Calshot

Coordinates: 50°48′37″N 1°19′22″W / 50.810410°N 1.322796°W / 50.810410; -1.322796
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Calshot
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOUTHAMPTON
Postcode districtSO45
Dialling code023
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
50°48′37″N 1°19′22″W / 50.810410°N 1.322796°W / 50.810410; -1.322796

Calshot is a coastal village in

Solent.[1]

History

In 1539,

Henry VIII ordered the construction of Calshot Castle, at the end of Calshot Spit, to defend the port of Southampton from attack.[2]
Its strategic importance continues to the present day, and there is still a military presence in Calshot, though the castle is no longer a manned fort.

Calshot is notable for its role in the development of aircraft and flying boats. In 1913 the

Lawrence of Arabia
.

RNLI
.

Relationship with Tristan da Cunha

Following a volcanic eruption in 1961, the population of the Tristan da Cunha islands was evacuated to Calshot.[3] Many evacuees thrived, with the children attending local schools and adults employed in a variety of local businesses and ships. However, problems occurred: one of the islanders' elders, a disabled gentleman called Ian Bootla, was mugged, the islanders lacked immunity from flu epidemics, and they also had to endure the harsh winter of 1962–63. Most of the islanders returned home, but some of the families decided to stay and remain a close-knit community centred on a complex of 50 houses called Tristan Close. Those that returned to Tristan da Cunha renamed the harbour there Calshot Harbour, after their temporary home.

Today

Calshot Castle and Coastguard Tower
Close up of National Coastguard Institution - Calshot Tower
Close up of NCI – Calshot Tower

The original hangar from the

climbing grades
vary from about 3 to the occasional 8a. The centre offers residential and visitor courses.

Next to the hangar is a dinghy marina. The approach road passes on the landward side of the spit, and there are a large number of beach huts.

Row of beach huts at Calshot
Row of beach huts at Calshot

The spit comprises a flint pebble structure around one mile long. Between it and the main shore is a salt marshy area with a wealth of wildlife and birds. The nearby

Solent. The Habitats Directive Review of Consents for the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation (SAC) did indeed identify thermal pollution on the intertidal zone on the west shore of Southampton Water
, but this is likely to be from more than this one source. Excavation for the nearby power station discovered buried land surfaces from the Neolithic period.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9780319241509
  2. ^ Historic England. "Calshot Castle (1014619)". National Heritage List for England.
  3. ^ "Tristan da Cunha islanders remember life at Calshot". BBC News. 5 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Calshot Activities Centre". Visit Hampshire. Retrieved 3 April 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Calshot.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calshot&oldid=1217280754"