This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2019) |
Calshotis a coastal village inHampshire,England, at the west corner ofSouthampton Waterwhere it joins theSolent.[1]
| Calshot | |
|---|---|
 Buildings at the end of Calshot spit viewed across Calshot marshes | |
  Calshot Location withinHampshire | |
| OS grid reference | SU47810142 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | SO45 |
| Dialling code | 023 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
History
editIn 1539,Henry VIIIordered the construction ofCalshot Castle,at the end ofCalshot Spit,to defend the port ofSouthamptonfrom 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 theRoyal Flying Corpsestablished Calshot Naval Air Station (later known asRNAS CalshotandRAF Calshot) at the end of Calshot Spit. It was also at one point home toLawrence of Arabia.
Calshot Lifeboat Stationwas established in 1970 by theRNLI.
Relationship with Tristan da Cunha
editFollowing a volcanic eruption in 1961, the population of theTristan da Cunhaislands was evacuated to Calshot.[3]Many evacuees thrived, with the children attending local schools and adults employed in a variety of local businesses and on 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 thereCalshot Harbour,after their temporary home.
Today
edit
The original hangar from theWorld War IIflying boats remains as an activity centre for watersports (including kite-surfing),climbing,snowboardingandtrack cycling.There is a small indoorvelodrome,adry ski slope,and facilities for climbing and bouldering.[4]Theclimbing gradesvary 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 ofbeach huts.
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 nearbyFawley Power Stationdischarged cooling water into the shallow waters around Calshot beach, and this has led to some reports of warm water species being attracted into theSolent.The Habitats Directive Review of Consents for the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation (SAC) did indeed identifythermal pollutionon the intertidal zone on the west shore ofSouthampton 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
editReferences
edit- ^OS Explorer Map, New Forest, Scale: 1:25 000.Publisher: Ordnance Survey B4 edition (2013).ISBN9780319241509
- ^Historic England."Calshot Castle (1014619)".National Heritage List for England.
- ^"Tristan da Cunha islanders remember life at Calshot".BBC News.5 October 2011.
- ^"Calshot Activities Centre".Visit Hampshire.Retrieved3 April2019.
External links
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