The Round Tower is a fortification at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour.[1] It is a Grade I listed building.[2]
Round Tower | |
---|---|
Type | Fortification |
Location | Broad Street, Portsmouth |
Coordinates | 50°47.432′N 001°06.531′W / 50.790533°N 1.108850°W |
OS grid reference | SZ 62911 99373 |
Area | Hampshire |
Built | c.1490 |
Architectural style(s) | Tudor |
Owner | Portsmouth City Council |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | The Round Tower |
Designated | 30 October 1969 |
Reference no. | 1386901 |
Location of Round Tower in Hampshire |
The site was originally occupied by a wooden tower before being replaced by a stone one.[3]
The wooden tower was built between 1418 and 1426 on the orders of King Henry V,[3] or c1415.[4]
In 1422, a defensive chain that could be raised in an emergency was built from the round tower across the harbour entrance.[5]
In the 1490s the tower was rebuilt in stone.[6] In the 1680s a line of ramparts was added that connected the tower to the square tower.[6] The upper section was later rebuilt during the Napoleonic wars.[1] Between 1847 and 1850 the roof of the tower was modified to serve as a gun platform.[7] Portsmouth city council purchased the tower in 1958.[8]