"So Carnehan weeds out the pick of his men, and sets the two of the Army to show them drill and at the end of two weeks the men can manoeuvre about as well as Volunteers. So he marches with the Chief to a great big plain on the top of a mountain, and the Chiefs men rushes into a village and takes it; we three Martinis firing into the brown of the enemy".
Kipling "The Man Who Would Be King"
Time for another update.. too damn hot in the loft so time to get out on Gertrude~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and so we come to the very last of the four gates that allowed access to the old/original Portsmouth, and also, alas, to the end of this most enjoyable little mini local history project.. it's been great fun.. be quite sad to see the end of it, but I don't doubt the odd rabbit hole will present itself going forward.. 😏
So the last gate, the King William's Gate, is also the last in other ways actually - as it was the last of the four gates to be built, not being completed until 1834 - and having built it, it was demolished with the rest of the fortifications only 40 years later (1876'ish)
Starting with a map to orientate ourselves:
The gate is ringed - you'll note that it was protected by it's own ravelin (long long gone and no signs of it now) and was in the southern quarter of the old town - adjacent to Kings Bastion (which we have
been to already [clicky]). Note also the Guard House just inside the gate..
Some period pictures and photo's.. no date on the following, but it shows the outer face of what was clearly quite a utilitarian gate, no monographs, balls, crowns, entablature (still like that word!) or globes, and not a bit of gilding to be seen. A veritable "Tesco Blue stripe" kind of a gate... 😏
..the one following shows the view into the town, I suspect not long after the gate was demolished - it's not clear but that looks like rubble on the slope just in front of the guard house (left centre - two chimney pots) previously mentioned, which is also now visible..
There's a tiny picture in the "further reading" link, but I thought this painting of the inner side of the gate was good.. I suspect it is of the time, but unfortunately there is no dating information.. again - note the guardhouse, but also note the railings.. 😁
...and here's the gatehouse (following) as of yesterday.. the actual gate and wall would be left of picture.. note also the fences which may be original - it's a school playing field now but it's also the grounds for the Royal Garrison Church..
...the line of the old fortifications.. this footpath runs directly to Kings Bastion and would have followed the line..
..following - the bit on the side is clearly newer.. I think the inside of the wall and gate would have butted up to the wall the alarm is on..
..following - the other end of the footpath, wonder whether some of those stones have been re-used from the demolition of the original walls? The plaque by the way, is a remembrance of a previous noteworthy's favourite horse...
...and last of all a view to what would have been the inside of the gate 150 odd years ago...
Last of all though I'll leaved you with this one, which is a cracker... click to embigen.. we've visited the volunteer reviews
before [clicky]
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| "The Volunteer Review at Portsmouth: The Defending Force Concentrating at King William's Gate UK 1869" - Illustrated London News
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Further reading and stuff:
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Laters, as the young people are want to say...
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