Castletown, Dorset

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Castletown
Dorset UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Castletown
Location within Dorset
Civil parish
  • Portland
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Portland
Postcode district DT5
Dialling code 01305
Police Dorset
Fire Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance South Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°34′05″N2°26′39″W / 50.56815°N 2.444077°W / 50.56815; -2.444077 Coordinates: 50°34′05″N2°26′39″W / 50.56815°N 2.444077°W / 50.56815; -2.444077
Castletown and Portland Harbour, seen from The Verne. The National Sailing Academy and Portland Castle are on the left. The large buildings in the foreground are former naval buildings, now converted into luxury flats. Uk dor portharbour.JPG
Castletown and Portland Harbour, seen from The Verne. The National Sailing Academy and Portland Castle are on the left. The large buildings in the foreground are former naval buildings, now converted into luxury flats.
Portland Castle entrance. Uk dor portcastle.JPG
Portland Castle entrance.

Castletown is a small village in Underhill on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is located close to Fortuneswell, on the shores of Portland Harbour, and includes a sandy beach, as well as one of Portland's notable highlights; Portland Castle, while the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is also located nearby.

Contents

As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, Castletown has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. Underhill, incorporating Castletown and other settlements became designated in 1976 with boundary extensions in 1997 and 2000. [1] [2]

History

Originally the location for fishermen to launch their boats, Castletown later developed during the 19th century with the construction of Portland Harbour's breakwaters, and the establishment of the naval base. [1] [3] During the 16th century, Henry VII had selected Castletown area for the building of Portland Castle. [4] Castletown was an essential part of the Merchant's Railway, which was operational from 1826 to 1939. At a time when stone was transported by sea, the railway brought stone from the quarries at Tophill to Castletown's pier for shipping. [5] [6]

During the early 19th century, Castletown was still only a small settlement, with few residential properties. [1] By the middle of the century, Castletown's character changed. [1] A one-sided terrace was formed by 1864, and a number of businesses and residential properties established. [1] Due to it being the gateway to the naval base, Castletown became a thriving commercial area. [7] In 1944 Portland's harbour was commissioned as USNAAB Portland-Weymouth, becoming a major embarkation point for American troops during D-Day. Castletown saw many soldiers and vehicles pass through. [8]

In the early 1990s, as part of defence spending cuts, it was announced that naval base was to close. It was forecast that the Royal Navy's departure would bring economical disaster to Castletown. [3] The navy left in 1995, and Castletown lost the majority of its income, leading to the gradual loss of a number of businesses. [9]

In October 2014 Nemesis Properties applied for planning permission to redevelop Castletown Pier, [10] and work began during 2015 on transforming the pier into "Crabbers Wharf". In June 2015 further development plans were revealed for the regeneration of Castletown, including a "scuba diving tourist facility, an American themed D-Day attraction and museum." It was also suggested that talks with Portland Port may allow Portland's two Mulberry Harbour Phoenix Units to be opened to the public. [11]

Features

A small beach is found in the village, close to the entrance of Portland Port. The area still features several hotels and pubs, largely established for the navy personnel that once came from the port. The Osprey Leisure Centre is located in Castletown, which was formerly known as the Boscawen Centre, and was opened to the public in May 2007. [12] Originally it was a private Royal Navy facility during the 1980s. [13]

Castletown also holds the Portland Community Hospital. This was originally a Royal Naval Hospital which served Portland's naval base from the late 19th century until 1957, when the hospital was handed over to the NHS. Castletown's Stone Pier, where stone was once shipped, is now mainly used for boat maintenance. [3]

To the southern side of the main road of Castletown two large multi-story accommodation buildings sit set into the steeply rising hillside. These blocks were known as the "Hardy Complex" with their construction allegedly costing between £25-30 million and were built during the late 1980s and early 1990s as state-of-the-art accommodation for Royal Navy personnel, but were abandoned less than 15 years later when the Navy left the island. [14] They were later sold by the MoD to a private developer/construction company, and then subsequently sold on again. Eventually they were acquired by development company Comer Homes, who secured planning consent to convert and refurbish the two buildings to provide a total of 554 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses. During 2004-05 both blocks were stripped back to just their re-enforced concrete frames and left as empty shells. Re-construction work began on the right hand block, (subsequently named Ocean Views) in 2007 and the external works were largely completed by June 2008. [15] Many of the completed apartments were rented as accommodation for visiting foreign sailing teams for their training, preparation and living quarters for the sailing events of the 2012 Olympics, which took place in Portland Harbour. Today the left block still remains derelict awaiting construction works to restart. [16]

Grade listed features

Castletown has a wide array of architecture and buildings, a number of which are Grade Listed.

Portland Castle has been designated as a Grade I Listed building. It is one of three buildings on Portland to be Grade I Listed. [17] Additionally, in October 1981, the castle had become scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. [18] The Captain's House, a large detached house, adjoining Portland Castle, is designated a Grade II* Listed building. [19] The gateway and curtain wall to the south east of the house became Grade II* Listed at the same time. [20] Located around 23 metres (75 ft) south of the entrance to The Captain's House is a War Department/Admiralty boundary marker, which has been Grade II Listed since May 1993. [21]

The Royal Breakwater Hotel was designated Grade II in May 1993. [22] [23] At the end of the village, at the entrance of Portland Port, is the former Dockyard Police Station. The MOD police station was initially a railway station, and is Grade II Listed. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Portland</span> Tied island in Dorset, England

The Isle of Portland is a tied island, 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) wide, in the English Channel. The southern tip, Portland Bill lies 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A barrier beach called Chesil Beach joins Portland with mainland England. The A354 road passes down the Portland end of the beach and then over the Fleet Lagoon by bridge to the mainland. The population of Portland is 12,797.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Harbour</span> Port in Dorset, England

Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its 520-hectare (1,300-acre) surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and remains one of the largest in the world today. It is naturally protected by Portland to the south, Chesil Beach to the west and mainland Dorset to the north. It consists of four breakwaters — two southern and two northern. These have a total length of 4.57 km and enclose approximately 1,000 hectares of water.

Portland Bill Promontory in the isle of Portland in England

Portland Bill is a narrow promontory at the southern end of the Isle of Portland, and the southernmost point of Dorset, England. One of Portland's most popular destinations is Portland Bill Lighthouse. Portland's coast has been notorious for the number of shipwrecked vessels over the centuries. The dangerous coastline features shallow reefs and the Shambles sandbank, made more hazardous due to the strong Portland tidal race.

Fortuneswell Human settlement in England

Fortuneswell is a village in Underhill on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. It lies on steeply sloping land on the northern edge of the island, known as Underhill, where Chesil Beach connects the island to the mainland. Adjoining Fortuneswell are Chiswell to the west and Castletown to the north. Fortuneswell occupies the steeper land above sea level, whereas Chiswell and Castletown occupy flat land close to sea level, next to Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour respectively. Fortuneswell has a main shopping street, and along with Easton, is the main hub of the island's activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothe Fort</span> Fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England

Nothe Fort is a fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England, situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, which juts eastwards from the town of Weymouth, and Weymouth Harbour, into the sea to the north of the ex-military Portland Harbour. The fort is located next to Nothe Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easton, Dorset</span> Human settlement in England

Easton is a village on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The village is situated at Tophill, within the centre of the island. As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, Easton, including the settlements Reforne and Straits, has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. Easton, Wakeham and Reforne were designated pre-1974.

Verne High Angle Battery

The Verne High Angle Battery is a former 19th-century gun battery on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. Situated close to the Verne Citadel, the battery is Grade II Listed, and forms part of the citadel's scheduled monument status. The battery has become a tourist attraction, while the battery's tunnels are often referred to by their local name 'Ghost Tunnels'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wakeham</span> Human settlement in England

Wakeham is a hamlet near the village of Easton, in Tophill on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It is situated between the Straits part of Easton, and Pennsylvania Castle. As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, Wakeham has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. Easton, Wakeham and Reforne were designated pre-1974. The hamlet features a distinctively wide road running through it, once built to allow space for horse-drawn carts transporting stone by road. Many of Wakeham's older buildings of the 17th and 18th century survive.

Weston is a village in Tophill on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It abuts the main village Easton. As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, Weston has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. The village was designated in 1994.

Southwell, Dorset Human settlement in England

Southwell is a small coastal village in Tophill on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. As Portland and Dorset's southernmost village, it lies between Portland Bill and the villages of Easton and Weston. Though close to the Bill, the village is sheltered by hills on three sides. It is the only village on Portland not to be designated a conservation area.

Church Ope Cove

Church Ope Cove is a small secluded beach on the sheltered eastern side of the Isle of Portland in Dorset, southern England and is part of the Jurassic Coast. It is found close to the village of Wakeham. The beach has many unusual features for the Isle of Portland. The beach used to be sandy, but quarry debris now covers the sand, and has been worn into rounded pebbles. The pebbles cover a small stream which runs to the sea, which is one of the few active streams remaining on the Isle of Portland.

Rufus Castle Grade I listed castle in the United Kingdom

Rufus Castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle, is a partially ruined castle overlooking Church Ope Cove on Portland, England. Its name derives from King William II, known as William Rufus, for whom the original castle was built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Prison Portland</span>

HM Prison Portland is a male Adult/Young Offenders Institution in the village of The Grove on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison was originally opened in 1848 as an adult convict establishment, before becoming a Borstal in 1921, and a YOI in 1988. In 2011 it became an Adult/Young Offenders establishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Grove, Portland</span> Human settlement in England

The Grove is a small village located at Tophill on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. The village is found close to the larger village Easton, and is most notable for containing the HM Prison Portland, including its museum Grove Prison Museum. As with the rest of Portland's villages and settlements, The Grove has been designated as a conservation area, as it is a place of special architectural and historic interest. The village was designated in 1981.

Nothe Gardens

Nothe Gardens is a public garden, located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. Positioned on the Nothe Peninsula overlooking both Weymouth and Portland harbours, the informal gardens are often acclaimed to be the most beautiful the borough has to offer.

St Peters Church, Portland Church in Dorset, England

St. Peter's Church is a former Church of England church in The Grove, on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. Designed by Major-General Sir Edmund Du Cane, the church was built in 1870-72 and is now a Grade II* Listed building. The gate piers and boundary walls to the north and west of the church are also Grade II Listed, along with the church's vicarage. St. Peter's Church is included on English Heritage's "Heritage at Risk" register.

Grove Lime Kiln Historical industrial site in Dorset, England

Grove Lime Kiln is a disused 19th century lime kiln on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is located close to HM Prison Portland and The Grove village. Owned by the prison service, the lime kiln has been Grade II Listed since 2009.

Merchants Railway

Merchant's Railway was a horse drawn and cable operated incline railway on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, built for the stone trade on the island. It was the earliest railway in Dorset, opening in 1826. The railway ran two miles from many working quarries at the north of Tophill, along the edge of Verne Hill, to a pier at Castletown, from where the Portland stone was shipped. It was in operation from 1826 to 1939. Since becoming disused the original path of the railway has become a popular public footpath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underhill Methodist Church</span> Church in Dorset, England

Underhill Methodist Church is a Methodist Church, opened in 1899, located in Fortuneswell, on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. It was built between 1898–1899, replacing a 1793 chapel built by Robert Carr Brackenbury, the founder of Methodism on Portland. The church remains active to date, as part of the Portland Methodist Circuit, alongside Easton Methodist Church.

Inner Pierhead Fort

Inner Pierhead Fort is a 19th-century fort built to defend Portland Harbour at the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is positioned on the end of the inner breakwater, which abuts from the former dockyard of HMNB Portland. The fort was constructed between 1859-1862, and is 100 ft in diameter. The inner breakwater, including the fort, became Grade II Listed in 1978.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ "Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - dorsetforyou.com". Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Castletown". Geoffkirby.co.uk. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Monument No. 451663". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Portland Station (1st site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  6. ↑ "Portlandbill.co.uk". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Victorian Castletown, Portland…matelots, mariners and mishaps. | VICTORIAN TALES FROM WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND". Susanhogben.wordpress.com. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Morris, Stuart. "History". Portland-port.co.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Brochure" (PDF). www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Plans to regenerate Castletown Pier backed". Dorset Echo. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "REVEALED: New regeneration plans to bring Castletown 'up off its knees'". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "Osprey Leisure Centre - South Dorset Community Sports Trust". Ospreyleisure.co.uk. 1 May 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Osprey Leisure Centre | SDRN". Sd-research.org.uk. 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "UK | England | Protest march over asylum plans". BBC News. 1 February 2003. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  15. ↑ "Portland Castle". Geoffkirby.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  16. ↑ Irving, Lee. "Fresh move to restart island scheme - but affordable homes could be dropped (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1205262)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  18. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1015326)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  19. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1280817)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  20. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1205280)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  21. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1281849)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  22. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1205310)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  23. ↑ "Portland Dorset". Royal Breakwater Hotel. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  24. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1203074)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  25. ↑ Historic England. "PORTLAND STATION (501751)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 August 2014.
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