Page "Fort Widley" Paragraph 1

Even before they were completed questions arose over the effectiveness of the forts in the face of improving weapons technology and the forts were not fitted with guns until some years after they had been completed.

This delay resulted in changes to the fort's planned armament.

The originally specified 68-pounder smooth-bore guns were never fitted and instead RBL 7 inch Armstrong guns may have been the fort's first armament.

In 1885 the fort was reported to have been fitted with some ordnance while the other Portsdown forts were still awaiting their guns.

By the 1890s the fort was fitted with five RML 6. 6 inch howitzers, ten RBL 7 inch Armstrong guns, two RML 8 inch howitzers and nine RBL 40 pounder Armstrong guns on carriages that could be moved to wherever they were needed.