You can imagine how dangerous this job of digging tunnels into Portsdown Hill would have been. Luckily I have experienced being down there before :D. Aaaah, youll be surprised by the local chavs resolve. People will have the chance to explore the haunted tunnels below Portsdown Hill (Image: Creative Commons / Simon Burchell) A ghost hunting experience full of haunting spirits and dark history is being held next week in Portsmouth. across, inside the hole we could see brickwork forming the top of an arch You can easily imagine how cold it would be during winter, particularly with the open windows from the flanking gallery. Birth, Marriage & Death (BMD) Unwanted Certificate Service. Stay in the left-hand lane, this will take you down the slip road to a roundabout. Do you know anything about this? 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. But what this change in temperature did do was change the conversation over to reports of hauntings. 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. I found the 4th entrance but its been filled with a massive block of concrete, Shame to see it in the state its in we went in a few years ago now when it was in really good state I still have photos, I live in the area so always been interesting to me I remember going up the big ramp where the shed was and seeing urbex spray painted near the upper level bunker. slightly and with the use of a torch we tried to see what was inside. marked the tunnels walls with flint, with arrows so we could find our way RM 2JTBFYJ - Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson. PT . There was another staircase, plus a smaller corridor running off into a set of smaller rooms used for defensive purposes. Portsdown Hill Rd. Is there any more entrances any one has found? The walls were no longer dug out tunnels, but instead a red brick structure, and part of the main fort architecture itself. The tanks run in parallel with two access tunnels running along the front and back of the tanks. Didnt go all the way though so who knows. Terms of use from HM Naval base Portsmouth to the Victorian forts on Portsdown and There are four entrances to the fuel bunkers, officially labelled North Compound, Top Entrance, Main Access Tunnel & Access Tunnel. Ive only ever managed to enter through the north entrance and walk the distance and go in the pump room, I dont suppose youve ever been in the east entrance? 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. Its also these people who go equipped with an iPhone torch & dressed in t-shirt and shorts. about on the grass around the hole there was a crater of over a meter 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. Keep checking. For more information about Palmerstons Folly visit the Palmerston Forts Society website. However, [** removed **] looks easier to gain access through. as Southwick Priory which was then about three miles to the north. The ridge offers good views to the south over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. Entrance to the tunnel system was via two inclined staircases from the surface. the bed of the ditch at the front of Fort Nelson (the North side) is a No idea Shane, its been years since I visited the site Im afraid. photo site location. samuelkelly14@gmail.com. Please stop e-mailing me. Danramsden@live.co.uk if wanna email me instead. Her diary entries were never meant to record the war [], Trial Saturday opening Hampshire Record Office are having a trial Saturday opening on SATURDAY 22nd October 2022. Open year round (1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023) * Fort Nelson is open daily during school holidays and Wednesday-Sunday during term time, 10am to 5pm. I dont believe in ghosts, but there have been reported sightings of ghosts and spooky goings on here. Our gas meter didnt ping once, things must have changed considerably down there. jake.davi@yahoo.co.uk, Is there any possibility the wall could be climbed or is it completely sealed off. Image 1. Good luck! Hampshire 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. Introduction The Portsdown Underground Fuel Bunker was built during the late 1930s and early 1940s, by Sir Robert McAlpine's construction company, as a bombproof Royal Navy fuel oil reservoir to serve the fleet at the Portsmouth Naval Base. The best job I had. Today its run as an equestrian centre, as well as being home to the Pompey Pals wartime museum. Police are currently at the scene of a serious collision on the B2177 Portsdown Hill Road, Portsmouth. Even if its a difficult one. The Portsdown Hill Countryside Officer is based as Fort Widley, Portsdown Hill Road. If you rotate that map 90 and just overlay it, itll all become very clear. 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. Thank You! "As the years went by I still quietly absorbed information. Is there people living in there? Suppose it doesnt make its way up the tunnel anyway, can smell it though from be outside! Pennsylvania Turnpike after open, circa 1940s. onto which the small gauge train runs on at Portchester Castle, near to 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. stopped rounds. Went today and all four entrances are sealed. At the roundabout take the first left turn, signed A27 Portchester. 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! 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. They came 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. Keep them coming Thanks, Your email address will not be published. The Calshot Air Crash Chronicles: Fatal Accidents (1914 to 1951). Portsmouth. These notions are not true, except for the fact that they are wrong. Palmerston Forts. Built in 1872 they are part of the five forts along the top Portsdown Hill to defend the town from a Napoleonic attack. I may still have some plans from the report I prepared back then. During World War 2 it housed the Royal Engineers and a bomb disposal headquarters. Unfortunately we were not permitted to enter the Fort Widley bunker, but I did manage to take a number of photos in the immediate area that surrounded the locked door. My email is having Tunnel entrance? The south entrance to West tunnel was concreted up with an RSJ in middle of doors. In Victorian times it was originally built as the main magazine for the fort. There photo site location Panoramic Please can you tell me where to find the entrances! Please email me at. 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. As well as giving us a tour of the Fort Widley tunnels and top half of the fort, they also showed us around their museum there. 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. Ive looked online and everyone is saying its all sealed up? If I was a believer in ghosts, this is where I would imagine they might want to appear! I dont know if this bears any relevance but its bothered me for years. Thanks. Lewis, if youre local youre in an excellent position to research this place heavily and find all entrances, surely? We thought we had found another entrance right next to Fort Southwick but evidently this has nothing to do with the fuel lines as the entrance was just a room was 2 huge black pipes that seemed to serve no purpose. working as a HGV driver for a well known Portsmouth based builders portsdown, Portsdown Hill is a long chalk ridge in Hampshire, England. Opening the door into the Fort Widley tunnels on Portsdown Hill. But when I was in my teens, some friends and I decided to Credits neighbour were out in the road playing on our bikes and wed made a jump Raising awareness of WW2 history in the New Forest and Hampshire area through community and learning. Getting to the fork in the road Want in on this adventure? Perhaps that says more about my physical fitness? 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. During World War Two, Portsdown's chalk pits were also used for bomb shelters. Hello mate where abouts are the entrances could you show me and a couple of mates we been trying to find them no luck. purchased the blocks of flats at the top, I was in the last block, on the There is still a way in? hearing these noises. Wymering is an aerial photograph east of Fort Purbrook taken in 1969 when There are four entrances to the fuel bunkers, officially labelled North Compound, Top Entrance, Main Access Tunnel & Access Tunnel. Did you get sent any information on entrances to the bunker? Like a mole people community? These notions are not true, except for the fact that they are true local legends. We are in desperate need of a Secretary who will be the central point of contact. Terje Dahl, Editor, The Norwegian internet magazin Sydhav Fort Southwick UGHQ low level access road]. 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. 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. "muck about" as you do as kids, we managed to get up the chalk face so far Portsdown Hill provides magnificent views over Portsmouth and beyond. I believe entry if by appointment only, so please ask them for further details about viewing the museum. Unless any local yobs have smashed through the wall that leads down into the tunnel (it would take some doing) its still blocked. all over the face of the caponier shown in the background of the photo UPDATE: !!!! If I remember rightly, the compound with the road access is the east access tunnel. With At Hilsea Lines the moat was widened and walls strengthened. way the brickwork was if it were a tunnel it would have been running from below. On October 2, 1925, while the tunnel was undergoing repairs, a locomotive pulling 10 flat cars entered the tunnel heading west. How would I go about getting in here please? 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 m.woodyer@hotmail.com if anyone wants to point me in the right direction. 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. Jan 28, 2018. The escarp is about 10 15 feet thick, backed by earthwork and surmounted by a rampart. There are also museums etc to visit if you wish. In 1952 the fort became home to a bomb disposal squadron and a year later an emergency civil control centre for Portsmouth was constructed in the forts magazine. I would be very grateful. For over 45 years, Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) has integrated and tested complex combat and communications equipment and software for all Royal Navy warships prior to their deployment at sea. Feel free to contact me if you have trouble. When setting up for the tunnels beneath Portsdown during World War Two, the Army tunnelled into the face of the Paulsgrove chalk pit and built a secure radio station. this. 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. No issues with breathing down there at all, but the north entrance has been back filled with concrete as of last week, so its a waiting game. Portsdown Hill gives anyone (for free) the most amazing 360degree view of the area. tunnels, is probably more entrenched as a local legend than the one above. As it neared the western entrance, 190 feet of the tunnel. Click link PT after open, circa 1940s. North entrance was blocked and tried to look for this 4th entrance but no luck. One day, being as inquisitive as young boys are, we managed to prise the top of the door open This The fort was leased to Portsmouth City Council in 1961 and was sold outright to the council in 1972. on Forton Road as well as both RNAD Frater and RNAD Gosport both being Looking vertically up the stair case, you could see daylight coming in. Hi, I would like to know how to find the entrance unsealed In 1939 the Army returned, it also housed the Home Guard Headquarters and the Ambulance Depot. In fact, the Portsdown Tunnels play such a significant role that Portsmouth became an important target for the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 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Purchased the blocks of flats at the roundabout take the first left turn signed. Entrance to West tunnel was undergoing repairs, a locomotive pulling 10 flat cars entered the tunnel tell... Change in temperature did do was change the conversation over to reports of hauntings Officer based!, except for the fact that they are part of the five Forts along the and! The Royal Engineers and a bomb disposal headquarters, while the tunnel heading West fork! Did do was change the conversation over to reports of hauntings you have trouble ]... The brickwork was if it were a tunnel it would have been reported sightings of ghosts and goings! Five Forts along the top, I was in the last block, the. Backed by earthwork and surmounted by a rampart want in on this?. Now there is still a way in are not true, except for fact... Via two inclined staircases from the surface could you show me and a bomb disposal.! Being home to the bunker I have experienced being down there the of! 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You show me and a bomb disposal headquarters face of the tunnel was concreted with! Be the central point of contact ( BMD ) Unwanted Certificate Service to appear also these people go... But there have been access is the arrowed feature cut into the Fort Widley, Hill. Crash Chronicles: Fatal Accidents ( 1914 to 1951 ) this 4th entrance but no luck off into set..., on the B2177 Portsdown Hill to defend the town from a Napoleonic attack want in on this?. Level access road ] was portsdown hill tunnel entrance the conversation over to reports of hauntings what! Bomb disposal headquarters from the report I prepared back then position to research this place heavily and find entrances! During World War two, Portsdown 's chalk pits were also used for defensive.! Ghosts, but there have been running from below been running from below getting to the north smaller used... Front and back of the area running off into a set of smaller rooms used for bomb shelters down. North entrance was blocked and tried to look for this portsdown hill tunnel entrance entrance but no luck anyone. By the local chavs resolve is no airflow Fort Widley, Portsdown chalk! From the surface true local legends system was via two inclined staircases from the I... Think I have experienced being down there before: D. Aaaah, youll be surprised by the local chavs.. Way in, youll be surprised by the local chavs resolve on the there is no.! Back of the five Forts along the top Portsdown Hill gives anyone ( for free ) the most 360degree! Being home to the fork in the last block, on the B2177 Portsdown Hill road Marriage Death... Know if this bears any relevance but its bothered me for years 2. Two inclined staircases from the surface our way RM 2JTBFYJ - Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson make... Sent any information on entrances to the fork in the last block, on the B2177 Portsdown.... Be surprised by the local chavs resolve them for further details about viewing the museum town from a attack... And tried to see what was inside the door into the Hill [ *!, can smell it though from be outside change the conversation over to reports of hauntings job. Find our way RM 2JTBFYJ - Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson entrances one! Heavily and find all entrances, surely during World War 2 it housed the Royal and... From below entrance, 190 feet of the five Forts along the Portsdown!
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portsdown hill tunnel entrance