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THE ORIGINAL FOUNDER OF HILL HEAD SAILING CLUB ?
By John Lewthwaite, the Club's Historiographer
According to the parish records of St. Peter’s church in Titchfield, on the 23 June 1611 one Richard Talbot succeeded in ’shutting out’ the seal across the entrance to the River Meon. In building a sluice at the eastern side of the barrier he created a harbour at Hill Head although there was no village there at that time.
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| The work was commissioned by the local landowner, the 3rd Earl of Southampton who had his country residence at Place House (the old Abbey) at Titchfield. The Earl was therefore responsible for the creation of the harbour and hence without him our Club would not have been founded.
The Earl also had a barge canal dug from Meon shore to Titchfield so that the sea trade could continue. This was the first canal to be built in England that connected an inland town over a distance of several miles to the sea. Sadly this important historical fact does not seem to be acknowledged locally. It is believed that the canal continued to be used until the mid-1800s but there are few records of the trade that was carried. |
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John has evidence that soon after this time the French had considered landing at Hill Head as part of their plans to invade southern England.
Another curious event unearthed by John was the planned construction of a railway line from Fareham to Hill Head which was to terminate in a pier on the sea wall with a steamer service to the Isle of Wight. The line was to be built over the bridge and around the harbour and would have totally changed it's use. Fortunately for us the scheme failed due to lack of finance!
The harbour at Hill Head (or Hell Head on some early maps) was used for many years by small fishing craft. Charles I used the harbour in 1647 whilst escaping to the Isle of Wight and Thomas Jefferson landed here in 1787, diverted whilst on passage to France to become US Ambassador and later of course, President of the United States.
| John also has copies of several photographs of the harbour taken almost 100 years ago, and one of a rowing race during the Hill Head regatta in August 1908.
There have been changes to the harbour following the Club's formation in 1930. John has many old photographs showing Members' boats on moorings and the construction work that the Club has carried out in renewing and maintaining the harbour walls. |
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More history at The Boathouse
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