Portsdown Hill
Encyclopedia
Portsdown Hill is a long chalk
hill in Hampshire
, England
, offering good views over Portsmouth
, The Solent
, Hayling Island
and Gosport
, with the Isle of Wight
beyond. The hill is on the mainland, just to the north of Ports Creek, which separates the mainland from Portsea Island
, on which lies the main part of the city of Portsmouth, one of the United Kingdom's main naval bases. To the north lies the forest of Bere
, with the South Downs
marching in the distance. Butser Hill
can be seen on a clear day. Southwick House
nestles close by the north side of the hill, the HQ for U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
during the D-Day
invasions; the generals prayed together before D-Day at Christ Church Portsdown, on the hill, which has a memorial window. The A3(M)
motorway cuts through the east side of the hill while the original A3
climbs over the centre by the "George" pub and Christ Church. The nearest railway stations (from west to east) are Portchester
, Cosham
and Bedhampton
. There are many stories about real and imagined tunnels in the hill. Part of the hill has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
During the early part of the English Civil War
Royalist forces from Portsmouth were involved in a number of skirmishes with Parliamentarians on the hill
, as part of a series of fortifications built to defend Portsmouth
and its dockyard
(which is 8 kilometres away) from a possible attack from inland, as the development of rifled gun barrels made it possible for an invading army to land elsewhere, circle around to the top of the hill and bombard the city from there, rendering the existing Hilsea Lines
at the bottom of the ridge useless. A series of 6 forts were planned along the 10 km (6.2 mi) of the ridge. From west to east they are forts Fareham, Wallington, Nelson, Southwick, Widley and Purbrook. The line was finished off at the eastern end with Crookhorn Redoubt and Farlington Redoubt. The main threat was perceived to be from Napoleon III of France
, but this receded soon after the forts' completion. Due to this they became known as "Palmerston's Folly" but, though never needed for their original purpose, were useful anti-aircraft gun emplacements during World War II
.
Fort Fareham is now a small industrial estate.
Fort Wallington has been largely demolished to make way for an industrial estate.
Fort Nelson
has been extensively restored as an artillery museum run by the Royal Armouries
.
Fort Southwick
was for many years an Admiralty Research Establishment
, sold in 2003 for housing.
Fort Widley is owned by Portsmouth council, hosting a stable and various community rooms. Tours run on summer weekends.
Fort Purbrook is open occasionally for craft fairs. It is also home to an activity centre which offers (but is not limited to) archery, rifle shooting and indoor rock-climbing.
Guarding Fort Purbrook, the Crookhorn redoubt suffered from subsidence, and was demolished by 1876. The Farlington redoubt had only the ditches and gun positions dug, and was finally demolished in the 1970s. The tunnel between Crookhorn and Purbrook has been rediscovered.
, and wild privet. An intensive restoration programme funded by the Countryside Commission
and Portsmouth City Council was initiated in 1995; large areas of scrub have now been cleared by machine, and flowers and grasses allowed to regenerate naturally. Scrub re-encroachment is controlled by cattle and horses which graze overwinter.
Several species of butterfly became extinct owing to the loss of habitat to scrub, notably the Adonis Blue
, Silver-studded Blue
, Dingy Skipper
, and Dark Green Fritillary
. Others such as the Chalkhill Blue
and Small Blue
were at the brink of extinction, but are now flourishing again. Indeed, the hill has now probably the largest metapopulation of the Small Blue in the UK.
Portsdown also gave its name to an Army estate in Singapore. Long after the British army moved out (1967) the Portsdown estate continues to thrive, with Portsdown Rd the main road running through the middle.
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
hill in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, offering good views over Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, The Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
, Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
and Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, with the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
beyond. The hill is on the mainland, just to the north of Ports Creek, which separates the mainland from Portsea Island
Portsea Island
Portsea Island is a small, flat and low lying island just off the south coast of England. The island is totally within, and contains a large proportion of, the city of Portsmouth. It has the third-largest population of any island in the British Isles, after the mainlands of Great Britain and...
, on which lies the main part of the city of Portsmouth, one of the United Kingdom's main naval bases. To the north lies the forest of Bere
Forest of Bere
The Forest of Bere lies north of Fareham. A mixture of woodland, open space, ponds, streams, heathland, farmland and downland it provides countryside access to the residents of South-East Hampshire having a number of paths and bridleways for walking and cycling...
, with the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
marching in the distance. Butser Hill
Butser Hill
Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only high, it qualifies as one of England's...
can be seen on a clear day. Southwick House
Southwick House
Southwick House is a manor house of the Southwick Estate located just to the north of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. The house was built in 1800 in the late Georgian style, to replace Southwick Park house. The house is distinct for its two-story foyer lit from a cupola, and a series of...
nestles close by the north side of the hill, the HQ for U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
during the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasions; the generals prayed together before D-Day at Christ Church Portsdown, on the hill, which has a memorial window. The A3(M)
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
motorway cuts through the east side of the hill while the original A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
climbs over the centre by the "George" pub and Christ Church. The nearest railway stations (from west to east) are Portchester
Portchester
Portchester is a locality and suburb 10km northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton, on the A27 main thoroughfare...
, Cosham
Cosham
Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering and Bocheland , Frodington and Copenore on the island.The name is of Saxon origin and means "Cossa's homestead"...
and Bedhampton
Bedhampton
Bedhampton is a former village, and now suburb, located in the Borough of Havant, Hampshire, England. It is located at the northern end of Langstone Harbour and at the foot of the eastern end of Portsdown Hill....
. There are many stories about real and imagined tunnels in the hill. Part of the hill has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
During the early part of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
Royalist forces from Portsmouth were involved in a number of skirmishes with Parliamentarians on the hill
Portsdown Forts
The forts on Portsdown Hill were built as a result of the 1859 Royal CommissionRoyal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
In 1859 Lord Palmerston instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom because of serious concerns that France might attempt to invade the UK...
, as part of a series of fortifications built to defend Portsmouth
Palmerston Forts, Portsmouth
The Palmerston Forts that encircle Portsmouth were built in response to the 1859 Royal Commission dealing with the perceived threat of a French invasion. The forts were intended to defend the Dockyard in Portsmouth. Construction was carried out by the Royal Engineers and civilian contractors...
and its dockyard
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
(which is 8 kilometres away) from a possible attack from inland, as the development of rifled gun barrels made it possible for an invading army to land elsewhere, circle around to the top of the hill and bombard the city from there, rendering the existing Hilsea Lines
Hilsea Lines
The Hilsea Lines are a line of 18th- and 19th-century fortifications built to protect the Northern approach to Portsea, an island of the coast of England which is part of the city of Portsmouth and its key naval base. They are now used as a greenspace and leisure area.-Natural defences:The island...
at the bottom of the ridge useless. A series of 6 forts were planned along the 10 km (6.2 mi) of the ridge. From west to east they are forts Fareham, Wallington, Nelson, Southwick, Widley and Purbrook. The line was finished off at the eastern end with Crookhorn Redoubt and Farlington Redoubt. The main threat was perceived to be from Napoleon III of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but this receded soon after the forts' completion. Due to this they became known as "Palmerston's Folly" but, though never needed for their original purpose, were useful anti-aircraft gun emplacements during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Fort Fareham is now a small industrial estate.
Fort Wallington has been largely demolished to make way for an industrial estate.
Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
Fort Nelson, in the civil parish of Boarhunt in the English county of Hampshire, is one of five defensive forts built on the summit of Portsdown Hill in the 1860s, overlooking the important naval base of Portsmouth. It is now part of the Royal Armouries, housing their collection of...
has been extensively restored as an artillery museum run by the Royal Armouries
Royal Armouries
The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's National Museum of Arms and Armour. It is the United Kingdom's oldest museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world. It is also one of the largest collections of arms and armour in the world, comprising the UK's National Collection of Arms and...
.
Fort Southwick
Fort Southwick
Fort Southwick is one of the forts found on Portsdown Hill, which overlooks the naval base of Portsmouth in the county of Hampshire, England. It is the highest fort on the hill, and holds the water storage tanks for the other forts, supplying them via a brick lined aqueduct. Construction was...
was for many years an Admiralty Research Establishment
Defence Research Establishment
The Defence Research Establishments were a number of separate UK Ministry of Defence Research Establishments, dating back to World War II, World War I, or even earlier. Each establishment had its own head; known as the Director or the Superintendent. Prior to the formation of the Ministry of...
, sold in 2003 for housing.
Fort Widley is owned by Portsmouth council, hosting a stable and various community rooms. Tours run on summer weekends.
Fort Purbrook is open occasionally for craft fairs. It is also home to an activity centre which offers (but is not limited to) archery, rifle shooting and indoor rock-climbing.
Guarding Fort Purbrook, the Crookhorn redoubt suffered from subsidence, and was demolished by 1876. The Farlington redoubt had only the ditches and gun positions dug, and was finally demolished in the 1970s. The tunnel between Crookhorn and Purbrook has been rediscovered.
SSSI
Over fifty hectares of the south face of the Hill are a Site of Special Scientific Interest owing to its chalk grassland habitat. Grazing ceased in the early 1950s, and consequently the site was gradually invaded by scrub, mostly hawthorn, dogwoodDogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
, and wild privet. An intensive restoration programme funded by the Countryside Commission
Countryside Commission
The Countryside Commission was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only...
and Portsmouth City Council was initiated in 1995; large areas of scrub have now been cleared by machine, and flowers and grasses allowed to regenerate naturally. Scrub re-encroachment is controlled by cattle and horses which graze overwinter.
Several species of butterfly became extinct owing to the loss of habitat to scrub, notably the Adonis Blue
Adonis Blue
The Adonis Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Habitat:The preferred habitat of the adonis blue is calcareous grasslands with hot and dry conditions.-Species decline:...
, Silver-studded Blue
Silver-studded Blue
The Silver-studded Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behavior and distribution:So named due to the silvery blue metallic spots on the underside hind wings. The upperside are a rich, deep iridescent blue in the males with a black border and the characteristic Lycid white...
, Dingy Skipper
Dingy Skipper
The Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages, is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It ranges from Europe across Asia Minor and Central Asia to the Amur region.Erynnis tages favours open grassy habitats up to 2,000 metres above sea level...
, and Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
The Dark Green Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic ecozone - Europe, Morocco, Iran , Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.-Subspecies:...
. Others such as the Chalkhill Blue
Chalkhill Blue
The Chalkhill Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.Males have pale silvery-blue wings with black and white border . Females are dark brown, also with the black and white borders...
and Small Blue
Small Blue
The Small Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.It is found in Europe, Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Tian-Shan, West Siberia, Central Siberia, South Siberia, Russian Far East, Amur, Mongolia, Magadan and Kamchatka....
were at the brink of extinction, but are now flourishing again. Indeed, the hill has now probably the largest metapopulation of the Small Blue in the UK.
Portsdown also gave its name to an Army estate in Singapore. Long after the British army moved out (1967) the Portsdown estate continues to thrive, with Portsdown Rd the main road running through the middle.