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 9 tanks as I recall 7 are 700 feet long with 2 shorter ones. Any tips would be appreciated, Fencing has been repaired as of 30th November. 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. Fort Purbrook, completed in 1870, was occupied by the Army until 1925. Magicward@hotmail.co.uk, Yes I know of a way in that has been forgotten, Went to site last Tuesday 24-10-17, all four entrances still sealed, Entrance is now fully sealed up with concrete and a steel beams unfortunately. in the ground marks this site. UK. - Checked the main tunnels but couldnt get in. 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. centre. READ MORE: The tiny Hampshire village of Micheldever that was built around a train station. slightly and with the use of a torch we tried to see what was inside. Compensation of 95,200 was granted to his estate for damages to amenities, the question not fully settled until September 1862. 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. Like the other Portsdown Hill forts, beneath Fort Widley is an extensive tunnel system dug into the chalk and earth. I dont believe in ghosts, but there have been reported sightings of ghosts and spooky goings on here. purchased the blocks of flats at the top, I was in the last block, on the 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. Theres now a way in was there 13/09/2020. to get into a open tunnel entrance, and upon walking around them, we find 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. underground, portal, portals, cave, caves, bunker, bunkers, pipeline, pipelines, When the military road running along the crest of the hill was built, it passed behind the forts on the south side and enabled good communications between them. 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 There There is more than one entrance/exit to the fuel bunker. Ten lives were lost to cave-ins before the tunnel was even completed. Wymering Getting to the fork in the road Want in on this adventure? I havent done any exploring in ages and I was hoping to check this place out soonish. ("South Seas"), HM Naval Base and the The Portsmouth Papers, published by Portsmouth City Council. 2021 to 2023 New Forest & Hampshire Wartime Association, Sway Airfield: The WW2 Emergency Landing Ground (ELG) / Decoy Site. Today its run as an equestrian centre, as well as being home to the Pompey Pals wartime museum. 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. * Calls to this number will be recorded for quality, compliance and training purposes. The platforms on the inner side of the rampart were for additional guns firing over the parapet. wheel disappeared into the ground. There are bullet impacts dating from the turn of the 19th century there) . In First World War it was used as a transit depot. I went up there today and both entrances are sealed shut, but there were some other areas very close to the main entrance where the floor has been pulled up etc, are these the other entrances youre talking about, because Im struggling here guys haha. Me and a few other explorers are looking to go up and have a look and we need some direction. There was also a dry moat around the five forts which varied in depth from 40 60 feet and width from 30 70 feet. the road along the top of the hill to the tunnels as I can remember seeing 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! on iOS, Android & AppGallery. - [Has anyone heard of this? Four tunnels can be accessed beneath the fort, built in the 1860s and armed until the early years of the 20th century. 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. James Callaghan Drive. below if you can't display frames. We now walked into a different tunnel. The Fort Widley tunnels are rarely open to the public. This is one of a series of forts on the coast of Britain built to protect Britain from invasion by France in the 1860s. This Due to damage caused by the recent bad weather there will be no . Read More How These Local Fields of Green Played a Huge Role in WW2Continue. 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 Bunk beds and kitchen facilities were installed in the corrugated sheeting-lined tunnels. Starting at a junction with Portchester Road, Downend Road initially formed the boundary of Downend House and the land to the west, now given to the housing area of The Ridgeway. This Hope you all understand !!!! Most of the five miles of tunnel construction was made during WWII, when the south facing slope of the hill was countryside. Portsdown Hill is a great place for seeing the views of the City of Portsmouth, picnics, and dog walking. Photos from just a couple of years ago show you could walk around the pump room without a problem, and it was this part of the bunker we had to revisit with protective clothing (alright, several carrier bags taped to our shoes!) UPDATE: !!!! Where are the other 2, are they on the north slope of the hill? Something went wrong, please try again later. Hope you all understand !!!! They want a postcode, a coordinate, a pin on a map. The Both very much sealed. tanker lorries using it on several occasions when I was young. samrahman@me.com, Hi Im on my way and need to know how to get there, I would love to see this fuel bunker it has been on my list for a while now I know one entrance got sealed please email the entrance, lightfoot65@hotmail.com Id like to know of the location if its still open :), Want to go there today could someone send me an unsealed location? Our Fort Widley tunnels tour by returning back the way we came, emerging back into the light next to the Pompey Pals museum. Having just had a look through your site and being born in Portchester and Ive been walking around trying to find one but just cant seem to! But when I was in my teens, some friends and I decided to A caponier is a type of fortification structure which allows firing along the bottom of a dry moat that surrounds a fort. Call +44 23 9229 0571 * or Request Details. Good luck though If you do head up that way, let us know if its unblocked! 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. Feel free to contact me if you have trouble. is supposed to pass to haunt the manor when there is a honeymoon couple It is said that they were built in secret and even the local villagers were unaware of them. Driver's Guide ( mobile version) Aerial bushes and grass. Email. Gaz M. You have found one of the entrance tunnels to the fuel bunker. Opening the door into the Fort Widley tunnels on Portsdown Hill. Portsdown The ridge offers good views to the south over Portsmouth, the Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. as Southwick Priory which was then about three miles to the north. 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. was surprised on how big they are inside once you drive into the hill felt like a fleet of armoured tanks rolling past, quite a lot of us was 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. This was to act as a station used for the Underground Headquarters to securely send and receive messages. The car being driven very dangerously on the wrong side of the road is a black Ford. ft*. The south entrance to West tunnel was concreted up with an RSJ in middle of doors. North entrance was blocked and tried to look for this 4th entrance but no luck. 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. Our adventurous souls craved an unconventional trekking experience. The cross was carved as a memorial to one of their colleagues who was killed during a roof collapse. Its cool theres other ways in but you need a rope to get down the final part be careful the ladders are very rusted! Squirrel Hill Tunnel construction began in 1946 and opened to traffic on June 5, 1953. I thoroughly recommend a visit; Ive put their website link at the bottom of the page, please do support them. Luckily I have experienced being down there before :D. Aaaah, youll be surprised by the local chavs resolve. Its completely sealed up. Jason Suthers. portsmouth, southwick, paulsgrove, wymering, M27, tunnel, tunnels, Tunnels. Rather than white-washed brick walls, the tunnel was now bare chalk. apprentice in HM Dockyard Portsmouth in the early 1970s, I worked in Yard Today a small depression 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. having also gone to Purbrook Park school I have a few comments. Fort Southwick UGHQ low level access road]. Two shelters, which together could hold around 5,000 people, were built. Probate records are official court documents concerning the settlement of a persons estate after they die. Roundabout ahead 2 nd exit. The coastal locations of the, Read More The Heroic Wartime Actions of Patrick Dumbo Taylor Who Crashed Near Blackfield & FawleyContinue. in order to see it. Real shame I didnt go in when I was peering down the tunnel only couple of weeks ago! Been up today, 1 entrance is open. The Navy used it for radar in 1947, and a Navigational School until 1968. As we descended further into the tunnels we started to feel the temperature drop and get colder. Is there any chance you could help? Pm me I will send you location. all over the face of the caponier shown in the background of the photo vintage abel reels. what were metal doors with "MOD Property - Do Not Enter" metal signs on, samuelkelly14@gmail.com. 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. The slopes are home to impressive shows of wildlife that can be explored through miles of paths. Minimal effort exploring. Here is Id like to go this weekend. portsdown, SO23 8TH, Affiliated to the Family History Federation. Say no more. 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. I also used the excellent website portsdown-tunnels.org.uk for certain reference points in this guide. Also at the time when I lived in Hillsley Road, I was the bed of the ditch at the front of Fort Nelson (the North side) is a Click link how to turn off caps lock on acer chromebook. The North entrance that people have mentioned is no longer there. The design was that they should be surrounded by a deep ditch on the west, north (front) and east sides. 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. The Hampshire Records Office (HRO) has announced that its probate records collection on the Ancestry website has now been launched. Important, noteworthy & interesting comments are highlighted below. Please stop e-mailing me. The fort was leased to Portsmouth City Council in 1961 and was sold outright to the council in 1972. didn't seem to be back-filled as they felt quite solid, but we came some is an aerial photograph east of Fort Purbrook taken in 1969 when | Suggest edits to improve what we show. Found the entrances on the south slope, all sealed up. told that there is a small gauge train that runs directly from Fort Portsdown Hill is known for providing stunning views of Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. The southern face and entrance was protected from direct manual attack by these gorge buildings. middle of the night, the motorway was totally empty, but it sounding and Twitter. Portsdown (locally referred to as 'The Hill') is located to the north of Portsmouth UK. The highest point of the hill lies within Fort Southwick at 131m above sea level. Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance has been called to assist on scene along side the ground ambulances. Within about 5mins of reading this article, the comments & searching Google Ive found what I think is at least three of the entrances! 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. One of my neighbours was told by their grandparents who had itself, it was that big, I could turn my 23 tonne HGV2 rigid round inside, "My mum then finalised the whole deal by telling me stories of how she sheltered from the blitz during World War Two by taking refuge in the Wymering Deep Tunnel Shelter. It is these underground chambers that most of the paranormal activity is said to have been experienced. Both tunnels have nine recesses with winch gear and (inaccessible) ladders, one assumes to get to an inspection platform on the storage tanks. 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