'Surprise' as sections of Edwardian promenade unearthed in Southsea

Southsea's original promenade unearthedSouthsea's original promenade unearthed
Southsea's original promenade unearthed
SECTIONS of Southsea's original promenade almost 200 years old have been uncovered to the 'surprise' of those involved.

As part of recent ground works for the sea defences near Southsea Castle workers discovered a stone surface two metres thick under the tarmac.

Further investigation revealed this to be the original front edge of the old promenade, which was constructed in 1848.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Read More
Work on sea defences in Southsea to start
Tunnels under Southsea CastleTunnels under Southsea Castle
Tunnels under Southsea Castle

Richard Samphier, associate director of contractors Water Europe from Royal Haskoning DHV, said: 'This discovery was a huge surprise as we were expecting to find gravelly material below the tarmac - not two metres of solid stone.

'It's a huge leap forward in our understanding of Southsea's history as, until now, we didn't know what was between the footpath around the castle and the roof of the tunnel.

'There are very few historical records relating to the construction of the tunnel or adjustments to the promenade, so we now need to undertake more archaeological research to fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw.'

Southsea Castle worksSouthsea Castle works
Southsea Castle works

Workers were initially boring holes in the tarmac footpath to investigate the depth to the tunnels below. The tunnels beneath the promenade form part of a redesign of Southsea Castle undertaken in the early 19th century that allowed defenders to fire into the moat at attackers from all sides.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Radar was used to ensure there was no damage or interference with the discovery.

And investigations were monitored throughout by Wessex Archaeology and undertaken with the permission of Historic England.

Portsmouth City Council's deputy leader, Councillor Steve Pitt, said: 'These works are undertaken extremely sensitively as it's essential that construction of our coastal defences doesn't impact on Portsmouth's historic features or new finds of archaeological significance.'

Naomi Brennan, senior heritage consultant at Wessex Archaeology, added: 'It is exciting to be involved with the Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme as Portsmouth and Southsea have such a rich and significant history. The discovery highlights the change in Southsea from a purely military site to a fashionable holiday resort during the nineteenth century.'

The Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme is a £100m project to build new sea defences from Long Curtain Moat to Eastney.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice