Hill Head
Encyclopedia
Hill Head is a residential area on the coast of the Solent
. It is located south of Stubbington
, west of Lee-on-the-Solent
and south east of Titchfield
, in the borough of Fareham
, Hampshire
. Hill Head is in the Gosport parliamentary constituency. Hill Head has a shingle beach with fishing
, sailing
, windsurfing
and kitesurfing
being the most popular pastimes upon its shores. There is also a small harbour, located where the River Meon
enters the Solent. It is next to Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve.
Hill Head has a substantial elderly population – 22.45% of its 7,121 residents are over 65, compared to an English average of 15.89%.
During World War II
, Hill Head was one of many loading zones for the D-Day
invasions and the area was inundated with allied troops. Along the coast here there are still many reminders of the war time activities including remnants of fortifications. Part of a Mulberry harbour
broke away and was grounded at Hill Head beach. It remained there for many years.
Hill Head's Salterns beach is one of the south coast's leading venues for watersports including windsurfing and kitesurfing, and is the home of Seafarers Sailing Club. Just to the west is Hill Head Sailing Club.
The Swordfish public house
at Hill Head was demolished in 2004 to make way for a small development of luxury million pound beach-front homes known as Swordfish Close. The name Swordfish is derived from the World War Two bomber the Fairey Swordfish
which flew from the nearby airfield at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus). Swordfish Close has been featured in the popular BBC
television series Seaside Rescue. The only remaining pub along Hill Head beach-front is The Osborne View, so named as Osborne House
(residential home of HM Queen Victoria) is visible on a clear day.
Between 1985 and 1990, Hill Head's beaches featured in the popular BBC
TV show Howards' Way
, which was mostly filmed at nearby Bursledon
, Hamble-le-Rice
, Warsash
and Swanwick
.
Bus services to and from Hill-Head are provided by First, with a half-hourly service to and from Fareham.
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. It is located south of Stubbington
Stubbington
Stubbington is a large Hampshire village which is located between Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast of England. It is within the borough of Fareham but is part of the parliamentary constituency of Gosport.-History:...
, west of Lee-on-the-Solent
Lee-on-the-Solent
Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a small seaside town in Hampshire, England about five miles west of Portsmouth. The town is located on the coast of the Solent and forms part of the borough of Gosport...
and south east of Titchfield
Titchfield
Titchfield is a village in southern Hampshire, by the River Meon. The village has a history stretching back to the 6th century. During the medieval period, the village operated a small port and market...
, in the borough of Fareham
Fareham (borough)
Fareham is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Fareham. Other places within the Borough include Portchester, Stubbington, Hill Head, Titchfield, Warsash, Locks Heath, Sarisbury and half of Whiteley...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Hill Head is in the Gosport parliamentary constituency. Hill Head has a shingle beach with fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
being the most popular pastimes upon its shores. There is also a small harbour, located where the River Meon
River Meon
The River Meon is a river that flows through an area of Hampshire in southern England known as the Meon Valley, it flows generally southwards from the South Downs to the Solent. For most of its route it is a chalk stream, with a length of 21 miles .The River Meon rises approximately...
enters the Solent. It is next to Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve.
Hill Head has a substantial elderly population – 22.45% of its 7,121 residents are over 65, compared to an English average of 15.89%.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hill Head was one of many loading zones for the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasions and the area was inundated with allied troops. Along the coast here there are still many reminders of the war time activities including remnants of fortifications. Part of a Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
broke away and was grounded at Hill Head beach. It remained there for many years.
Hill Head's Salterns beach is one of the south coast's leading venues for watersports including windsurfing and kitesurfing, and is the home of Seafarers Sailing Club. Just to the west is Hill Head Sailing Club.
The Swordfish public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
at Hill Head was demolished in 2004 to make way for a small development of luxury million pound beach-front homes known as Swordfish Close. The name Swordfish is derived from the World War Two bomber the Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
which flew from the nearby airfield at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus). Swordfish Close has been featured in the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Seaside Rescue. The only remaining pub along Hill Head beach-front is The Osborne View, so named as Osborne House
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
(residential home of HM Queen Victoria) is visible on a clear day.
Between 1985 and 1990, Hill Head's beaches featured in the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV show Howards' Way
Howards' Way
Howards' Way is a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted on BBC One between 1 September 1985 and 25 November 1990. The series deals with the personal and professional lives of the yachting and business communities in the fictional town of Tarrant on the South Coast of...
, which was mostly filmed at nearby Bursledon
Bursledon
Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...
, Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
, Warsash
Warsash
Warsash is a village in southern Hampshire, England, situated at the mouth of the River Hamble, west of the area known as Locks Heath. Boating plays an important part in the village's economy, and the village has a sailing club...
and Swanwick
Swanwick, Hampshire
Swanwick is a village in Hampshire, England, east of the River Hamble and north of the M27 motorway.The village is located within the borough of Fareham and is the site of the London Area Control Centre and the London Terminal Control Centre part of National Air Traffic Services Air Traffic...
.
Bus services to and from Hill-Head are provided by First, with a half-hourly service to and from Fareham.