Work starts on new Southsea Castle water feature

A new project to enhance Southsea seafront will take a big step forward on Monday 4th December as work begins on an impressive water feature outside Southsea Castle.

Portsmouth City Council will be replacing the existing Brian Kidd Way fountain wit 30 water jets, each of which has coloured lights that can be coordinated to create a range of different displays.

The area the jets will sit in can also be used to create a reflective pool in front of the castle.

Plans for the new water feature are included within Portsmouth City Council’s seafront masterplan. When finished, it will complement other improvements being made to the area as part of the D-Day Museum’s ongoing transformation project.

These include creating a new commemorative space for the D-Day Stone, sympathetically relocating the statue of Field Marshal Montgomery, and developing a thrilling new space for LCT 7074, one of the few surviving D-Day landing craft, which the D-Day Museum’s two tanks will be displayed in.

Councillor Linda Symes, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, and Sport, said: “It is fantastic that we're starting work on this project. The new water feature will be a wonderful addition to the seafront and make the approach to Southsea Castle even more impressive.

“Along with the work being done to enhance the area around the D-Day Museum this will help make our seafront an even more attractive place for visitors and residents to enjoy.”

While the work is being carried out, there will be no access to Southsea Castle from Brian Kidd Way, and the project will be completed in spring.