Calshot Spit, 22 Oct 2023 08:10
Aerial View of Clashot Spit, facing south east
This might not be a conventional landscape photograph but, from its elevated sunrise viewpoint above Calshot Marshes, it captures an exposed and unassuming stretch of windswept land that has witnessed centuries of change from medieval royal defence to aviation triumphs, the 20th-century wars, a touch of narrow-gauge railway charm and glamorous connections.
Calshot Spit’s location, jutting half a mile into the confluence of the Solent and Southampton Water, overlooks one of the busiest stretches of water in the world. Commercial shipping constantly plies its trade to Southampton, the Fawley and Hamble oil refinery terminals and Marchwood Military Port, carrying a large part of the country's trade and oil. At the same time, the Solent is also a mecca for recreational sailing, adding an extra layer of complexity and jeopardy for the maritime traffic. Hence, the Coastguard tower (on the left of the photo), constantly monitoring the boats' activity and, along with the adjacent lifeboat station, coordinating any safety efforts.
Next along, to the right of the coastguard tower, is Calshot Castle, built by Henry VIII as part of a chain of defences throughout south-east England, a reminder of one era when the threat of French invasion loomed large. In the far distance, right on the horizon, you can see the Lipstick and the Spinnaker towers in Portsmouth. No doubt, as Henry VIII stood there on Southsea Castle and watched the sinking of the Mary Rose, Calshot Castle would also have witnessed the events, exactly where the sun’s light is reflected in the sea on the horizon. While Calshot Castle thankfully never saw action during Henry VIII's reign, it remained part of England's coastal defences, later incorporating into the Palmerston Forts, a chain of fortifications built around the Solent in the 19th century to protect against another potential French invasion that never materialised, this time by Napoleon.
The massive hangars, with windows transmitting the warm glow of the morning sun, are relics of a more recent past when Calshot was a hub of long since superseded aviation innovation. In the early 20th century this was RAF Calshot, a base for seaplane development and operations and the home of the UK's Schneider Trophy entrants, specifically the Supermarine seaplanes which pushed the boundaries of aircraft speed and technology. It was here, in 1931, that Flt. Lt. George Stainforth set the world speed record and ultimately became the first person to exceed 400mph. Although incredibly glamorous, the race for speed was a questionable use of resources in recession-hit Britain in the 1930s, but the technology developed for the Schneider Trophy seaplanes was incorporated by their developer, R J Mitchell, just 10 miles to North in Southampton, into his iconic Spitfire design, ultimately providing some justification for the profligate expenditure of the Schneider Trophy planes' era. And, talking of glamour, another Calshot claim to fame is that another of the men based at Calshot in the 1920s was T E Shaw, Lawrence of Arabia.
Calshot's flying boat activity continued through World War II, with its aircraft involved in D-Day operations and the Berlin Airlift. The massive slipway used to launch these enormous aircraft remains, and it can be seen on the left of the photo, below the coastguard tower, although these days it sees little more than tiny leisure yacht and jet ski launches.
The military base was served by a narrow-gauge steam railway, the Calshot Express, its terminus now hidden amongst the hangars. One of its engines was sold to the Talyllyn Railway in South Wales and renamed 'Douglas', finding fame as the Douglas of Rev'd. W. Audrey's 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stories. Although the spit railway started with steam engines, to avoid showering munitions with ash and sparks, they were replaced with electric engines which survive today on the Hythe Pier Railway, a few miles up the coast, where they must have been a very welcome replacement for the hand-propelled engines they had been using.
Today, Calshot has transformed into a hub of recreational activity, with sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, a climbing wall and a velodrome centred around the hangars and surrounding waters. It exudes a sunny, blue, vibrant holiday feel, a far cry from its centuries-old smoky, gritty and grey military and aviation history.
Photo details - DJI Mini Pro 4, Processed in Lightroom (macOS)
Calshot Spit’s location, jutting half a mile into the confluence of the Solent and Southampton Water, overlooks one of the busiest stretches of water in the world. Commercial shipping constantly plies its trade to Southampton, the Fawley and Hamble oil refinery terminals and Marchwood Military Port, carrying a large part of the country's trade and oil. At the same time, the Solent is also a mecca for recreational sailing, adding an extra layer of complexity and jeopardy for the maritime traffic. Hence, the Coastguard tower (on the left of the photo), constantly monitoring the boats' activity and, along with the adjacent lifeboat station, coordinating any safety efforts.
Next along, to the right of the coastguard tower, is Calshot Castle, built by Henry VIII as part of a chain of defences throughout south-east England, a reminder of one era when the threat of French invasion loomed large. In the far distance, right on the horizon, you can see the Lipstick and the Spinnaker towers in Portsmouth. No doubt, as Henry VIII stood there on Southsea Castle and watched the sinking of the Mary Rose, Calshot Castle would also have witnessed the events, exactly where the sun’s light is reflected in the sea on the horizon. While Calshot Castle thankfully never saw action during Henry VIII's reign, it remained part of England's coastal defences, later incorporating into the Palmerston Forts, a chain of fortifications built around the Solent in the 19th century to protect against another potential French invasion that never materialised, this time by Napoleon.
The massive hangars, with windows transmitting the warm glow of the morning sun, are relics of a more recent past when Calshot was a hub of long since superseded aviation innovation. In the early 20th century this was RAF Calshot, a base for seaplane development and operations and the home of the UK's Schneider Trophy entrants, specifically the Supermarine seaplanes which pushed the boundaries of aircraft speed and technology. It was here, in 1931, that Flt. Lt. George Stainforth set the world speed record and ultimately became the first person to exceed 400mph. Although incredibly glamorous, the race for speed was a questionable use of resources in recession-hit Britain in the 1930s, but the technology developed for the Schneider Trophy seaplanes was incorporated by their developer, R J Mitchell, just 10 miles to North in Southampton, into his iconic Spitfire design, ultimately providing some justification for the profligate expenditure of the Schneider Trophy planes' era. And, talking of glamour, another Calshot claim to fame is that another of the men based at Calshot in the 1920s was T E Shaw, Lawrence of Arabia.
Calshot's flying boat activity continued through World War II, with its aircraft involved in D-Day operations and the Berlin Airlift. The massive slipway used to launch these enormous aircraft remains, and it can be seen on the left of the photo, below the coastguard tower, although these days it sees little more than tiny leisure yacht and jet ski launches.
The military base was served by a narrow-gauge steam railway, the Calshot Express, its terminus now hidden amongst the hangars. One of its engines was sold to the Talyllyn Railway in South Wales and renamed 'Douglas', finding fame as the Douglas of Rev'd. W. Audrey's 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stories. Although the spit railway started with steam engines, to avoid showering munitions with ash and sparks, they were replaced with electric engines which survive today on the Hythe Pier Railway, a few miles up the coast, where they must have been a very welcome replacement for the hand-propelled engines they had been using.
Today, Calshot has transformed into a hub of recreational activity, with sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, a climbing wall and a velodrome centred around the hangars and surrounding waters. It exudes a sunny, blue, vibrant holiday feel, a far cry from its centuries-old smoky, gritty and grey military and aviation history.
Photo details - DJI Mini Pro 4, Processed in Lightroom (macOS)