Dear Gosport Society Members,
LAUNCH OF THE NEW GOSPORT SOCIETY WEBSITE
Having taken advantage of the UK Governments Levelling Up Fund through GBC, we have worked to redesign our website.
We would like to sincerely thank Annelies James the co-ordinator of the project and the designer fronted by Daniel Wood, Nettl of Fareham, for the unwavering support and assistance throughout this project. Their patience and understanding during this project cannot be underestimated.
FUTURE AIMS OF OUR NEW WEBSITE.
Please use the Website for improved communication.
FUTURE NEWS LETTERS & NEWS UPDATES WILL BE REGULARLY POSTED.
DETAILS OF LISTED BUILDING & Conservation PLANNING APPLICATIONS & GOSPORT SOCIETY RESPONCES EASILY ACCESSED.
DETAILS OF SPEAKERS MEETINGS at the Community Hub Brune Park Academy.
PUBLICATION SALES
FREE DOWNLOAD of GOSPORT HISTORIC TOUR MAP GUIDE.
FREE DOWNLOAD of GOSPORT RECORDS – No 1 to No18.
Gosport Society’s new Branding ( on Letterheads & Facebook Page)
Please access the new Website – we would love to hear your comments!
VE80 MAY 2025 – PROMOTION
With the use of our extensive Gosport Society WW2 Photographic Archive. We intend display posters around the Town, the intension is to encourage community involvement for this important commemoration. An example of one of our posters is attached.
It will also give an opportunity to promote our new Website and may encourage new active members.
Gosport Society Speaker Meetings 12th February 2025
Speaker – Jeremy Prescott – Iconic Memorials of the fallen.
A fascinating presentation was provided by Jeremy, considerable in-sight into the background of National & International Memorials. From the interaction of our members who attended, the evening was a great success,
Our next Speakers Meeting is 12th March 2025
Speaker – Richard Suggitt – National Coastal Institution.
Formed in 1994, 2800 volunteer watchkeepers at 60+ stations keep a visual and listening watch around our coastline. We have a station at Lee on the Solent and at Fort Blockhouse. It will be interesting to hear about the duties they perform.
INVITATION FROM PORTSMOUTH SOCIETY
On the 16th April 2025 at 7pm, Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust are presenting a talk on ‘Sustainable reuse of existing buildings’. This will be held at Royal Maritime Club, Queens Street Portsmouth. Gosport Society members are all welcome.
MEMBERSHIP FEES DUE 1st APRIL 2025
May we remind members that our annual membership subscriptions are due at the end of this month. We look forward to your continuing support.
PLANNING MATTERS –
44 Listed Building and planning applications were submitted to GBC since the last news update!
This is a huge undertaking for Gosport Society, our Planning Team will be responding in due course.
Don’t forget all responses can be viewed on our new Gosport Society Webpage.
Hon. Secretary Enquiries. Please find details of enquires received by Gosport Society since our last news update.
Empowering Volunteers of the future seminar, details as posted on our Facebook Page, (RC Attending 13th March)
Interview with Portsmouth PHD student took place 28th Feb – Discussed Community involvement for redevelopment of Fort Blockhouse. A report will follow in due course.
David Smith – We responded to enquiries about Forton Barracks & Forton Road.
Visit to Royal Haslar & Gilkicker – my assistance was requested due to H&S reasons by Gosport Drones to carry out a drone survey at Royal Haslar, the property being a construction site. A copy of the drone footage was subsequently emailed to all members. With photographs posted on GS Facebook
HAT Webinar –Jane Austin presentation details, subsequently circulated to GS members.
Love Stoke Road – Information circulated to GS members for assistance in helping tidy up Stoke Road areas.
Charlotte Rothwell – Planning enquiry received concerning fence height, RC referred Charlotte to GBC for advice..
CHAT2Us – notification that this group was closing due to lack of volunteers.
Gosport Gun Boat Yard a new drone video was received and was forwarded to GS Planning Team & GS Members.
Isolation Hospital Monks Walk – Meg Hutton Dutton drew our attention to local media discussions regarding the state of the former isolation hospital (Don Stylers Gym) RC referred enquiry to the Planning Team who provided comments, all were forwarded onto Meg Hutton Dutton. Generally, although the property was of historic interest and had been recorded by HODS, the Planning Team did not consider building to be of architectural interest. (property was in bad state of repair due to vandalism)
Val Ayres – Enquiry regarding the Sale of United Reform Church site. We responded that as the property was in the new Conservation area, Gosport Society would be contacted for comment when any planning application was made, and would respond accordingly.
Terry Rhodes – enquiry was received from Terry regarding Privett Lodge (house corner of Privett Place / Privett Road application 22/00326/FUL), not to be confused with the Nursing home opposite the Thorngate Hall). This was forwarded to our planning team who visited the site and responded as follows. The property was not in a conservation area or listed, therefore GS were not invited to comment and planning permission has been granted. The Planning Team comments were forwarded to Terry Rhodes. Although the property may have been occupied by famous residents in its time, the building had been extended and was in a poor condition. GS generally agreed with the planning permission.
LAST MONTHS QUESTION?
5 miles To Gosport Gates
You may have walked past this sign on many occasions?
Can you tell me where the sign is?
AWNSER – The sign is on the side elevation near the traffic lights of The Ironmaster Public House Quay Street Fareham. Many thanks to all those who responded.
Visitors from North Wiltshire to Gosport. MAY 2025
You may recall that last summer, Gosport entertained over 40 visitors from North Wiltshire (Gosport Society’s Member, Fiona Meredith’s former U3A Travel Club), they had travelled from Wroughton just outside Swindon by coach. Diane Furlong greeted them at the Old House of Home PH at Hardway, and gave Fiona and her group, a short introduction of Gosport and its heritage, which was followed by a short tour of historic Gosport, and lunch at The Castle Tavern PH.
They obviously enjoyed their visit as they are returning on 8th May! Fiona is arranging a further tour to entertain them, as you see from The Gosport Society Tour Map Guide there is so much to be interested in Gosport.
See our new Website for Free Download of our 30+ places of interest, useful for visiting family and friends.
Thinking about the future. (repeated from earlier Updates)
Although our AGM is not until June 2025, all Executive Posts will be up for election.
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary, Membership Secretary, Social Secretary and members for our Planning Team. Also, Trustees are required. We are actively seeking new active members to assist with the administration of our Society. Please give the matter serious consideration, any member of the current Executive Committee would be only too pleased to have an informal chat with you or you may possibly know of a member to introduce.
MIKE WILLIAMS ARTICLE.
Press Gangs:
In the last edition we read about the court case involving Gosport and Portsmouth ferrymen. Gosport won the case, in 1603 and that’s why it’s the ‘Gosport Ferry’ and not the Pompey Ferry. The Court judgement required Gosport to maintain a large pool of “skilled and able” boatmen to ensure a safe and regular service. There was a secondary motive in demanding a large number of skilled and able boatmen. Such men were needed for Her Majesty’s navy royal (the navy only became the Royal Navy when so named by Charles 2nd). Queen Elizabeth introduced extra ‘Fish Days’ on Wednesdays and Saturdays; these extra days were in addition to the traditional Fish & Chips on Friday. Her idea was to increase the number of deep-water fishermen who could be called upon to join the navy at times of war, the Spanish Armada and of course the subsequent English Armada being two such conflicts.
Having devised a system for training men for sailing on the high seas, Queen Elizabeth then had to persuade them to join her navy when needed. That was not so easy as the navy royal paid less than the merchant navy and was famous for its harsh discipline and use of flogging and hanging sailors. So, like Baldrick in ‘Black Adder’ the Queen had a cunning plan! Impressment. Better known as the Press Gang. A baldric was a strap over one shoulder to carry items such as a sword, gun, or Town Cryer’s bell.
Gosport was a good place for the Impress Service to set up an office, known as “Rendezvous” houses, rented for the duration of a war. In one example of how they operated the Impressed Service in Gosport advertised a forthcoming fight between rival gangs. This fight was to be held on the Haslar Peninsular. Sure enough, hundreds turned up to watch this non-existent fight. Once the area was full of observers, mainly men, the Press barred their retreat back to Gosport Town and took dozens of them for her majesty’s navy. In reality, many of these men would have been released for a variety of reasons; too old, too young, already serving in the navy, and some were exempt from being Pressed.
To complete the story of Press Gangs, they were replaced by Bounties in Queen Victoria’s time and replaced again by Conscription in World War 1. Cont,
Architecture: Oriel Window:
An oriel window is a form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. Once again, if we look around Gosport’s high street you will find examples, although not very handsome ones, they need refurbishment. The first picture is bay and second an oriel.
Sea Words, Hangers:
Press gangs were armed with short cutlasses, known as hangers, and with cudgels, these wooden clubs were usually belaying pins taken from their ship. The Press also carried muskets or pistols. Although they were navy royal men, many, including the officers, never went to sea or never went back to sea after injury, preferring the better pay and life on shore. Pictured below is how they were used on board ships; once removed they become a serious weapon!
Michael Williams February 2025.