Is there people living in there? Your email address will not be published. - Our locations Headquarters Porton Down Salisbury Wiltshire SP4 0JQ (Alternative postcode for some sat-nav systems: SP4 0JG) Email centralenquiries@dstl.gov.uk Central enquiries 01980 950000 Dstl. chalkpit, chalk pit. But that doesnt mean Fort Widley wasnt used during WW2. I cannot see any way in, and I have looked carefully at the overlay of the fuel bunker several times. I dont believe in ghosts, but there have been reported sightings of ghosts and spooky goings on here. Pretty tough stuff, would take a bit of work to get through. Tunnel 51 was the subject of multiple patents. historic website. Only five out of the seven recommended forts for Portsdown Hill were built plus a redoubt at Farlington, due to heavy Parliament criticism. The site was uncovered by contractors during a period of be nothing but Ive always wondered. In August 1859 the Royal Commission received the instruction to begin work, by considering the defence of Portsmouth. Hello mate where abouts are the entrances could you show me and a couple of mates we been trying to find them no luck. I mean theres only two that can be humanly opened. Fort Widley was constructed between the years 1860 and 1868 and is identical in structure and layout to Fort Southwick. After spending a few minutes recording the carvings in the chalk tunnel walls, we continued downwards, following a sign that told us we were heading towards the west caponier. The escarp is about 10 15 feet thick, backed by earthwork and surmounted by a rampart. You been in there where you find way in I live this type of stuff, Hi, recently moved to port Solent and have started walking the hill. DTC. Martin Long - April 2013. There was another staircase, plus a smaller corridor running off into a set of smaller rooms used for defensive purposes. There Detached house for sale - 5 bedrooms 5 5 5 7,807 sq. Interested in this property? Sussex Street You can imagine how dangerous this job of digging tunnels into Portsdown Hill would have been. Tunnels. PT's Kittatinny Tunnel entrance design "TURN LIGHTS ON" for safety. Mate, I live in Nottingham and Ive never even been to Portsmouth. Having just had a look through your site and being born in Portchester and samuelkelly14@gmail.com. The most amazing view you will find. Today a small depression The fuel bunker was targeted by German bombing in 1940, luckily missing by a few hundred yards but sadly hitting several homes & two piggeries bringing loss of life to many of the pigs housed there. The escarp is about 10 - 15 feet thick, backed by earthwork and surmounted by a rampart. The walls were damp and cold to the touch. It may Thanks. Not going to have much luck finding a PPF3 mask right now! Ten lives were lost to cave-ins before the tunnel was even completed. In First World War it was used as a transit depot. Hampshire and iow news. Squirrel Hill Tunnel construction began in 1946 and opened to traffic on June 5, 1953. Hampshire Four tunnels can be accessed beneath the fort, built in the 1860s and armed until the early years of the 20th century. Take the exit sign posted for Gosport and Fareham. The walls were no longer dug out tunnels, but instead a red brick structure, and part of the main fort architecture itself. How would I go about getting in here please? It was used for military purposes for over 100 years before being taken over by the council. The best job I had. the sailing club as this is in direct line from the hill to the dockyard. The ww2 bunker and radio station, Went today, it is still accessible via the other entrance and seems like the flooding may have subsided? Work began during the 1860s. Suggest edits to improve what we show. There are 9 tanks as I recall 7 are 700 feet long with 2 shorter ones. The fort was leased to Portsmouth City Council in 1961 and was sold outright to the council in 1972. Park school which is the old Purbrook Park house. This is one of a series of forts on the coast of Britain built to protect Britain from invasion by France in the 1860s. "It was now that I realised how little information there was. Please email me at. Even a clue? Nicky19802010@hitmail.co.uk, Any chance you could email me about this place regarding entrances. Tim Hortons Gosport: Here's what to expect from new drive-thru restaurant after plans approved, Women's activewear brand Sweaty Betty opening at Westquay with exclusive giveaway for first 50 customers, New Havant Co-op store opens creating 15 jobs off Bedhampton Road, The gym near Hampshire with amazing forest views where you'll want to work out, South Downs walk near Hampshire border which tracks a lost Roman Road through stunning countryside, The underground pipeline in a section that heads beneath the M27. Please note Fort Nelson ramparts are closed until further notice. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In this particular area were we able to see various cracks and fissures in the chalk walls, which did make me feel a little but uneasy. The only connection between them is an aqueduct. If we had, it would have taken us up to the very top of Fort Widley where the equestrian centre activities take place plus even some grazing sheep! Much of the underground network is now closed to the public, but continues to attract interest - with oil pipelines, bomb shelters and even a radio station having been created beneath the surface. Shall let you know ? One of a series of forts built for the defence of Portsmouth against landward attacks in the 1860s and known as Palmerston's Follies as they were never used defensively. This web publication contains 152,464 pages of information and 237,139 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them. email me] Its completely sealed up. inside the tunnels. After a good few minutes of stamping He attended two weeks after the invasion launched, and so staff replaced the markings on their giant map to depict the scene at the time for him - something they had claimed they were too busy to do when General Charles de Gaulle had visited days earlier. From the west Caponier an underground gallery leads back to the spiral stairs and then southwards towards the barracks. quarry, naval, The ridge offers good views to the south over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. Is there anyone that can give me a postcode for this? on Portsdown were all linked together by Bunk beds and kitchen facilities were installed in the corrugated sheeting-lined tunnels. Portsdown (locally referred to as 'The Hill') is located to the north of Portsmouth UK. Hi I live locally to this and have wondered how you get access to this facility. Southwick to the HM Naval Dockyard and also to Gosport to the fuel depot We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. who probably belonged to a giant race that lived from 3000 to 4000 years The walls had loopholes for rifle fire. I would like to give a big thank you to Nick and Chris at the Pompey Pals charity who kindly invited us down for the morning in November, 2021. If I was a believer in ghosts, this is where I would imagine they might want to appear! Improve this listing All photos (52) Top ways to experience nearby attractions Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: Ultimate Explorer Ticket 149 Attractions & Museums from $46.64 per adult One of Lord Palmerston's follies built to protect Portsmouth from a French Invasion from the landward side. The Calshot Air Crash Chronicles: Fatal Accidents (1914 to 1951). Compensation of 95,200 was granted to his estate for damages to amenities, the question not fully settled until September 1862. AsSecretary you will work with the other Principal Officers to ensure the smooth running of the HGS. "As the years went by I still quietly absorbed information. There is still a way in? Route Number. Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 6AN. Theres 4 entrances in total, Baz. Portsdown Portsdown is a 69.1-hectare (171-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on Portsdown Hill, on the northern outskirts of Portsmouth in Hampshire. thanks to Peter Rogers, This topic has been moved to The Royal Engineers were responsible for the basic design of the hill forts with Colonel, later Lieutenant General, Sir W R Drummond Jervois RE, in charge. Explores the tunnels, shelters and caves on Portsdown Hill Portsmouth The highest point of the hill lies within Fort Southwick at 131m above sea level. I surveyed these tunnels back in the 1980s when the MOD wanted to give them to Thames Water to store waters in. [1] [2] This is a linear south-facing escarpment with a rich chalk grassland flora. Required fields are marked *. back out and not walk around in circles and by using the flint we wasn't We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Our guide from the Pompey Pals Museum explained how this crucifix symbol and lettering and date (not shown) was carved by workers who dug the tunnels in 1860. I find it very interesting up there. The role will require you attend 6 Executive Committee meetings and currently 3 Development Forum meetings. SO23 8TH, Affiliated to the Family History Federation. happy exploring everyone, Could you send me the details of this entrance please bradanphe@hotmail.com, I believed this was still blocked, I was a day late to go inside as theyd just started filling it in. would be slightly helpful. Our Portsdown Hill paddock is set overlooking the beautiful South Coast, enjoy walking in a safe space with a stunning view. The photo with 7 painted on the wall is from the east tunnel, from memory the entire tunnel is like this, straight, long & with the occasional alcove for the fuel cells. Took a look up there this evening. domed feature which looks suspiciously like the roof of a vaulted tunnel. told that there is a small gauge train that runs directly from Fort However, my son and I were recently invited by the Pompey Pals Museum to have a guided tour of the Fort Widley tunnels to let us explore and document them. The two main access tunnels in the side of Portsdown Hill are very similar, the eastern access tunnel leads to a dead end, while the main access tunnel passes over the aforementioned pump room (via a very oily ladder) and continues at a steep gradient around half a kilometre to the north compound. Hi Scott this entrance you know of that is not secure to the tunnels yet do you wish to share where this is? Id like to go this weekend. So my question being have you ever heard of any tunnels in that area? middle of the night, the motorway was totally empty, but it sounding and Id been wanting to explore these two, Read More Holton Heaths Anti-Aircraft Gun TowersContinue, Watkins and Williams American soldiers in the new forest with, Read More Can You Help Identify these American GIs in the New Forest During WW2?Continue, There is so much World War 2 heritage and history in the Totton and Ashurst areas of Southampton that I felt they deserved a bit, Read More Totton Air Raid Shelters + Ashurst, Calmore, & Eling WW2 HistoryContinue, In Spring of 1944, the New Forest airfields were teeming with RAF and USAAF fighter bombers in preparation for D-Day. All Portsdown Forts played a role during the Second World War. This included: Isle of Wight and Needles passage, the recently rebuilt Hurst Castle, and the four Solent Forts Spitbank, St. Helens, Horse Sand and No Mans Land. Luckily I have experienced being down there before :D. Aaaah, youll be surprised by the local chavs resolve. Say no more. Hi Johnny The cross was carved as a memorial to one of their colleagues who was killed during a roof collapse. Four men were killed and the locomotive was trapped inside the tunnel. end. Also at the time when I lived in Hillsley Road, I was Found two entrances but all sealed up with metal doors any other ways in would be great to see inside done a few others but would like to get in here. Theres plenty of information online. House Prices in Portsdown Hill Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO9 Properties in Portsdown Hill Road had an overall average price of 1,145,000 over the last year. Is there any more entrances any one has found? Tenure: Not available. There was also a dry moat around the five forts which varied in depth from 40 60 feet and width from 30 70 feet. They face inland, which to some people looks the wrong way. Terms of use photo site location, Panoramic The engine powered the ventilation plant. We were then invited to continue walking into the tunnels. Aerial Portsdown Where is this entrance. During the late seventies/early eighties I can confirm the entrance is blocked with a full wall of concrete. Hey can you send me the information about the unsecured location and where the location is exactly. Upon entering the tunnels, my first thought was how it had a very-1950s and 1960s vibe to it, even down to noticing some wooden flecked wallpaper on one of the walls. Portsdown Hill is a chalk ridge that overlooks Portsmouth and provides a stunning viewpoint over the city, the harbours and Read More Opening Times Access Information PARKING Decommissioned in the 1990s, Portsdown fuel bunker is still in great condition, although the pump room (the deepest part of the bunker) is quickly becoming an oil-filled swimming pool. Credits Anything please. It looks stronger than it is. Looks like a link to YouTube, my name anyway as account name on here, I wrote on here before. As we walked down into the tunnels, descending ever deeper into the ground, we saw several carvings in chalk walls, some of which were more modern than others. merchant, and there was a delivery that was for the builders at the fuel I may still have some plans from the report I prepared back then. The North entrance that people have mentioned is no longer there. to get into a open tunnel entrance, and upon walking around them, we find Been to them all and you need some kind of oxygen to breathe in them as the farther you go in you cant breathe in there. However, there is absolutely no documentary or material evidence to support Really want to visit this place could anyone help me with finding an entrance please ? The Been looking on aerials as Im planning another trip and seen 3 places on the surface Valve compound and 2 others for possibly the 4th entrance wondering if Im close or can get a hint. | Id take a closer look at aerial maps if I were you, sounds like you were close! Driver's Guide ( mobile version) the hill. Our Horsham paddock is located on Dawes Farm just off the Bognor Road, the field is surrounded by trees and offers 3 acres of space for your pooch to enjoy. Portsdown Hill is a long chalk ridge in Hampshire, England. The tanks run in parallel with two access tunnels running along the front and back of the tanks. If I found myself near a library I might pop-in for an hour and look for references of Portsdown. Improve this listing All photos (52) Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more. Box Tunnel passes through Box Hill on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) between Bath and Chippenham.The 1.83-mile (2.95 km) tunnel was the world's longest railway tunnel when it was completed in 1841. Me and a few other explorers are looking to go up and have a look and we need some direction. Hampshire Record Office bunkers, and until that time I didn't know they existed, always saw the ("South Seas"), HM Naval Base and the You could clearly see where the chalk had been dug out by hand tools in the 1860s, rather than using mechanised digging equipment. Is there still an entrance in by the pump room? The walls had loopholes for rifle fire. The barrack block walls were 4 - 5 feet thick with a thick reinforced concrete roof. The bunkers were designed to provide a bombproof Royal Navy fuel oil reservoir to serve the fleet at the Portsmouth Naval Base. The report was submitted in 1860 and the recommendations were: 1) To prevent the enemy from landing on the Isle of Wight, 2) Protection of the anchorage at Spithead, 3) Defence of the Needles passage, Isle of Wight, 5) Land defences divided between the Gosport defences and the Portsdown hill forts. In 1836 the Georgia General Assembly created the Western & Atlantic Railroad, which would connect Ross's Landing (soon to be renamed Chattanooga) with a point on the Chattahoochee River. One of my neighbours was told by their grandparents who had Sitemap The platforms on the inner side of the rampart were for additional guns firing over the parapet. Further underground work in the 1940s led to the creation of a five and a half mile pipeline linking an oil reservoir on Portsdown with the Admiralty oil fuel depot in Gosport. 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