Hill Head

For other uses, see Hill Head (disambiguation).
Hill Head beach
Hill Head harbour

Hill Head is a residential area and village[1] 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 sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and fishing 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%.[2]

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 sailboarding 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 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,[3] with a half-hourly circular service to and from Fareham. The area currently has a convenience store with a post office, a lighting shop, a door and windows shop, two hairdressers, a Chinese takeaway and a prep school.

School(s)

References

  1. ↑ http://www.fareham.gov.uk/leisure/tourism/whats_here/hillhead.aspx
  2. ↑ "UK Census, 2001".
  3. ↑ http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/hampshire/

Kitesurfing Information Hill Head

Coordinates: 50°49′N 1°14′W / 50.817°N 1.233°W / 50.817; -1.233


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