Castletown

Castletown is a small village in Underhill, located on the southern shore of Portland Harbour. It has a small sandy beach and is the location of Portland Castle, which the village was named after. Castletown was originally primarily used by local fishermen, but saw much development during the mid-19th century with the creation of a harbour of refuge and an increasing naval presence at Portland.

As with most of Portland's villages and settlements, Castletown is a conservation area for its special architectural and historic interest. Underhill, incorporating Chiswell, Maidenwell, Fortuneswell and Castletown was first designated in 1976 with boundary extensions in 1997, 2000, 2014 and 2017.

History
Castletown's development is notably different to Portland's other villages and settlements. The beach at Castletown was traditionally used by local fishermen, at a time when the surrounding area was undeveloped. In 1539-41, Henry VIII had Portland Castle built a short distance west of the beach, while the area also held shipping wharfs and a pier from at least the 18th century, all built for the use of Portland's stone industry. With the establishment of the horse drawn and cable operated Merchant's Railway in 1826, Castletown and its facilities became the island's prime spot for the shipping of stone. The railway, which remained in use until 1939, linked to a number of quarries within the northern region of Tophill and transported the stone from Priory Corner down to the pier via Verne Hill.

Into the 1840s, Castletown was a small settlement with only a few residential and commercial properties, concentrated at the bottom of the Merchant's Incline, between Portland Castle and Castletown Pier. One of the earliest businesses established there in 1775 was the original Jolly Sailor public house and a hotel, while in 1798, Thomas Ayles opened a shipbuilding company at the site. Castletown was transformed into a largely commercial-based area with the transformation of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge, which saw the construction of two breakwaters arms between 1849-72. The new harbour began to be used extensively by the Royal Navy, which in turn attracted many enterprises, with Castletown being suitably transformed due to it being the harbour's immediate neighbour to the west.

By the 1860s, a one-sided terrace overlooking Castletown Beach had been erected, which was home to a variety of businesses, along with some residential properties. Some of the original enterprises established to serve the navy and harbour included a custom house, coal merchant, chandler, seamen's reading room, barbers and post office, as well as various hotels and pubs such as the Royal Breakwater Hotel, Portland Roads Inn, Green Shutters and Sailor's Return. These businesses thrived with the visiting sailors and personnel at the harbour, along with the contractors working on the breakwaters and tourists visiting the island to see the works in progress.

As the gateway to Portland's naval base, Castletown remained a thriving commercial area throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the large number of pubs also meant that the common rowdiness and violence seen from sailors on shore leave gained Castletown a reputation, with the long terrace often being referred to as "Drunkards' Row". Meanwhile, the presence of the Royal Navy saw a gradual decline of the use of Castletown Beach by local fishermen, although the wharfs and pier continued to thrive from their use by the stone industry. The pier underwent reconstruction and expansion in 1897-98, which included an Admiralty landing used by both the Royal Navy and paddle steamers carrying tourists to the area. Meanwhile, use of the wharfs by the stone industry came to an end and the site was soon developed as a naval depot.

During World War II, the presence of Portland's naval base saw the island a target of German air raids, with 48 attacks taking place over the course of the war. Castletown was the victim of some damage aimed at the base, while a number of light anti-aircraft guns were installed in and around the village as a defensive measure. In 1944, Portland and Weymouth Harbours were commissioned USNAAB Portland-Weymouth for use as part of D-Day preparations, with both being major embarkation points for American troops, particularly the US 1st Division destined for "Omaha Beach". Castletown's beach, hards, pier and other facilities were taken over for use during these operations.

With the end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, a reduction of the UK's defence budget resulted in the confirmed closure of HM Naval Base Portland in 1993. It was forecast that the closure would result in economical disaster for Portland, with Castletown being particularly vulnerable due to its reliance on the custom generated by the base. With the closure following in 1996, Castletown entered a gradual decline and saw the loss of a number of businesses, although some were able to continue successfully trading by concentrating on visitors using the area for recreational activities, namely diving.

In 2014, the Castletown Regeneration Project was established by Derek Luckhurst, owner of the independent care provider Agincare, who moved their head office to Admiralty Buildings in Castletown that year. In October 2014, planning permission was sought to redevelop Castletown Pier, with the construction of ten industrial units and nine holiday apartments. Work began during 2015 on transforming the pier into Crabbers Wharf and the new building was awarded the Weymouth Civic Society Award of 2017. In June 2015, further plans were revealed for the regeneration of Castletown, including an "underwater curiosity park" for scuba divers and a D-Day-related museum, the Castletown D-Day Centre, which opened in 2017. That year also saw the Portland Roads Hotel transformed into the Portland Outdoor Centre, which opened in March 2018.

Features
Castletown's small beach is found close to the entrance of what is now Portland Port. The area still contains a number of hotels and pubs, including Hotel Aqua, the Portland Roads Hotel (now the Portland Outdoor Centre), the Royal Breakwater Hotel and the public house the Green Shutters. A newsagents was active in the village until 2014 and a new one opened in 2017 as part of the Castletown Regeneration Project. A dive shop, Dive Beyond, is located at Hotel Aqua.

Grade listed features

Portland Castle - scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 since October 1981 and also a Grade I listed building since May 1993. An artillery fort constructed for King Henry VIII in 1539-41, the castle formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire. It defended the Portland Roads anchorage with the sister castle Sandsfoot Castle in Wyke Regis. Portland Castle was opened to the public by English Heritage in 1951.
The Captain's House - Grade II* listed since May 1993. A large detached house, adjoining Portland Castle, originally built as the Master Gunner's residence. Believed to have undergone major reconstruction when taken over by the Manning family in 1816. Later in use from the mid-20th century as the residence of the captain of RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey). Following the station's closure in 1999, the house was incorporated into the Portland Castle visitor attraction.
Gateway and curtain wall to the south east of the Captain's House - Grade II* listed since May 1993. Dating from the mid-16th century, the gateway and wall originally formed part of the main enclosure of and access to the castle, later providing access to the Captain's House. Specifically the wall is a surviving section of a former curtain wall with moat.
Boundary Stone circa 23 Metres South of Entrance to Captain's House - Grade II listed since May 1993. A War Department/Admiralty boundary marker dating from 1870. It is one of many markers of its kind to be found on Portland.
Royal Breakwater Hotel - Grade II listed since May 1993. The hotel, still operating today, was first established in the 1850s and later rebuilt in the 1900s. It is a large building of three sections and is described by Historic England as having a "rich composition characteristic of turn-of-the-century design".
Dockyard Police Station (1 Castletown) - Grade II listed since May 1993. A 19th century building, once in use as the naval dockyard's police station. Listed primarily "for group and historical value".

Other notable buildings

Osprey Leisure Centre - located at the entrance of the village, the centre was originally built for the Royal Navy in 1984-85 as the Boscawen Centre. Following the navy's departure in 1999, the swimming pool was opened to the public by Weymouth & Portland Borough Council and later taken over by the South Dorset Community Sports Trust (SDCST) in 2007, when it was renamed Osprey Leisure Centre.
Admiralty Buildings - originally built in 1899 as a steam bakery and stores for William Miller and Co Ltd, who, as Admiralty contractors, supplied and operated some of the canteens on naval ships and at shore establishments. It was constructed by Mr. Purchase of Weymouth to the designs of Messrs Crickmay. The building was taken over by the Navy and Army Canteen Board soon after its formation in 1917 and continued use as a bakery and warehouse by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) from 1921. In the mid-1950s, the building suffered extensive fire damage and was reconstructed and enlarged. It remained in use by the NAAFI until 1995 and was sold to Portland Oceaneering Ltd in 2000, who opened a dive shop/centre there. In 2014, the building was acquired as the headquarters of the Dorset-based care provider Agincare and the western section opened as the Castletown D-Day Centre in 2017. In recent years, it has been designated an Important Local Building.
Score's Steam Bakery - brick building built in the early 20th century as a bakery, attached to Hotel Aqua.
Custom House - constructed in 1907-08 by Messrs Jesty and Baker for a cost of around £900. Beforehand, Portland's Customs officers had used a number of different premises, most notably the harbourmaster's office near the gates to the dockyard. In c. 1904, Customs relocated to some rooms above Richard Score's establishment but these were found to be too small, prompting the construction of the new Custom House, which Customs moved into on 1 June 1908. The new premises included offices, a search room, a mess room and a watch tower on the roof. The building was later purchased by the Ministry of Defence and used as offices. It was sold to a private owner in 1990 and converted into a residence around 1994. In recent years, it has been designated an Important Local Building.

Public houses and hotels (past and present)

The Green Shutters (12 Castletown) - an active pub established in the mid-19th century and built by the local builder Mr. John Patten. It was rebuilt in c. 1900 and was originally known as the Albert Inn, which is retained on the pub's high pediment, while a shield retains "EP & Co" (Eldridge Pope & Co Ltd).
The Jolly Sailor (24 Castletown) - located within the western region of the village, the original pub with the same name was established in 1775. The existing building was rebuilt around 1904. The pub closed in c. 2007 and has been derelict since. In 2012, planning permission was received to transform the pub into a care facility, but this did not come to fruition. The pub still retains a number of signs and boards while the eastern wall still retains its painted "Devenish Jolly Sailor". In 2020, planning permission was received to convert the building into six flats, including adding extensions to the rear and making other alterations.
The Old Castle Hotel/The Castle Inn - established in the 18th century as one of Castletown's earliest commercial enterprises. It remained active as a hotel/inn until around 1910 and was then taken over by the Salvation Army. The building was later demolished in the 1960s.
The Portland Roads Inn - established in the mid-19th century and rebuilt in c. 1903 to the designs of John Edward Crickmay. The hotel was active until 2014, when it was converted into a house in multiple occupation (HMO). In June 2017, planning permission was approved to transform the building into the Portland Outdoor Centre, opened in March 2018 (website). The Dorset Adventure Cafe opened within the centre in May 2019.
The Royal Breakwater Hotel - an active hotel/pub established in the mid-19th century.
Salvation Army Sailors Home - originally established in c. 1900, occupying both the former Castle Hotel and a section of the adjoining premises, which also contained R. Score & Sons, a navy contractor and chandlers. The entire building was later taken over by the Salvation Army in the mid-20th century, when it became known as the Red Shield Hostel. From 1985 to the mid-1990s, it operated as a Agnes Weston sailors rest (Agnes Weston House) and is now the Hotel Aqua.
Sailors' Return (10 Castletown) - established in the mid-19th century, rebuilt in c. 1893 and altered in c. 1900, active until 1970 and then converted into residential flats. Retains sign with pub name and console brackets with "JG 1901" (John Groves & Sons Ltd).

Ocean Views
The village is overlooked from the south by two large multi-storey buildings set into the hillside. These blocks, formerly known as the Hardy Site (or Hardy Complex), were built in the 1980s as state-of-the-art accommodation for Royal Navy personnel. The project cost £30 million, which also included the Boscawen Centre.

After the closure of HMNB Portland, the Hardy Site remained in use by RNAS Portland until the station's closure in 1999. The two blocks were sold by the Ministry of Defence to Comer Homes in 2000 for redevelopment. The first planning application was submitted in 2001 but withdrawn the following year. In 2003, plans put forward by the government to house 750 asylum seekers in the blocks was met with local opposition and protests, causing these plans to be withdrawn. Planning was approved in 2004 to transform the blocks into 363 homes with an additional 191 new dwellings added to the rear. With the new development named Ocean Views, both blocks were soon stripped back to their concrete frames and work was carried out on the first block in 2006-08. However, with the onset of the recession, the developers suffered financial difficulties and conversion of the second block stalled. The site was later purchased by Fulca Ltd, also part of Comer Homes, who in 2014 expressed wish to restart the development, which is hoped to commence in 2019.

Castle Road
On Castle Road, leading into Castletown, is the Portland Community Hospital. It was originally built as part of the Royal Naval Hospital, which opened in 1904 and served the base until 1957 when it was handed over to the NHS. The former gatehouse and mortuary building at the entrance of the hospital grounds is now used as the Gatehouse Surgery under Royal Manor Health Care.

The same area holds three former naval residences; known today as Hardy House, Boscawen House and Rodney House. The £7,500 cost of the three houses was approved in 1903 and they were constructed in 1904-05 by Messrs Jesty and Baker. The land had been transferred from the War Office to the Admiralty at no cost. In recent years, all three have been designated Important Local Buildings.

Rodney House was constructed for Portland's harbour master (or captain-in-charge). It has been used as the Outlooks Children's Centre since 1996.
Boscawen House was built for the naval store officer. It was transformed into a hostel in 2003. Planning permission was later granted in 2007 to transform and extend the house to form eight flats, but the work was not carried out.
Hardy House was constructed for the senior civil engineer. Later in the 20th century, one of its roles was as the Royal Naval Provost Headquarters, housing the RN Service Police. In 1998, with the impending closure of RNAS Portland, the house was taken over by the Youth Hostel Association who opened the YHA Portland Hostel in 2001, with the assistance of the South West Regional Development Agency and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council.

References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.

1) BBC News - Protest march over asylum plans - February 2003 - website page
2) Disused Stations Site Record - Portland 1st Site - Nick Catford - website page
3) Dorset Echo - numerous articles from the online archive from 2003 to 2017 - website page
4) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
5) Dorset Life - The Dorset Magazine - Danger UXB – Portland’s World War 2 Unexploded Bomb - Roger Mutch - website page
6) Exploring Portland - Castletown - Geoff Kirby - website page
7) Exploring Portland - Portland Castle and The Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy - Geoff Kirby - website page
8) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - various entries for Portland - website page
9) Jurassic Agent - The Jurassic Coast: Portland and Weymouth - website page
10) Ordnance Survey - various maps from the 19th and 20th centuries
11) Pastscape - various entries on database - website page
12) Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland's Population - Paul Benyon - website page
13) Portland: An Illustrated History - Stuart Morris - Dovecote Press - 1985 - ISBN: 978-0946159345 - pages 49, 89, 103 - book
14) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
15) Victorian tales from Weymouth and Portland - Victorian Castletown, Portland…matelots, mariners and mishaps. - Susan Hogben - website page

Gallery

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Castletown

Gallery

Historical photographs