It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion.

This would enable the battery to provide large amounts of high angle plunging fire into the Solent, targeted at the vulnerable unarmoured decks of warships.

[1] In 1888, a proposal for two 10.4-inch 28-ton RML guns on an Armstrong protected barbette was put forward, and these had been fitted by 1892.

It was brought back into use during the Second World War as HMS Medina to train men of the Fleet Air Arm.

It has been used as a public recreational space since that time and has since been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument.