Our journey into the Fort Widley tunnels began in the Pompey Pals Museum where the curators gave us a fantastic talk on Portsmouths First and Second World War history. 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. photo site location Panoramic In Victorian times it was originally built as the main magazine for the fort. Aerial Ive looked online and everyone is saying its all sealed up? On October 2, 1925, while the tunnel was undergoing repairs, a locomotive pulling 10 flat cars entered the tunnel heading west. It also makes photography somewhat difficult, not wanting to get our kit covered in oil and the blackness soaking up the torchlight I got a really awful set of photos from down there! This was to act as a station used for the Underground Headquarters to securely send and receive messages. is supposed to pass to haunt the manor when there is a honeymoon couple The Wymering Tunnel Shelter and the London Road Tunnel Shelter had a combined length of 1.8 miles. Portsdown Hill is a long chalk ridge in Hampshire, England. I dont know if this bears any relevance but its bothered me for years. Pennsylvania Turnpike after open, circa 1940s. Looking vertically up the stair case, you could see daylight coming in. thanks to Peter Rogers, This topic has been moved to Cornwall. From the west Caponier an underground gallery leads back to the spiral stairs and then southwards towards the barracks. I was a choirboy at the above church and we were allowed access to the cellar of the vicarage at weekends as there was a snooker table, dartboard, and table tennis table we could use. Thanks. The ridge offers good views to the south over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. The Rays Hill Tunnel was built in the 1880s for use with trains, but never saw a single locomotive and was eventually repurposed to carry automobile traffic. I mean theres only two that can be humanly opened. Unfortunately all entrances have been welded shut with a big steel bar. The other one is supposed to run from Fort Purbrook to Purbrook In the far right hand corner, practice. purchased the blocks of flats at the top, I was in the last block, on the Email. Once again, some amazing pics, you live an exciting life when it comes to hobbies! Suggest edits to improve what we show. It may Real shame I didnt go in when I was peering down the tunnel only couple of weeks ago! Its not unknown for explorers to revisit a site several times until it becomes a successful visit. what were metal doors with "MOD Property - Do Not Enter" metal signs on, Start photo slideshow. chalk walls of the tunnel, it seemed as if we had walked a fair distance in the ground marks this site. some variation at the entrance and exit. We now walked into a different tunnel. Past quiky mart, up hill park at dead end, follow path through RHS gate 100m. close to the sea, and much more accessible in older times. Went down there myself a few days ago to see the damage and it looks like a pretty substantial concrete wall. be nothing but Ive always wondered. Our Portsdown Hill paddock is set overlooking the beautiful South Coast, enjoy walking in a safe space with a stunning view. April 9,1930: possible. Where? The Calshot Air Crash Chronicles: Fatal Accidents (1914 to 1951). In 1939 the Army returned, it also housed the Home Guard Headquarters and the Ambulance Depot. 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. King George VI was among the visitors who attended to look at how the D-Day invasion was plotted, with a historic photo capturing him in the "TURCO" operations room (TURCO stood for "Turnround Control" and was responsible for plotting the deployment of the invasion fleet and turning them round for return to Britain). Also, improvements to the fabric of the Square Tower, Kings Bastion, Point Battery, Southsea Castle, Lumps Fort and Fort Cumberland were undertaken. So we packed our bags and set off to explore this abandoned pocket of Singapore. Four men were killed and the locomotive was trapped inside the tunnel. The other point I would mention is that there was vehicular access from merchant, and there was a delivery that was for the builders at the fuel During the 1930s a vast underground storage facility was dug deep in to Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, capable of holding up to around 180,000 tons of oil in 9 concrete storage tanks, each 35ft high. Please stop e-mailing me. Fort Widley was completed in 1871. Entrance to the tunnel system was via two inclined staircases from the surface. Can be done as just has. An article written for Solent Fortifications Radio Club, author unknown. It still has the same quality and security as our other paddocks and is fully enclosed with 6ft high fences, these include an extra layer of fine fencing around the bottom so no smaller dogs can escape underneath. Portsdown Hill gives anyone (for free) the most amazing 360degree view of the area. If you found a way, or anyone has, please let me know! I explored the hill as much as I could as I grew up and readily soaked up all the tales and legends. The site was uncovered by contractors during a period of Id take a closer look at aerial maps if I were you, sounds like you were close! It looks stronger than it is. Portsdown Hill is a long chalk ridge in Hampshire, England. Portsmouth. I live local and would really like to see it. Is there any chance you could help? This feature Explore the fascinating tunnels that burrow deep into the chalk hill high above Portsmouth. Hampshire Record Office Mandai Track 15 may not be the easiest to get to - and the trail itself is not a loop - but the sprawling route is especially popular with mountain . Work began during the 1860s. On the Gosport side of the harbour, Fort Blockhouse (now HMS Dolphin) was updated. Im local and have been in there with my boy. Underground tunnels went from the barrack block to the caponiers in the moat. Due to the outdoor nature of his work, there is no guaranteed time he will be in the office, so it may be. Something went wrong, please try again later. hear noises and feel vibrations, even before the M27 was built and was This It featured heavily in the preparation and operation of OVERLORD in 1944. 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. Mandai T15 Trail. "Relic of a Giant Race. Portsmouth has so many famous landmarks and places to visit above ground - but you might not know about the world of intrigue and history beneath the city. 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. Our gas meter didnt ping once, things must have changed considerably down there. The wrought iron bridges have been repaired with . Portsmouth. A caponier is a type of fortification structure which allows firing along the bottom of a dry moat that surrounds a fort. In 1953, this area was converted into the bunker and was planned to be used in the event of an Atom bomb falling.. Part of the nationwide Cold War measures put in place around the UK at this time. Regards and keep up with this very interesting and local Portsmouths naval history is a long & proud one which the residents of the city are constantly reminded of living in the shadow of Portsdown Hill. Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 6AN. Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. | 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. North entrance was blocked and tried to look for this 4th entrance but no luck. Offers are being invited in excess of 1m (EPC Band C). Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance has been called to assist on scene along side the ground ambulances. The tanks run in parallel with two access tunnels running along the front and back of the tanks. Overall, sold prices in Portsdown Hill Road over the last year were 10% up on the previous year and 9% up on the 2020 peak of 1,050,000. Even if its a difficult one. Good luck though If you do head up that way, let us know if its unblocked! Really want to visit this place could anyone help me with finding an entrance please ? my dad informed the council and it was promptly backfilled with concrete 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. | Map of Palmerstons Folly Locations Click to enlarge. The Fareham side is classified C371. Our adventure at Keppel Hill Reservoir 1. One of Lord Palmerston's follies built to protect Portsmouth from a French Invasion from the landward side. Interesting. even Interest in the tunnels has been sparked for years, with the site also having a role to play during World War Two. Portsdown Hill is a long chalk ridge in Hampshire, England. Explore! Ten lives were lost to cave-ins before the tunnel was even completed. Perhaps that says more about my physical fitness? There is still a way in? Service Maintenance for a while and visited just about every underground Paid a visit last night with the missus. Your email address will not be published. Looks like a link to YouTube, my name anyway as account name on here, I wrote on here before. Hope you all understand !!!! I havent done any exploring in ages and I was hoping to check this place out soonish. You can imagine how dangerous this job of digging tunnels into Portsdown Hill would have been. having The two south entrances are welded and the only north entrance I found next to Fort Southwick is blocked with concrete. Raising awareness of WW2 history in the New Forest and Hampshire area through community and learning. PLEASE NOTE: Your comment will be held in a queue until it's been approved. The Barrack block walls were 4 5 feet thick with a thick reinforced concrete roof. Facebook. felt like a fleet of armoured tanks rolling past, quite a lot of us was Cookies apprentice in HM Dockyard Portsmouth in the early 1970s, I worked in Yard The caponier room was much warmer than the chalk tunnel we had emerged from. Suppose it doesnt make its way up the tunnel anyway, can smell it though from be outside! Anything please. historic website. typical of a tunnel. Also at the time when I lived in Hillsley Road, I was Within about 5mins of reading this article, the comments & searching Google Ive found what I think is at least three of the entrances! If you are checking the blueprints and are talking about the North most entry point, I can conclude its sealed. If I found myself near a library I might pop-in for an hour and look for references of Portsdown. If you havent visited them, please drop them a line on pompeypals.org.uk. The forts remained the property of the War Department until 1920 when the Admiralty took over some of them. 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. I cannot see any way in, and I have looked carefully at the overlay of the fuel bunker several times. PT . Get Involved. Palmerston Forts. Or have you got any others in Dorset or Hampshire worth visiting? to the Sea Forts in the Solent. across, inside the hole we could see brickwork forming the top of an arch 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. As you can see in the photos above and below, there are still remains on the wall that were created when the bunker was built, including electrics, signage, and even some old decor. For me though, this is a result of knowing the history of the place and the easily explainable change in temperature as you descend lower underground. This has been demolished and back filled. There was also a dry moat around the five forts which varied in depth from 40 60 feet and width from 30 70 feet. This last section of the gallery is brick lined; the main magazine opens off its west side about half way between the spiral stairs and the barracks. putting graffiti everywhere as it is either chalk and flint everywhere TIP: Click the map for more Large scale mapping, SU6606 : Pleasingly old fashioned sign on Portsdown Hill Road, http://www.cbrd.co.uk/media/photo/gallery10.shtml. We are in desperate need of a Minute Taker to take the Minutes at our various meetings. Where is this entrance. Sorry will not be giving it out but concrete lorrys filled everything in. Hi I live locally to this and have wondered how you get access to this facility. I have been 3 times over the last 3 weeks and I havent found an open entrance yet, I know of a entrance that will not be secured yet . They face inland, which to some people looks the wrong way. During World War Two, Portsdown's chalk pits were also used for bomb shelters. Fort c1860 by Captain William Crossman of the Royal Engineers. below. We spent another hour in the museum looking at the fantastic display the have, before bidding our farewell to what was one of most interesting military explores weve done this year. Would do but not local, never been there and a long way to go and fail. This had windows that looked into the moat, offering a fantastic firing position should any enemy encroach into this area. Portsmouth from Portsdown Hill - 1949 and 2021. archaeologist, in a tumulus during excavations on Portsdown Hill near Took a look up there this evening. Portsdown. Perhaps the best-known setup is that which exists beneath Fort Southwick, one of several forts built on Portsdown Hill to defend the overland approach to Portsmouth's naval base. The barrack block walls were 4 - 5 feet thick with a thick reinforced concrete roof. Southwick to the HM Naval Dockyard and also to Gosport to the fuel depot Theres plenty of information online. The walls had loopholes for rifle fire. Hi please may you direct me in how to enter this bunker? The Gaz M. You have found one of the entrance tunnels to the fuel bunker. email me] :/. My first ever visit to the fuel bunker that entrance was open, while its interesting its a bit of a let down in comparison to the rest of the site. Its cool theres other ways in but you need a rope to get down the final part be careful the ladders are very rusted! The walls were damp and cold to the touch. 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. photo site location, Panoramic Approximately 900 acres were taken over and clearance rights obtained for another 1000 acres. I tried the two south ones by the M27 and the Northern one in the gated area to the east of Fort Southwick and the one directly south of the Fort. on the grass verge, you can guess our amazement when my friends front I can confirm the entrance is blocked with a full wall of concrete. ("South Seas"), HM Naval Base and the Theres now a way in was there 13/09/2020. 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 Can you please email, please of the location. They want a postcode, a coordinate, a pin on a map. Email. Two shelters, which together could hold around 5,000 people, were built. No doubt someone will and will be available to explore again. In the mid 1990s I toyed with the idea of writing a book, but gave up when I quickly realised that only a few hundred copies would sell, and the rest would collect dust in the local libraries.". Call direct on: Tel +44 (0)1329 233 734. bushes and grass. This was the entrance to the Fort Widley tunnels. The exhibition is drawn from her collection of diaries written during the years of the Second World War. The corner of Fort Purbrook can be seen on the top left.. there) . Since first commenting nearly a year ago I have done my own research and found my own way in, its really cool but I wouldnt go down there without proper footwear and at least a dust mask and a torch powered by the fire of hell itself as its pretty damn dark. the road along the top of the hill to the tunnels as I can remember seeing m.woodyer@hotmail.com if anyone wants to point me in the right direction. That shed was my messroom for eight years when I was the LDG/Hand stoker there in the 80s and 90s until it closed shame to see it in the state its in. Scott, its nice of you to share the location but please bear in mind that generally the type of person asking these kind of details is what Id call an armchair explorer. is also no evidence of tunnels, either physical or on plans, at the forts Did you find it? The role will require you to liaise with the many other role holders anddeal with [], The Valerie Bacon Archive Living with War in Emsworth is now on display at the Portsmouth History Centre on the third floor of the Central Library. On October 2nd, 1925 the tunnel unexpectedly collapsed as a work train was passing through. Call +44 23 9229 0571 * or Request Details. I had a search around for other hatches to go in but there was only ones around the big tunnels that were full of water not far from the big doors. Portsdown (locally referred to as 'The Hill') is located to the north of Portsmouth UK. This stained glass window, known as the D Day Window, is in Christ Church, Widley the Garrison Church for the Portsdown Forts when the Army were in occupation. Park school which is the old Purbrook Park house. Top ways to experience nearby attractions Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: Ultimate Explorer Ticket 145 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. Wymering Is there people living in there? You can usually buy a cup of tea and a bacon roll from the van in the car park and sit and watch Portmouth and the Solent. Just to let everyone know the police do regular visits to this bunker now due to the amount of idiots that have been up there, there is a way in but I wont share it, anyone looking at this comment that thinks its funny to start a fire down there and flood it with oil is a idiot and has ruined it for the rest of us, considering we have never been closer to nuclear war Id like to know I can take my family there! Just found a possible way in, requires some climbing though! Built in 1872 they are part of the five forts along the top Portsdown Hill to defend the town from a Napoleonic attack. In-fill, covering a fault in the Work to prepare the site started - and finished - in 1942 and provided the Armed Forces with a bombproof HQ to oversee its plans. The southern face and entrance was protected from direct manual attack by these gorge buildings. the sailing club as this is in direct line from the hill to the dockyard. Go through the first set of traffic lights. The two entrances are located some 40ft up One of the two entrances Unlined access tunnel Inside the main tunnel on the lower level Stairs up to the upper level Looking up the stairs The upper level tunnel Looking back to stairs Access tunnel to the upper level Lined room to the left of the entrance Posted by Colin G at 12:47 pm 5 comments: Unless any local yobs have smashed through the wall that leads down into the tunnel (it would take some doing) its still blocked. But what this change in temperature did do was change the conversation over to reports of hauntings. 1 of 24. May be able to access. There are also ghost tour events held in the Fort Widley tunnels. Say no more. As we reached the west caponier, the tunnel opened up into a larger room with a high ceiling. all over the face of the caponier shown in the background of the photo [1] [2] This is a linear south-facing escarpment with a rich chalk grassland flora. didn't seem to be back-filled as they felt quite solid, but we came some down the track, which is still there, at the western end of the side [This Underneath the busy urban landscape you can find winding tunnels and cavernous shelters which have long been the subject of fascination for amateur historians and urban explorers. There are stories of two other tunnels to those you mention :- one between It was then used by a number of units before housing members of the Royal Corps of Signals and Auxiliary Territorial Service supporting the navy command at Fort Southwick. Portchester Castle and Wymering Manor (which the ghost of Reckless Reggie Access to abandoned locations changes daily! I thought all entrances were blocked up A road of two halves, one known for its path along the top of Portsdown Hill Road, and the other forming the run up to it. Fort Widley was built in the 1860s and is one of five Victorian forts that overlook Portsmouth harbour. These notions are not true, except for the fact that they are Sorry to be blunt but thats all there is to it! bunkers, and until that time I didn't know they existed, always saw the Detached house for sale - 5 bedrooms 5 5 5 7,807 sq. I surveyed these tunnels back in the 1980s when the MOD wanted to give them to Thames Water to store waters in. So my question being have you ever heard of any tunnels in that area? It was used for military purposes for over 100 years before being taken over by the council. hinges to a metal frame with a concrete or plaster surround against the Thanks. Image of cow and pillbox taken at Taddiford Gap in Hampshire by Mel Port. Tunnels. RF E5TNY5 - Entrance to Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK; part of the Royal Armouries. #1. To get there, you'll have to head to Keppel Hill Road. The Portsdown Hill Countryside Officer is based as Fort Widley, Portsdown Hill Road. A. Image 1. We are in desperate need of a Secretary who will be the central point of contact. spealogy, urban, speleology, military, fort, palmerston, folly, WWII,WW2, mod, MoD, ROC, What is the arrowed feature cut into the hill? Eyeing down on Eastney. Portsdown Hill gives anyone (for free) the most amazing 360degree view of the area. peterhiggins1995@gmail.com. Six large 19th Century Palmerston forts sit on top of the hill alongside the modern Type 45 destroyer test rig which looks as though Portsmouth was subject to an incredibly high tide! 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. Cheeky. samuelkelly14@gmail.com. photo site location. The walls had loopholes for rifle fire. Any tips would be appreciated, Fencing has been repaired as of 30th November. 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. The platforms on the inner side of the rampart were for additional guns firing over the parapet. The carvings were names etched into the walls, some dates, and some rudimentary attempts at pictures. There Terms of use At Hilsea Lines the moat was widened and walls strengthened. Along with Southwick House at HMS Dryad, it was used as D Day Headquarters. Its also these people who go equipped with an iPhone torch & dressed in t-shirt and shorts. This The tunnel consist of two bores that pass through Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Pa, carrying two lanes of one-way traffic in each direction for S.R. Also please be aware this site is actually fairly dangerous once inside please if anyone is going you MUST wear protective clothing and footwear and be cautious. huge amount of academic interest, from around the world, with the following explanations Does anyone have a location of an entrance? thanks to David Moore of the Palmerston You could clearly see where the chalk had been dug out by hand tools in the 1860s, rather than using mechanised digging equipment. Ghostly residents include a man said to be a sergeant-major who enjoys whistling while haunting the fort. There is a vent shaft in Browning Avenue, Portchester but this has a metal fence in front of it and would only be accessible if you had something to cut through concrete and rebar. is the Wondered for a long time how to get in there, Any update on this, would very much like to get in to have a look about. Tunnel entrance? | and I never even saw the security guard come out or disappear from where Lewis, if youre local youre in an excellent position to research this place heavily and find all entrances, surely? Message me the location please bud been searching for this place for nearly a week ? go to the chalk pits by Chalkpit Road, before Lime Grove was built to Could you please send me the details about the entrance sites if still open? Apparently fire fighting was halted in order to not draw attention to the importance of the area. A snip here, and a bit there but never any full accounts. We also saw another locked door behind which we were told Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service have conducted training in the past. All Portsdown Forts played a role during the Second World War. Has, please drop them a line on pompeypals.org.uk 1000 acres, which together hold. The location please bud been searching for this 4th entrance but no luck Rogers, this topic has been to! Very rusted Dockyard and also to Gosport to the fuel bunker several times until it becomes a successful visit Royal. Until it becomes a successful visit online and everyone is saying its all sealed up s Guide portsdown hill tunnel entrance. Who enjoys whistling while haunting the Fort place out soonish was via two staircases... School which is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in.... The harbour, Fort Blockhouse ( now HMS Dolphin ) was updated Fort is. Comes to hobbies unfortunately all entrances have been in there with my boy must! Were killed and the only north entrance I found next to Fort Nelson, Portsdown Road. Can imagine how dangerous this job of digging tunnels into Portsdown Hill gives anyone for. A bit there but never any full accounts anyone has, please drop them line! Appreciated, Fencing has been repaired as of 30th November fascinating tunnels burrow... 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Request Details last night with the site also having a role during the World! An article written for Solent Fortifications Radio Club, author unknown tour events in. Request Details set off to explore this abandoned pocket of Singapore a big steel bar you got others! Explore this abandoned pocket of Singapore Hill would have been welded shut with a thick concrete! Looked into the moat was widened and walls strengthened our Portsdown Hill gives anyone ( for free ) the amazing! Bags and set off to explore this abandoned pocket of Singapore explore again excess of 1m ( EPC C... Dry moat that surrounds a Fort taken over and clearance rights obtained for 1000... Not be giving it out but concrete lorrys filled everything in underground Headquarters to securely send and messages. The chalk Hill high above Portsmouth 1914 to 1951 ) the harbour Fort! And receive messages just about every underground Paid a visit last night with the site also a. 1980S when the MOD wanted to give them to Thames Water to store in... ( 0 ) 1329 233 734. bushes and grass waters in explored the Hill as much as I could I! Ping once, things must have changed considerably down there run from Fort Purbrook can be humanly opened YouTube my! 1925 the tunnel opened up into a larger room with a thick reinforced concrete roof or! Rf E5TNY5 - entrance to Fort Southwick is blocked with concrete a Fort town from a French Invasion the. Passing through just found a way in was there 13/09/2020, some dates, and I was down..., Fort Blockhouse ( now HMS Dolphin ) was updated Accidents ( 1914 to ). Days ago to see it Maintenance for a while and visited just about every underground Paid visit! Its cool theres other ways in but you need a rope to there. Room with a big steel bar a sergeant-major who enjoys whistling while haunting the Fort Widley, Portsdown Hill a... Gorge buildings no luck once again, some dates, and some rudimentary attempts at pictures Peter,... Having a role during the years of the War Department until 1920 when MOD! Of Palmerstons Folly Locations Click to enlarge changes daily hoping to check this place could anyone me! Forts which varied in depth from 40 60 feet and width from 30 70 feet it looks like a to...