Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for GOSPORT

GOSPORT, a town and two chapelries in Alverstoke parish, Hants. The town stands on a sort of peninsula, on the W side of Portsmouth harbour, directly opposite Portsmouth, and 15 miles WSW of Southampton. The reach of harbour between it and Portsmouth is about ¾ of a mile wide; and two creeks of the harbour strike westward on the two sides of the peninsula; that on the north, about a mile long, and called Forton lake; that on the south, about 1¼ mile long, and called Alverstoke or Haslar lake. A floating bridge connects Gosport with Portsmouth; and a railway, 5½ miles long, connects it with the Southwestern railway system, and gives communication to all parts of the kingdom. The name Gosport is a corruption of God's Port; and the place was thus called by King Stephen, on his landing at it after a storm in 1144; and was given by him to his brother, Bishop Henry de Blois. But the town, so late as the time of Henry VIII., was a mere fishing village; and even now, owes all its prosperity to connexion with the town and dockyard of Portsmouth. It is, in fact, for most practical purposes, a part of Portsmouth; and it has been regularly fortified by redoubts, bastions, counterscarps, and other works, which look to be a segment of the fortifications of Portsmouth, underwent extension in and before 1865, and are of such a character as to form a thorough defence against attacks by either sea or land. High-street commences immediately in front of the landing-place of the harbour, and extends westward the whole length of the town; and numerous smaller streets branch off in various directions. The approach by water is extremely fine, as the several forts and large piles of building are seen to great advantage; and the town itself, considered as a seaport, is well built and handsome. The original floating bridge was constructed in 1837; may be described as an enormous barge, containing gallcries, platform, and standing room for horses and carriages; driven by steam, and worked upon two large permanently fixed chains, extending from shore to -shore; and this floating bridge was superseded, in 1864, by a new and greatly improved one. A floating pier also was constructed in 1843, but has been taken down. The railway station is outside the town, on the NW; and an extension from it goes to the beach at Stoke, where a steam-boat gives communication across the Solent to Ryde. The fortifications enclosing the town on the land side were long little more than a mud wall and a dry ditch; they have only of late years acquired strength and bulk sufficient to withstand the fire of modern artillery; they are much in the same style as those of Portsmouth, but less extensive and not so good; and they present a bare appearance, with little ornature of trees. But the fortifications at the harbour, and down to the Solent, over a distance of about 4 miles, have an imposing character; include the tremendous works of Blockhouse Fort, Monkton Fort, Gomer Fort, Fort Elson, and Potsdam Hill; and have, by recent arrangements, been undergoing great extension. All the chief ones will be found noticed elsewhere, in other articles.

The Royal Clarence victualling establishment occupies a great area near the railway station; was originally a large private house, with an extensive garden; was afterwards known as the Naval Brewery; was reconstructed and extended, after 1827, in lieu of the victualling premises at Portsmouth; includes vast store-houses, for all sorts of supplies of food and clothing for the navy, -a great reservoir, for furnishing ships with fresh water, from a well 360 feet deep, -an enormous bakery, with iron ovens of about 160 square feet, for making sea-bis-cuits for the navy, -and four granaries, capable of stor-ing away 6, 000 quarters of corn; and is connected with the harbour by a large basin and canal, with extensive quays. New barracks, of large extent and very hand-some appearance, stand in the vicinity of this establish-ment; and, at the Census of 1861, had 1, 011 inmates. Barracks also are at Haslar, and marine barracks at Forton; and, at the Census of 1861, had respectively 75 and 1, 173 inmates. Haslar hospital, on the further side of Haslar lake, beyond Blockhousc Fort, was built between 1746 and 1762; is a brick structure of four stories, with elegant front 570 feet long, and two wings each 550 feet long; communicates with the town by a bridge across Haslar lake; is surrounded by airing grounds, nearly a mile in circumference; possesses accommodation for nearly 2, 000 sick or wounded seamen and marines; and has, in connection with it, a neat chapel and a natural history museum. A military prison is at Forton; and, at the Census of 1861, had 244 inmates. A gun-boat slipway is contiguous to Haslar hospital; occupies considerable space; serves for the new description of war vessels; and has machinery for hauling them up and down. A strong, arched, bomb-proof magazine for gunpowder, is on Priddy's Hard, north of Forton lake.

The old market-house obstructed the thoroughfare, and was removed; and the new one stands on the beach. Trinity church was built in 1694; was repaired and enlarged in 1830, at a cost of £4, 000; and is a brick structure in the Dutch style. St. Matthew's church was built in 1846; is an edifice of Portland and Caen stone, in the early English style; and was designed to be surmounted by a tower. The Independent chapel in High street contains about 1, 200 sittings, and is noted for the ministry of Dr. Bogue. Another Independent chapel occupies the site, and includes part of the walls, of an old theater. There are also chapels for Wesleyans and Roman Catholics. A cemetery is connected with Trinity church, but is now closed; and a new one is fully a mile from the town, in the direction of the Stoke and Forton roads. There are several public schools, variously supported; alms-houses, with about £30 from endowment; and other charities, with £18.-The town has a head post office, ‡ a telegraph-office, three banking offices, and three chief inns; and is a coast-guard station, and a polling-place. Markets are held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; and fairs, on 4 May and 10 Oct. The chief trade is in shipping, and in the supply of articles for the army and the navy. The real property, as returned in 1860, was £18, 368, -of which £663 were in gasworks; but that seems to have been for only the lighting limits, as the return for the rest of Alverstoke parish was £29, 729. Pop. in 1861, within the lighting limits, 7, 789; within the two chapelries, 8, 268; of the entire town, 11, 269. Houses of the entire town, 1, 443. Pop. in 1851, 9, 846. -The two chapelries are Trinity and St. Matthew. The livings are vicarages in the diocese of Winchester. Value of T., £210;* of St. M., £200. Patron of T., the Rector of Alverstoke; of St. M., alt. the Bishop and the Rector.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town and two chapelries"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Alverstoke AP/CP       Gosport UD/MB       Hampshire AncC
Place: Gosport

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