Underground tunnels went from the barrack block to the caponiers in the moat. Its completely sealed up. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Or have you got any others in Dorset or Hampshire worth visiting? Fort Purbrook - SU682065. OBSCURED Another tunnel entrance now lost in the undergrowth on the slopes of Portsdown Hill When the air raid sirens sounded, people would flee their homes for the night and make their way. Hampshire and iow news. montpellier oak engineered hardwood reviews. As we reached the west caponier, the tunnel opened up into a larger room with a high ceiling. There are four entrances to the fuel bunkers, officially labelled North Compound, Top Entrance, Main Access Tunnel & Access Tunnel. how to turn off caps lock on acer chromebook. Offers are being invited in excess of 1m (EPC Band C). 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. Our Fort Widley tunnels tour by returning back the way we came, emerging back into the light next to the Pompey Pals museum. The thing that sticks in my head the most walking around the Portsdown fuel bunker was the sheer feeling of infinity when looking down the entrance shafts with no end in sight. Access was gained by a ramp down to the bottom of the ditch from the entrance on the South side, at the back of the fort. A copy of [], The Hampshire Genealogical Society requires your help. and what ish direction? Map of Palmerstons Folly Locations Click to enlarge. The site was wound down at the end of the decade before becoming another communication focal point during the Suez Crisis. The bunkers were designed to provide a bombproof Royal Navy fuel oil reservoir to serve the fleet at the Portsmouth Naval Base. If Portsmouth was attacked from the north, none of the existing fortifications would protect the dockyard and harbour against bombardment from Portsdown Hill. ft*. 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. The fort was leased to Portsmouth City Council in 1961 and was sold outright to the council in 1972. We went down last Sunday and no way in. Do you know anything about this? The idea that the Palmerston Forts Some people may disagree with these statements and I The fumes would also be very strong Id imagine more so now there is no airflow. Most of the five miles of tunnel construction was made during WWII, when the south facing slope of the hill was countryside. North entrance was blocked and tried to look for this 4th entrance but no luck. there) . underlying ground. Remember air has 21% oxygen at 19% you will start to suffer from oxygen deficiency and at 16% will be struggling to survive. "As the years went by I still quietly absorbed information. Birth, Marriage & Death (BMD) Unwanted Certificate Service. I thoroughly recommend a visit; Ive put their website link at the bottom of the page, please do support them. on the grass verge, you can guess our amazement when my friends front Compensation for residents evicted from their homes is unknown. Something went wrong, please try again later. Anything please. I see the new YouTube video, one was flying a drone down there, he did ok. Then one went somewhere on a rope and that went a bit wrong. Is there anyone that can give me a postcode for this? HGS may also be there on 22nd October if some HGS volunteers are able to attend, so if any HGS members are interested [], Hampshire Genealogical Society 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. Opening Times. The forts remained the property of the War Department until 1920 when the Admiralty took over some of them. Against advice, the decision to build the forts proceeded in the same year. Around twenty years ago when I lived in Carmarthen Ave, Drayton me and a The engine powered the ventilation plant. With I know you might not give an exact location of these other 2 entrances you know about but are they far from the 2 main bottom doors? Here is Call direct on: Tel +44 (0)1329 233 734. Gaz M. You have found one of the entrance tunnels to the fuel bunker. Tunnels. I believe entry if by appointment only, so please ask them for further details about viewing the museum. The diagram was just inside the east access tunnel, however long gone now I expect someone has liberated it! Due to the development of new armaments and the perceived threat of invasion, the Prime Minster, Lord Henry Palmerston, commissioned a review and implementation to strengthen Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Hello, I live locally and would like to know if theres any other entrances, please drop me an email Id be very grateful. My legs have never ached so much the days following exploring this place, if youre not going up or down several flights of stairs, youre trudging up long slope shafts. Hampshire This is where the history of the manpower required for digging tunnels like this really became clear. This Learn how your comment data is processed. Rather than white-washed brick walls, the tunnel was now bare chalk. 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. is the ditch on the Northern side of Fort Nelson, looking West. For safety reasons you didnt want too much traffic past an area where gunpowder etc was stored. Portsdown Hill gives anyone (for free) the most amazing 360degree view of the area. Another that a tunnel runs from Gosport to Portsdown. Getting to the fork in the road Want in on this adventure? DTC. 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. Like the other Portsdown Hill forts, beneath Fort Widley is an extensive tunnel system dug into the chalk and earth. wrong. Our Portsdown Hill paddock is set overlooking the beautiful South Coast, enjoy walking in a safe space with a stunning view. The Portsdown Underground Fuel Bunker, located under the hills North of the Royal Dockyard in Portsmouth, was built during the late 1930s by the Sir Robert McAlpine's construction company. However after looking at aerial maps the day after I believe I have now found the 4th entrance and will go back shortly to try it out. Whilst it was tempting to do so, we didnt climb the spiral staircase. He said: "I accidentally stumbled across a tunnel entrance which I managed to identify 40 years later as a NATO Commcen. Portsdown. Take the exit sign posted for Gosport and Fareham. Start photo slideshow. Besides five new batteries constructed along the sea front, there were six new forts built Gomer, Grange, Rowner, Brockhurst, Elson and Fareham. Fabulous picnic spot! In the far right hand corner, Email. There is more than one entrance/exit to the fuel bunker. 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. "muck about" as you do as kids, we managed to get up the chalk face so far 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. Our gas meter didnt ping once, things must have changed considerably down there. There are also ghost tour events held in the Fort Widley tunnels. Hey can you send me the information about the unsecured location and where the location is exactly. Scott any chance to can get in touch? Please stop e-mailing me. 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. north to south and the hole appeared about two thirds up the road. Get the Carpark Rates App. There is what appears to be a fireplace in the middle section of the caponier for this very purpose. During World War 2 it housed the Royal Engineers and a bomb disposal headquarters. This is the sight that greeted us as the door was opened. 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. vibrations what I thought was outside, but considering it was in the Thanks, Anyone wishing to know entrance Ill share not a problem but not publicly. . Dirtbiker1@hotmail.com. Be interested to hear! Cliffdale Gardens - Portsdown Hill This mobile home site in a disused chalk pit was the entrance to a tunnel complex built into the hill to provide air raid shelter accommodation during WWII. the road along the top of the hill to the tunnels as I can remember seeing Where did you get that map? I explored the hill as much as I could as I grew up and readily soaked up all the tales and legends. Hi can you tell me where the other entrance is please Martin Long - April 2013. possible. The other one is supposed to run from Fort Purbrook to Purbrook I live local and would really like to see it. peterhiggins1995@gmail.com. Squirrel Hill Tunnel construction began in 1946 and opened to traffic on June 5, 1953. caponier at the top centre still clearly displays the evidence of They then found a new lease of life in World War Two, when they became the communications "nerve centre" for the Underground Headquarters and Operation Overlord - the invasion of Normandy. It is these underground chambers that most of the paranormal activity is said to have been experienced. The Naval Fuel Bunker is not a hard place to find. 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. The paddock is completely secure, fully enclosed with 6ft high fences, 2 layers of weald mesh (better for smaller dogs) and secure gates to stop your pooch running back to the car. During a few visits to the site, we managed to see the entire place. The ridge offers good views to the south over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. The only connection between them is an aqueduct. Each fort was designed as a self sufficient unit and connecting tunnels would 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. It is in fact a firing step used for rifle The secret Fort Widley bunker room that sits behind this locked door was Portsmouths Civil Defence Control. 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. And even if people cant be bothered to search for that, a good old fashioned walk on Portsdown Hill will uncover this mystery in no time at all. PLEASE NOTE: Your comment will be held in a queue until it's been approved. Tenure: Not available. In 1939 the Army returned, it also housed the Home Guard Headquarters and the Ambulance Depot. 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