grand caponier to the west with smaller demi-caponiers at the north, southwest and south salient angles. A decision was made in the later stages of construction that resulted in the choice of a redan at the rear, closing the gorge of the fort, rather than a self-contained keep, like those of the inner three forts of the Gosport Advanced Line. History Construction (1861-1868) The construction lasted from 1861 to 1868, with a total cost of £104,557. The report of the 1869 Defence Committee concluded that Fort Fareham was '...skilfully constructed as regards stability and permanency and when completed according to the approved plans will be suited to the requirements of modern armaments, and when its ditch was filled with water would afford a fair amount of resistance to any attack to which it may be exposed.' Active fort (1868-1902) The original design of the fort called for forty-nine 7-inch R.B.L. guns with five 64pr R.M.L. guns (changed to 7-inch R.B.L. guns) on Moncrieff counterweight carriages for the main west rampart, with three rifled howitzers and fifteen smooth bore guns for flank defence of the ditches By the time that the fort was complete the armament had been changed to sixty-four 7-inch R.B.L., five 40 pdr. R.B.L., five 64 pdr. R.M.L. guns with fifteen 32 pdr. S.B.B.L. guns in the caponiers and three Rifled Howitzers. In 1886 the mounted armament was one 7-inch R.B.L. gun and two 6.3-inch Rifled Muzzle Loading howitzers. In 1891 most of the intended armament was in place: fifteen 7-inch RBL consisting of ten guns in the emplacements on the main and south rampart with five guns in the Moncrieff Gun Pit, ten movable guns to cover the Fareham Gap consisting of four 4-inch B.L. on siege carriages and six 40 pdr. R.B.L on traveling carriages. Later use (1902-1965) By 1902 most of the land front forts were stood down as defensive structures and their armament, including that at Fort Fareham, was withdrawn. Fort Fareham then continued to serve as a barrack until the conclusion of the second world war. In 1905 the Portsmouth Fortress Defence Scheme called for the occupation of Fort Fareham, during the precautionary period, by forty four men of No. 23 Company Royal Garrison Artillery, and members of the 3rd. Battalion Oxfordshire Light Infantry Militia. They were to use the fort as a base to meet an attack from the west assuming that