Lee-on-the-Solent
Encyclopedia
Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a small seaside town in Hampshire
, England
about five miles (8 km) west of Portsmouth
. The town is located on the coast of the Solent
and forms part of the borough of Gosport
. It is primarily a sleepy residential area, with an upsurge of mostly local visitors in summer, but is well known as home to the Royal Naval
Air Station HMS Daedalus (renamed as HMS Ariel from 1959 to 1965). The population of Lee-on-the-solent is 7232.
, was demolished in 1958.
In 1935 the Lee Tower complex was built on the seafront next to the old pier and railway station. It was designed by architects Yates, Cook & Derbyshire, and comprised a white v-shaped Art Deco
building with a 120 feet (36.6 m) tower. The complex housed a cinema, ballroom and restaurant, as well as a viewing platform at the tower's peak. The complex was demolished in 1971 by Gosport Council, with its land now used for the promenade and remembrance gardens.
Lee-on-the Solent has had a long association with flying. Seaplane trials took place at Lee-on-the-Solent as early as 1915. A base for Seaplane training was established in 1917 on the current Daedalus site.
Air Station HMS Daedalus closed in 1996 but Daedalus Airfield itself remains active as a civil airfield. Over 100 aircraft, helicopters, gliders, microlight and motorgliders are operated at what is now the principal HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter base on the south coast. The airfield has two land-owners, with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) owning the land. The airfield is operated by Britten-Norman on behalf of the MCA. More information about the airfield is available on the website of Lee Flying Association.
A planning application was approved in February 2008 for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Driving Test Centre with Motorcycle Manoeuvring Area (MPTC) from the Driving Standards Agency, inside a part of the Daedalus site.
In 2003, the community of Lee-on-the-Solent received nationwide attention for probably the first time in its 120-year existence. The government had proposed to house asylum-seekers at the former base which forms a large area of the resort. At once, the Daedalus Action Group was formed under the chairmanship of John Beavis to oppose the scheme with the support of a large number of local residents. After a U-turn in government policy, the Home Office decided in February 2004 to abandon the asylum centre plan and the action group celebrated with a rally on the seafront. Channel 4
produced a fly-on-the-wall Dispatches documentary "Keep them out" in 2004 dealing with both sides of the argument.
In early May 2006, 20 unexploded Canadian pipe mine
s were found under HMS Daedalus during runway repairs. 60 feet (20 metres) long, they were left over from 265, packed with a total of 2,400 lb of gelignite
, planted in World War II
to make the airfield unusable in the event of a Nazi invasion. The subsequent removal, thought to be the largest of its kind in peacetime Britain, led to the evacuation of some 900 homes staggered over a five week period.
The town still retains a lively shopping centre, with a varied selection of independent shops and restaurants. Lee is gradually losing its popularity as a traditional holiday destination, but is a popular destination for jet-skiers and kite surfers.
Large new developments in the 1980s and 1990s, have swelled the population. More recently, 1,050 new units have been built at the Cherque Farm
area of the town, and further development will take place over the next few years. Elsewhere along Marine Parade, the seafront of this seaside town, has lost most of the original villas and hotels to developers. Today several original properties remain boarded up awaiting redevelopment.
A new bypass
has recently been completed to link up the B3385 and the B3333 and forms a bypass to Lee-on-the-Solent.
With commanding views of the Solent and across the Isle of Wight, Lee seafront used to be packed with families and people enjoying the beach nearly all year round. From Browndown right the way along as far as Hill Head
in the west, it would be difficult to find an isolated spot to sit and enjoy oneself. Lee no longer has the hotels to attract holiday makers as it once did; today's visitors tend to be day trippers coming from the surrounding area and further afield to enjoy sailing, fishing, jet-skiing and kite surfing.
The train has long since gone from the seafront, clearing the coastal cliffs for walking, leisure and parking. The cliffs are interrupted by the former railway station buildings, the war memorial and the seafront bus stop/parking area opposite the end of Pier Street. This is where the Lee Tower used to stand.
The seafront on Marine Parade East is where the Club House is situated for the Lee on the Solent Sailing Club LOSSC.
At the signal station, where the racing starts and finishes can be found a smaller galley that can provide light snacks and soft drinks for the people involved in racing or training of adults and youngsters at the weekend. It is a RYA accredited Sailing School and is open to visitors and day sailors alike. Boats can be hired if you would like to get on the water during hot summers.
Lee-on-the-Solent is the home to the Hovercraft Museum
which houses the world's largest collection of rare Hovercraft including some of the earliest and largest. It can be found on the main road along the seafront and hosts an open day every summer.
Further towards Gosport
is the area known as Browndown. It is a former naval firing range and makes an interesting walk in summer. There are many old relics to explore, and it's not unknown to find large jellyfish
washed up on the shore. Browndown army camp was the setting for the television series Bad Lads Army
. Browndown army camp is also used as a summer activity camp for young cadets from all over the country.
A short walk from the High Street
in Lee is the Lee-on-the-Solent Tennis
Club. It is a popular spot with locals and features a small bar, a gym
, six squash
courts (two glass-backed), 6 tennis courts and a sports therapist.
Lee is also home to a few pubs such as The Old Ship, The Bun Penny, The Wyvern and The Inn by the Sea. The town was home to a number of good quality pubs, but some have since closed being demolished to make way for housing and retirement developments, noticeably the Belle Vue Hotel, a popular sea front bar, hotel and restaurant and The Swordfish which was located on the border between Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head.
The long-standing Bluebird Cafe remains a popular seafront attraction and is home to the 'large mixed 99' ice-cream and 'mega breakfast'.
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
about five miles (8 km) west of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. The town is located on the coast of the Solent
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...
and forms part of the borough of Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
. It is primarily a sleepy residential area, with an upsurge of mostly local visitors in summer, but is well known as home to the Royal Naval
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Air Station HMS Daedalus (renamed as HMS Ariel from 1959 to 1965). The population of Lee-on-the-solent is 7232.
History
The village gained its name in the 19th century, during attempts to develop the area in to a seaside resort. The area had been referenced long before this, referred to as Lee and numerous variations, including Lebritan. Early impetus for the town's development came from Charles Edmund Newton Robinson, who persuaded his father, John Charles Robinson, art curator and collector, to fund the buying of land. Over the period 1884 to 1894 the town was established with the setting out of Marine Parade, a pier, railway connection along with a number of impressive red brick villas. The railway service was discontinued in the 1930s and the pier, unrepaired after breaching in aid of coastal defence in World War IIWorld 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...
, was demolished in 1958.
In 1935 the Lee Tower complex was built on the seafront next to the old pier and railway station. It was designed by architects Yates, Cook & Derbyshire, and comprised a white v-shaped Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building with a 120 feet (36.6 m) tower. The complex housed a cinema, ballroom and restaurant, as well as a viewing platform at the tower's peak. The complex was demolished in 1971 by Gosport Council, with its land now used for the promenade and remembrance gardens.
Lee-on-the Solent has had a long association with flying. Seaplane trials took place at Lee-on-the-Solent as early as 1915. A base for Seaplane training was established in 1917 on the current Daedalus site.
Modern times
The Royal NavalRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Air Station HMS Daedalus closed in 1996 but Daedalus Airfield itself remains active as a civil airfield. Over 100 aircraft, helicopters, gliders, microlight and motorgliders are operated at what is now the principal HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter base on the south coast. The airfield has two land-owners, with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) owning the land. The airfield is operated by Britten-Norman on behalf of the MCA. More information about the airfield is available on the website of Lee Flying Association.
A planning application was approved in February 2008 for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Driving Test Centre with Motorcycle Manoeuvring Area (MPTC) from the Driving Standards Agency, inside a part of the Daedalus site.
In 2003, the community of Lee-on-the-Solent received nationwide attention for probably the first time in its 120-year existence. The government had proposed to house asylum-seekers at the former base which forms a large area of the resort. At once, the Daedalus Action Group was formed under the chairmanship of John Beavis to oppose the scheme with the support of a large number of local residents. After a U-turn in government policy, the Home Office decided in February 2004 to abandon the asylum centre plan and the action group celebrated with a rally on the seafront. Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
produced a fly-on-the-wall Dispatches documentary "Keep them out" in 2004 dealing with both sides of the argument.
In early May 2006, 20 unexploded Canadian pipe mine
Canadian pipe mine
The Canadian pipe mine, also known as the McNaughton tube, was a type of landmine deployed in Britain during the invasion crisis of 1940-1941...
s were found under HMS Daedalus during runway repairs. 60 feet (20 metres) long, they were left over from 265, packed with a total of 2,400 lb of gelignite
Gelignite
Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
, planted in 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...
to make the airfield unusable in the event of a Nazi invasion. The subsequent removal, thought to be the largest of its kind in peacetime Britain, led to the evacuation of some 900 homes staggered over a five week period.
The town still retains a lively shopping centre, with a varied selection of independent shops and restaurants. Lee is gradually losing its popularity as a traditional holiday destination, but is a popular destination for jet-skiers and kite surfers.
Large new developments in the 1980s and 1990s, have swelled the population. More recently, 1,050 new units have been built at the Cherque Farm
Cherque farm
Cherque Farm is a residential development of 1050 homes situated on the South Coast of England in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. Persimmon Homes is the prime developer of the land, but other developers such as Charles Church, Bovis and Wimpey have built properties on the estate...
area of the town, and further development will take place over the next few years. Elsewhere along Marine Parade, the seafront of this seaside town, has lost most of the original villas and hotels to developers. Today several original properties remain boarded up awaiting redevelopment.
A new bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
has recently been completed to link up the B3385 and the B3333 and forms a bypass to Lee-on-the-Solent.
With commanding views of the Solent and across the Isle of Wight, Lee seafront used to be packed with families and people enjoying the beach nearly all year round. From Browndown right the way along as far as Hill Head
Hill Head
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,...
in the west, it would be difficult to find an isolated spot to sit and enjoy oneself. Lee no longer has the hotels to attract holiday makers as it once did; today's visitors tend to be day trippers coming from the surrounding area and further afield to enjoy sailing, fishing, jet-skiing and kite surfing.
The train has long since gone from the seafront, clearing the coastal cliffs for walking, leisure and parking. The cliffs are interrupted by the former railway station buildings, the war memorial and the seafront bus stop/parking area opposite the end of Pier Street. This is where the Lee Tower used to stand.
Places of interest
The views out to sea from the cliffs at Marine Parade are forever changing and are always interesting. From a vantage point on the grassy banks, it is possible to see shipping movements of large container ships and cruisers into Southampton and Portsmouth, sailing boats, ferries and of course the backdrop of the Isle of Wight.The seafront on Marine Parade East is where the Club House is situated for the Lee on the Solent Sailing Club LOSSC.
At the signal station, where the racing starts and finishes can be found a smaller galley that can provide light snacks and soft drinks for the people involved in racing or training of adults and youngsters at the weekend. It is a RYA accredited Sailing School and is open to visitors and day sailors alike. Boats can be hired if you would like to get on the water during hot summers.
Lee-on-the-Solent is the home to the Hovercraft Museum
Hovercraft Museum
The Hovercraft Museum, located in Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, England, is dedicated to hovercraft.The museum has a large collection of various designs of hovercraft - numbering over sixty at the last count...
which houses the world's largest collection of rare Hovercraft including some of the earliest and largest. It can be found on the main road along the seafront and hosts an open day every summer.
Further towards Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
is the area known as Browndown. It is a former naval firing range and makes an interesting walk in summer. There are many old relics to explore, and it's not unknown to find large jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
washed up on the shore. Browndown army camp was the setting for the television series Bad Lads Army
Bad Lads Army
Lads' Army is a British reality TV programme, specifically of the kind that constitutes a historically derived social experiment - other examples being The 1900 House and The Frontier House...
. Browndown army camp is also used as a summer activity camp for young cadets from all over the country.
A short walk from the High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
in Lee is the Lee-on-the-Solent Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Club. It is a popular spot with locals and features a small bar, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, six squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts (two glass-backed), 6 tennis courts and a sports therapist.
Lee is also home to a few pubs such as The Old Ship, The Bun Penny, The Wyvern and The Inn by the Sea. The town was home to a number of good quality pubs, but some have since closed being demolished to make way for housing and retirement developments, noticeably the Belle Vue Hotel, a popular sea front bar, hotel and restaurant and The Swordfish which was located on the border between Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head.
The long-standing Bluebird Cafe remains a popular seafront attraction and is home to the 'large mixed 99' ice-cream and 'mega breakfast'.