lease with the National Trust for the Palmerston-era Bembridge Fort, located at Culver Down on the Isle of Wight.

In partnership with other heritage organisations, Bembridge Fort Trust will now seek to develop the fort as one of the Island’s major attractions, and a venue for a wide range of public events and community activities.

The Trust not only plans to conserve Bembridge Fort as a building, but also celebrate the fort’s history and its place in the defence of the Island, whilst creating something that will leave a legacy for future generations.

The objectives of the trust are to benefit the public by:
  • To promote for the benefit of the public the preservation and protection of the historic building known as Bembridge Fort located on the Isle of Wight, alongside other fortifications on and around the Isle of Wight that are of significant historic value.
  • To advance the education of the public in the history and architecture of Bembridge Fort (and other fortifications on and around the Isle of Wight that are of significant historic value) in particular but not exclusively by the provision of information, lectures, workshops, conferences.
For further information please contact: info@bembridgefort.org


A Brief History...

The Fort

Bembridge Fort is a Palmerston-era fort, one of 16 on the Isle of Wight along with four Solent forts. It was built between 1863 and 1867 to defend Sandown Bay and other gun batteries in the immediate area as a response to the perceived threat of a French invasion.

It fell into disuse by WW1 but was reactivated in 1939 when the Fort played a pivotal role in the defence of the Isle of Wight and the south coast. During WW2, the fort was one of the most secret places in Great Britain because of its role in the development of radar, a centre for loop detection, hydrophones and remote minefield systems. Anti-aircraft and search light batteries were installed as part of the fort’s defences and the fort also played a key role in D-Day.

The fort was abandoned by the Ministry of Defence in 1956, but Bembridge Fort Trust intends to highlight the fort’s invaluable contribution to the defence of Britain and the Island during WW2.

In the intervening ten years the fort was vandalised and stripped of many features.

However, in 1965 Culver Down was purchased by the Isle of Wight County Council. Then, in 1967 the headland, including the fort, was sold to the National Trust as part of Project Neptune, a plan to purchase and preserve Britain’s coast.

In 1968 the National Trust leased the fort to a commercial company and then, some 20 years ago, a team of volunteers working with the National Trust started a limited site clearance.

The volunteers managed to clear one of the defensive caponiers and some areas of the fort to enable a small number of pre-booked guided tours which have continued to this day.

© 2024 The Bembridge Fort Trust