More from Thursday’s boat trip to Hurst Spit. From1544, Hurst Castle has guarded the entrance to the Solent; on Hurst Spit, its strategic location meant the castle was destined to be a powerful fortress.
From its beginnings as one of King Henry VIII’s chain of artillery fortresses in 1544, the Victorians extended the fort into a large artillery battery along with other forts across the Solent on the Isle of Wight.– It remained in military use until 1956, playing an active role through both World Wars.
Currently, the castle is undergoing extensive repairs to a 38-metre section of the Victorian east wing wall, and gun emplacements that collapsed on 26th February 2021 following severe storm damage and coastal erosion that undercut its foundations
Below is a stock photo of the storm damage before repairs began.
Hythe Pier stretches 700 yards from the centre of Hythe to the deep water channel of Southampton Water. It is the 7th-longest pier in the UK. It carries a pedestrian walkway on its northern side and the Hythe Pier Railway on its southern side.
The railway is the oldest continuously operating public pier passenger train in the world. The narrow gauge trains date from WWI, now electric but originally battery powered, they were used in a mustard gas factory.
Southampton is the birthplace of the Supermarine Spitfire, the iconic fighter aircraft that played a pivotal role during World War II, symbolizing resilience and innovation in aviation design. Designed by R J Mitchell and 1st built at the Supermarine works at Woolston.
Southampton was also the home to the largest flying boat operation in the world, until the late 1950s, when long-haul jet flights started to replace flying boat services
The Schneider Trophy Air Race attracted the best pilots and engineers from around the globe. Racing seaplanes went to top speeds of over 400 mph. The route of this speed race took place over the Solent. On show is the Supermarine S6A from 1929, a testament to design excellence
Victoria Pier, later known as The Royal Pier or just Southampton Pier. The 900-foot (270 m) pier was opened on 8 July 1833 by the then Princess Victoria. The pier was built to provide steamer services somewhere to dock. Before the construction of the pier, steamer passengers had to either transit the muddy foreshore or make use of Town Quay. Prior attempts to fund a pier at Southampton failed. In November 1829, the harbour board agreed to construct one. The Southampton Pier Act of 1831 authorised the pier, and the construction was funded through a mortgage. The pier was designed by Edward L. Stephens, a Royal Navy officer. In 1847, a horse-drawn tramway was constructed to link the pier to Southampton Terminus railway station and by 1871, the tramway had been extended to the end of the pier, 5 years later, the trams were replaced by light steam locomotives.
As a child, I remember visiting Mayflower Park with my father when my mum would be shopping in the city centre, and we would often walk to the end of the pier. Dad would show me the Supermarine S.6A seaplane on display partway down the pier, a veteran of the 1929 Schneider Trophy. He was interested in flying boats, as he had worked for one of the operators in the 1950s, which had a Terminal near the pier.
Over the years, the pier fell into disrepair and closed at the end of 1979. The 1930s “wedding cake” style gatehouse replaced the Victoria gatehouse, which was reopened as a restaurant in 1986.
Sorting through some of my old photographs on 35mm slides, I came across some pictures of the fire that destroyed Southampton pier. On the morning of 4 May 1987, fire destroyed many of the structures at the end of the pier. I was living in our 1st house in Sholing when I learnt from Radio Solent local news that the pier was on fire. I took my camera and went across the Itchen Bridge to Mayflower Park. From there, I took a series of photographs documenting the death of our pier. I have posted the one picture of the fire on the odd Facebook feed in the past and seen it reposted without any credit for it!
My brother copied my original pictures from 35mm slides to digital files. I then cleaned the images with software, as nearly 40 years of storage had added dust and marks to the pictures. I was pleased with the results.
A visit today to see this remarkable historic clapper bridge, constructed from massive stone slabs; it proudly spans the River Barle in Exmoor National Park.
I was looking for Dipper’s in the river but only saw one flying down stream.
Back in 1986, while on holiday in Pembrokeshire, we visited an open farm in the Preseli Hills. This was no tourist attraction with bells and whistles. It was a traditional family working Welsh Hill Farm. No shop, no cafe, no toilet block, just the family outside loo. The farm had no running water or electricity; it was like stepping back 100 years.
The land was worked entirely by Shire Horses. We watched the farmer kit out the horses ready for the plough and followed him up a steep hillside to plough the land. Getting our breath back, the small group of visitors sat down and watched the horses working.
The farmer looked elderly to me as a youngster, but in reality, he was probably only in his 40’s. The work on the land had given him a deceptive appearance.
Two years later, we wanted to return again, but could not find the farm. At the Fishguard tourist board offices, we were told that the farm was no longer open to the public, as there had been complaints from visitors about a lack of facilities and the farmyard being too muddy! Since I have visited many farm museums in their sanitised state over the years, they have never been a patch on this working hill farm practising an authentic way of life.
Sorting through old slides, I found these pictures I took back in 1982 at Western Shore in Southampton of the QE2.
The QE2 left Southampton for the Falklands War on May 12th 1982.
Departing from the Southampton docks, the requisitioned Cunard liner carried about 3,000 troops from the 5th Infantry Brigade (including the Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, and Gurkha Rifles) and 650 volunteer crew members. She sailed to the South Atlantic to serve as a troop transport during the conflict.
The QE2 was officially retired by the Cunard Line in November 2008.
The ship was not scrapped. After a lengthy restoration, she reopened as a permanently moored, 13-deck floating hotel and museum in Mina Rashid, Dubai. Managed by Accor, the vessel features 447 restored rooms, multiple dining venues, and preserved historical spaces
Another circular Sunday morning walk on the South Downs.
This time of year, Rooks are re-establishing their nest sites. Rookerys are known for high noise levels, territorial disputes, and intense activity during nesting season.
Goldfinch.
Yellowhamer.
Brown Hare,
On the route, there is a memorial to a WW2 accident where 33 were tragically killed.
In early 1944, numerous training exercises were being undertaken in preparation for the Allied invasion of D-Day.
On the 4th April 1944, 1 HGSU, Horsa 1 glider, LG999 towed by Stirling IV LJ-842 of 196 Squadron took part in a large-scale glider exercise code-named ‘Exercise Dreme’.The night exercise of various legs was to take 3.5 hours, and the gliders were to be released over Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The glider occupants were two glider pilots and members of No. 3 Platoon, ‘A’ Company, 7th (Airborne) Division, King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
Low cloud was reported in the Lewis area and on the leg from Lewis to Winchester. As the towing Stirling descended through the clouds, it hit a tree. The glider released immediately and crashed in Warnford. All 27 men on board the Horsa LG999 were killed. The Stirling flew on for another 15 minutes when it stalled, and crashed at 21:00 hours one-mile south-west of Romsey, some 18 miles from the site of the glider crash, and all six crew members were killed.
‘The Hospital of St Cross’ was first conceived by the grandson of William the Conqueror, Henri de Blois. This remarkable establishment reflects a blend of history, charity, and architectural beauty, founded by de Blois, a young French monk and nobleman who later ascended to the esteemed position of Bishop of Winchester. In 1132, with a compassionate vision, he founded the hospital with the noble intent to provide shelter for 13 frail men who were unable to work. Additionally, the institution had a program to feed 100 men at its gates daily, reinforcing the values of community and care during a time when such charitable acts were vital.
During the mid-15th Century, Cardinal Henry Beaufort, recognising the importance of the institution, set up ‘The Almshouse of Noble Poverty.’ He played a crucial role in enhancing the hospital, overseeing the construction of the majority of its current buildings. Among these structures are the elegant line of Almshouses, which create a picturesque setting that has been appreciated for centuries. Over the years, the site has evolved through the medieval era, maintaining its foundational purpose of providing Almshouse accommodation. This commitment to charity and community support continues to this day.
Continued Reflections from my World. 