World War II Anti-Tank Defences At Eastney Beach

The site comprises a series of World War II anti-tank defences constructed in 1940 at Eastney beach. The defences consist of over 280 concrete cubes made with a local sand and shingle aggregate. The cubes extend for approximately 400 metres from Eastney Fort East in the west to Fort Cumberland in the east, both of which are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

The cubes are roughly 1 metre square and exhibit variations in their construction techniques, with some showing evidence of wooden board shuttering and others featuring a textured surface from corrugated iron shuttering. Some cubes retain metal fittings and traces of paint; the original nature of the paint is currently undetermined.

A continuous plinth is visible on the cubes at the western end of the line, although the extent of this feature is partially obscured by an earth bank that has buried some blocks. Gaps between the cubes at this western end have been later filled with breeze blocks, a modification that is considered a later addition and not part of the original construction. The cubes at the eastern end of the line show greater evidence of erosion and some displacement, however, they still form a recognizable continuous line of defence.

Portsmouth's unique island location has historically been recognized as an important naval position, leading to the development of various defensive structures from the 15th century onwards. Fort Cumberland and Eastney Fort East were part of the 19th-century development of Portsmouth’s fortifications. The anti-tank obstacles were constructed to protect the vulnerable foreshore between these defensive structures during the summer of 1940 and represent an early example of such construction during the Second World War.

The anti-tank concrete cubes are designated at Grade II for their significance as a group demonstrating different construction methods, their connection to Portsmouth’s earlier defensive structures, and their survival as a well-preserved, early example of Second World War coastal defences.