19/10/2025
Wash-Up Discussion: Fort Purbrook Investigation
Date: Saturday 18th October 2025
Team: Portal to the Paranormal
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Brief History
Before beginning our investigation, it’s important to understand the rich history of Fort Purbrook.
Constructed in the 1860s on Portsdown Hill, Fort Purbrook formed part of a defensive chain designed to protect Portsmouth’s vital naval base. It is one of the well-known “Palmerston’s Follies” — forts built under the orders of Lord Palmerston in response to a perceived threat of French invasion, which ultimately never occurred.
The fort remained in active military use from the late 1870s until 1925 and went on to serve a variety of purposes throughout the 20th century. During World War I, it functioned as an anti-aircraft site, and during World War II, it was used for civil defence and ambulance operations. Between 1947 and 1968, it housed a Naval Navigational School before later becoming the Peter Ashley Activity Centre in 1981 — a role it still holds today.
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Investigation Overview
Opening Séance
The investigation began with a group séance led by Sarah, during which we all introduced ourselves , outlined our intentions, and invited any spirits present to communicate or share their stories.
Almost immediately, there were subtle signs of activity. Guests observed shadow movement during the séance, and some trigger objects were activated unexpectedly. Distinct knocks and what sounded like light footsteps were also heard intermittently.
This initial session lasted approximately 20 minutes and set a strong tone for the evening’s investigation. Following the séance, the team divided into two smaller groups for more focused sessions.
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Team A Wash-Up Report
Investigators: Sarah, Julie
Team A began their investigation with a spirit board session, during which one of the guests appeared to receive a deeply personal message. Each question asked was met with intelligent and consistent responses, confirming details that were known only to the guest involved.
The same spirit seemed to remain present during a subsequent table-tipping session, where the movements and responses were in line with the earlier communication. For privacy and respect, the personal details, names, and specific questions involved will not be disclosed publicly.
However, a few notable names came through during an experiment being done by Claire, Olly and Tom that may connect to the fort’s history and before the Fort was built:
• Mary – Believed to be a 13-year-old girl from around 1832 and died in a fire.
• Robert – Identified as a more negative or uncooperative energy who declined to engage further.
Also the name Richard was picked up and a year of 1936.
Further experiments were also conducted using dowsing rods, the Spirit Box, and a Ganzfeld experiment, though no conclusive responses were received during these sessions.
Throughout the evening, Team A continued to experience unexplained footsteps, distant bangs, and fleeting shadow figures observed moving along the walls and corridors — particularly in quieter moments between sessions.
Team B Wash-Up Report
Investigators: Nikki, Paul K, and Paul
During Team B’s session, figures were captured in the archways on the SLS camera. While monitoring the tunnel, we observed multiple shadows moving back and forth across the green exit light located halfway down. Nikki then sat on the opposite side of the light within the tunnel, and all three of us could see the same shadow activity from different ends, confirming that the movement was visible from multiple perspectives.
Meanwhile, Sarah was running the Spirit Box, and Ben positioned the SLS back toward the archways. When asking for names or professions, and questioning why the entities were present, Ben received a clear response stating that he was a soldier.
Later, during free time, the team returned to the cells. During this session, we encountered what we referred to as the “nasty man.” This entity appeared to be interacting with Sarah — tugging at her sleeve and getting very close to her face. The atmosphere noticeably darkened at this point.
Dan, positioned on the opposite side of the room, reported that he could only see Sarah’s legs and thought he could make out another pair of legs beside her, though he could not see her upper body clearly. Sarah repeatedly told the presence not to touch her. The activity continued until Sarah warned that she would “set her mum and gran” on him, after which the interaction ceased.
We believe the entity may have moved to the opposite side of the room, between Ben and Nikki, as both noticed a distinct cold patch around waist height in that area. After this shift, we received no further communication from the presence.
Thank you to everyone who joined us last night at the Fort. Please feel free to add pictures and videos showing what you may have captured.
We are sure to return to Fort Purbook in the near future.
