The gas holder was designed to store large volumes of gas locally and they were common in many towns and urban areas for 200 years. Did you know? Lots of people still call these ‘gasometers’, the name given to them in 1782 by the inventor of gas lighting, William Murdoch. His associates objected that his …
Author archives: Andrew Kerry-Bedell
Air Raid Shelters
As war in Europe loomed, in 1938 the Government knew it had to provide people with protection from air raid bombing if Britain was attacked. Named after Sir John Anderson, these bomb shelters could accommodate six people. They had 8 vertical steel corrugated sheets and 6 curved sheets, bolted together at the top, sunk three …
Tuppenny Barn
Tuppenny Barn is a UK registered charity with a vision to create a better future for our children by inspiring communities to learn about sustainable and organic food. They cultivate and harvest organic produce, using this to create learning experiences for all ages and to promote the benefits of growing, cooking and eating healthy food. …
Prinsted Beach & Scouts
Beautiful views attract visitors all year round to walk the Prinsted foreshore and along the flat 3.7km (2.3 mile) coastal path between Chidham Point and Prinsted Point. Prinsted has always suffered from winter storms and in the 1930s the beach area was just mud and shingle. Sea storms and high tides kept breaking through from …
Southbourne Aerodrome
After the USA entered the First World War in 1917 there was an immediate need for Training Depot Stations on the South coast to train United States Army Air Service personnel. Whilst most people are aware that there was once a large military airfield at Tangmere, with its own excellent museum, few know there was …
Tin Tabernacle Church
The building on Thorney Road is a significant link to the spiritual history of the Parish, known locally as the Pentecostal Mission. This tin tabernacle church, also known as an iron church, is a type of prefabricated ecclesiastical building made from corrugated galvanised iron. They were developed in response to the needs of residents for …
Walnut Tree Farmhouse
The two-storey 16th Century Wealden style farmhouse has a timber frame with a 17th century bakehouse and four-bay cart barn. Did you know? The original timber and plaster infill can still be seen exposed in the north wall. The other walls have been refaced with red brick and then painted. The farmhouse features a classic …
Peter Pond
Peter Pond is just west of Emsworth at Hermitage and was originally a working mill pond, supplying water to drive the old flour mill. Peter Pond is a ‘saline lagoon’ that is just under 3 acres in size. It is tidal, being connected to Chichester Harbour, and it naturally mixes fresh water with saltwater. The …
Emsworth Bus Shelter
Emsworth has a very rare combined bus shelter and war memorial. After World War I the residents of Emsworth wanted a useful memorial to fallen comrades from the town, and endowed two beds in Emsworth Victoria Cottage Hospital. Did you know? An endowment is a legal structure for managing and indefinitely continuing a financial, property …
The Square Emsworth
Emsworth has a fascinating history. This heritage website is designed to let you use your mobile to scan special signs to let you in on interesting secrets many residents and visitors are unaware of.