The Grove
The Grove is a village at Tophill, north-east of Easton. It is most notable for containing the joint adult prison and young offender's institution HMP/YOI Portland. As with most of Portland's villages and settlements, the Grove is a conservation area for its special architectural and historic interest, having been designated in 1981 with boundary extensions in 2017.
History
The Grove's development as a village began when the area was chosen by the government for Portland Prison, which opened in 1848. Prior to that time, the area was undeveloped and only linked to the rest of Tophill by a simple track running past Crown Farm at Easton Lane. Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that an ancient settlement was once located at Grove, including a stone circle discovered during the prison's construction. In 1845, proposals were made to transform the natural anchorage of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge, with work commencing on the construction of two breakwater arms in 1849. In order to provide the stone needed to build the breakwaters, the Admiralty purchased a large amount of common land within the north-east region of the island and these opened as the Admiralty Quarries that same year. The prison had opened the year before in 1848 to provide the required labour within the quarries.
The earliest convicts to arrive on Portland in 1848 were soon tasked with laying Grove Road, thereby providing the prison with a proper link to Easton Lane. Primarily to accommodate prison warders, staff and their families, a number of houses were constructed along the road, including Lower and Upper Clifton Cottages. Aside from these properties, A to E Quarters were established around the prison's boundaries, of which some of Alma Cottages (E Quarters) survive today. In addition, Queen's Cottages and the Grove Inn were located west of the prison, surrounded by fields. The Portland Prison Officers' School was established in the early 1850s and later moved to a new building in 1872. During the same period, convicts from the prison constructed St Peter's Church to serve the village and act as a garrison church for the Verne Citadel.
Both the prison and its associated quarries soon attracted visitors from across the country, who would travel to Portland to watch the convicts at work. In response, a number of enterprising residents along Grove Road opened tea rooms and cafes in the upstairs of their houses, while the Clifton Hotel claimed in an 1865 advertisement that its "large and commodious sitting room for excursionists command[s] the best view in the Island of the Government Quarries". The prison, which was originally to be temporary, became permanent in 1869 and would later undergo a major rebuilding programme from 1895 to 1911. Quarrying undertaken by Portland's convicts came to an end when the prison was converted into a Borstal Institution in 1921. It later became a Youth Custody Centre in 1983, a Young Offenders Institution in 1988 and a combined Adult Establishment/Young Offenders Institution from 2011.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, both Augusta and Victoria Roads were established at the Grove as small terraces. The prison's original stone yard was also developed with the erection of new officers' quarters, F and G Quarters, and these were later named Purbeck Terrace and Lulworth Street. In the 1910s-20s, further quarters, H to M, were added in this area, and later known as Abbotsbury Street, Ringstead Road and Bridport Street respectively.
Aside from the extensive Admiralty Quarries, private quarrying also gradually spread along the south of the Grove. France, Long Acre and Higher Headlands Quarries had all been operating within the village's vicinity since the late 19th century, but as small workings. Expansion was seen in the early 20th century, particularly at Long Acre, while Broadcroft Quarry originated to the east in the 1910s-20s. Although Long Acre ceased use during the mid-20th century, Broadcroft, along with Silklake further south towards Wakeham, saw continued expansion, with Yeolands Quarries also being established south of the prison around this time.
During World War II, the presence of HM Naval Base Portland saw the island a target of German air raids, with 48 attacks taking place over the course of the war. In August 1940, four boys were killed and others injured when the Borstal received a direct hit, while April 1941 saw three houses in Augusta Road bombed, killing Kathleen and Frederick Harding, their daughter Rachel and a lodger. The Harding's son, Gerald, was the only survivor in the household. Further housing was erected at the Grove during the second half of the 20th century, including the Shepherds Croft estate in the early 1970s and Rufus Way later that decade. The majority of the surviving quarters of the prison were demolished in 1975, along with part of Alma Cottages later in 1988.
Portland United Football Club have played their games at Grove Corner since 1921. The original football ground was at the entrance to the village, but was moved further east in 1994 to allow for the expansion of the Independent Quarries. An unexploded World War 2 bomb was discovered near the centre of the original pitch in 1995, resulting in the evacuation of 4,000 people from their homes for a 31-hour operation carried out by the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Team. The 1,000lb device was thought to have been dropped in 1942 by a Heinkel bomber.
Features
Unlike the majority of Portland's villages, the Grove features very little commercial business today. The village's general store and post office closed in the early 2000s and the Clifton Hotel in 2019.
To the north of St Peter's Church is the Portland Stadium Bowl, which was created by Borstal boys in an abandoned part of the Admiralty Quarries during the 1930s. Close by is the former Borstal piggery, now privately operated. The surviving Grove Lime Kiln, built in the 1890s, is found nearby and was part of a prison stone yard. In 2010, the restoration of the Governor's Community Garden, a private garden owned by the prison, allowed it to be opened to the public, while Broadcroft Quarry, a part-working quarry and nature/butterfly reserve, is found south of the village.
Grade listed features
The Grove has a wide array of architecture and buildings, a number of which are listed. One of the village's most notable features is a high wall running along Grove Road. This boundary wall remains an important historical feature in the village, having been built in the mid-19th century to enclose the convict quarry workings. It has an opening to allow traffic to turn off left to reach East Cliff and Incline Road, the former route of the Admiralty Incline Railway.
Within the prison and the Grove's surrounding area are also a number of other listed features. The Old Engine Shed, which became Grade II listed in January 2001, dates from the mid-19th century and was built to house locomotives operating in the Admiralty Quarries. The Grove Lime Kiln, a disused lime kiln dating from the 1890s, is located north of the prison in a former stone yard and became Grade II listed in January 2009. Aside from the gatehouse and boundary walls, the prison also contains several Grade II listed features: the east cell blocks, west cell blocks, E Hall and Overseer's Hut with inclines.
Other notable buildings
Public houses (past and present)
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) BBC - Dorset Features - Portland pub's umbrella hats - November 2007 - website page
2) Dorset Echo - Visitor centre for Island - Harry Walton - June 2008 - website page
3) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
4) Dorset Life - The Dorset Magazine - Danger UXB – Portland’s World War 2 Unexploded Bomb - Roger Mutch - website page
5) Exploring Portland - Area North of Grove Road - Geoff Kirby - website page
6) Exploring Portland - Easton, North - Geoff Kirby - website page
7) Exploring Portland - Grove Road Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
8) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - various entries for Portland - website page
9) Isle of Portland Quarries - Geology of the Quarries - Dr. Ian West - website page
10) Long Term Partnering Agreement - MOD Loch Goil, MOD Loch Fyne & MOD Grove Point - website page
11) Ordnance Survey - various maps from the 19th and 20th centuries
12) Pastscape - various entries on database - website page
13) Portland Picture Archive - Grove Prison and Borstal - website page
1) Portland Picture Archive - World War 2 - Geoff Kirby - website page
15) Portland Prison Illustrated - D. R. G. Legg - Sprint Signs and Graphics, Weymouth - 2000 - pages 5, 27, 47 - book
16) Portland Year Book 1905 - Chronology of the Island of Portland 700 - 1905 AD - Paul Benyon - website page
17) Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland's Population - Paul Benyon - website page
18) Pyramid Passion - Portland United FC - website page
19) Taking Stock - Catholic Churches of England & Wales - Our Lady and St Andrew, Grove, Portland - website page
20) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
History
The Grove's development as a village began when the area was chosen by the government for Portland Prison, which opened in 1848. Prior to that time, the area was undeveloped and only linked to the rest of Tophill by a simple track running past Crown Farm at Easton Lane. Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that an ancient settlement was once located at Grove, including a stone circle discovered during the prison's construction. In 1845, proposals were made to transform the natural anchorage of Portland Roads into a harbour of refuge, with work commencing on the construction of two breakwater arms in 1849. In order to provide the stone needed to build the breakwaters, the Admiralty purchased a large amount of common land within the north-east region of the island and these opened as the Admiralty Quarries that same year. The prison had opened the year before in 1848 to provide the required labour within the quarries.
The earliest convicts to arrive on Portland in 1848 were soon tasked with laying Grove Road, thereby providing the prison with a proper link to Easton Lane. Primarily to accommodate prison warders, staff and their families, a number of houses were constructed along the road, including Lower and Upper Clifton Cottages. Aside from these properties, A to E Quarters were established around the prison's boundaries, of which some of Alma Cottages (E Quarters) survive today. In addition, Queen's Cottages and the Grove Inn were located west of the prison, surrounded by fields. The Portland Prison Officers' School was established in the early 1850s and later moved to a new building in 1872. During the same period, convicts from the prison constructed St Peter's Church to serve the village and act as a garrison church for the Verne Citadel.
Both the prison and its associated quarries soon attracted visitors from across the country, who would travel to Portland to watch the convicts at work. In response, a number of enterprising residents along Grove Road opened tea rooms and cafes in the upstairs of their houses, while the Clifton Hotel claimed in an 1865 advertisement that its "large and commodious sitting room for excursionists command[s] the best view in the Island of the Government Quarries". The prison, which was originally to be temporary, became permanent in 1869 and would later undergo a major rebuilding programme from 1895 to 1911. Quarrying undertaken by Portland's convicts came to an end when the prison was converted into a Borstal Institution in 1921. It later became a Youth Custody Centre in 1983, a Young Offenders Institution in 1988 and a combined Adult Establishment/Young Offenders Institution from 2011.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, both Augusta and Victoria Roads were established at the Grove as small terraces. The prison's original stone yard was also developed with the erection of new officers' quarters, F and G Quarters, and these were later named Purbeck Terrace and Lulworth Street. In the 1910s-20s, further quarters, H to M, were added in this area, and later known as Abbotsbury Street, Ringstead Road and Bridport Street respectively.
Aside from the extensive Admiralty Quarries, private quarrying also gradually spread along the south of the Grove. France, Long Acre and Higher Headlands Quarries had all been operating within the village's vicinity since the late 19th century, but as small workings. Expansion was seen in the early 20th century, particularly at Long Acre, while Broadcroft Quarry originated to the east in the 1910s-20s. Although Long Acre ceased use during the mid-20th century, Broadcroft, along with Silklake further south towards Wakeham, saw continued expansion, with Yeolands Quarries also being established south of the prison around this time.
During World War II, the presence of HM Naval Base Portland saw the island a target of German air raids, with 48 attacks taking place over the course of the war. In August 1940, four boys were killed and others injured when the Borstal received a direct hit, while April 1941 saw three houses in Augusta Road bombed, killing Kathleen and Frederick Harding, their daughter Rachel and a lodger. The Harding's son, Gerald, was the only survivor in the household. Further housing was erected at the Grove during the second half of the 20th century, including the Shepherds Croft estate in the early 1970s and Rufus Way later that decade. The majority of the surviving quarters of the prison were demolished in 1975, along with part of Alma Cottages later in 1988.
Portland United Football Club have played their games at Grove Corner since 1921. The original football ground was at the entrance to the village, but was moved further east in 1994 to allow for the expansion of the Independent Quarries. An unexploded World War 2 bomb was discovered near the centre of the original pitch in 1995, resulting in the evacuation of 4,000 people from their homes for a 31-hour operation carried out by the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Team. The 1,000lb device was thought to have been dropped in 1942 by a Heinkel bomber.
Features
Unlike the majority of Portland's villages, the Grove features very little commercial business today. The village's general store and post office closed in the early 2000s and the Clifton Hotel in 2019.
To the north of St Peter's Church is the Portland Stadium Bowl, which was created by Borstal boys in an abandoned part of the Admiralty Quarries during the 1930s. Close by is the former Borstal piggery, now privately operated. The surviving Grove Lime Kiln, built in the 1890s, is found nearby and was part of a prison stone yard. In 2010, the restoration of the Governor's Community Garden, a private garden owned by the prison, allowed it to be opened to the public, while Broadcroft Quarry, a part-working quarry and nature/butterfly reserve, is found south of the village.
Grade listed features
The Grove has a wide array of architecture and buildings, a number of which are listed. One of the village's most notable features is a high wall running along Grove Road. This boundary wall remains an important historical feature in the village, having been built in the mid-19th century to enclose the convict quarry workings. It has an opening to allow traffic to turn off left to reach East Cliff and Incline Road, the former route of the Admiralty Incline Railway.
- Boundary wall along north side - Grade II listed since May 1993. Part of the mid-19th century wall enclosing the former convict quarry workings. This listed entry designates the wall from approximately the entrance of the Portland United Football Club grounds and along approximately 400 metres to the opening leading to Incline Road. Historic England described the wall as being "important in establishing the identity and continuity of the street".
- Gate piers at junction with Grove Road with boundary Walls to Ivybank and Vicarage - Grade II listed since September 1978. At the opening leading to Incline Road is a pair of gate piers, while the attached boundary walls are also included in the listing. Historic England recorded in the entry that the wall is "all part of an important series of visual and physical enclosures to the buildings and streets".
- Sentry box with gate pier circa 30 metres west of north entry to St Peter's Church - Grade II listed since September 1978. A surviving sentry box associated with the convict quarries, likely to date around 1849, the year the quarries were established. Also included in the listing is a rhomboidal-shaped gate pier.
- Ivybank with boundary wall - Grade II listed since May 1993. A detached house of mid-19th century origin, primarily listed for its group value alongside St Peter's Church, the former Grove Infant School and HMP/YOI Portland.
- St Peter's Vicarage - Grade II listed since September 1978. The former vicarage of St Peter's Church, built in 1890 and primarily listed for "group value".
- St Peter's Church - Grade II* listed since September 1978. A former Church of England church, built in 1870-72 and consecrated in August 1872. It was designed by Major-General Sir Edmund Du Cane and built using convict labour. After being declared redundant in 1973, it was used as a chapel for the adjacent Borstal Institution before ceasing all religious use in 1988.
- Gate piers and boundary walls to north and west of St Peter's Church - Grade II listed since September 1978. Dating from the same time as the church, the listing includes a pair of gate piers and the two boundary walls of the church. Historic England recorded that the walls are "part of a series of significant elements, helping to tie together the group of related buildings, and defining the spaces".
- School house, including rear boundary wall - Grade II listed since September 1978. Built around 1870-72 as the residence for the adjacent school's headmaster. Historic England noted that the house was an "important unit in a good group, set between St. Peter's Church and Grove County Infants' School, and from its detailing clearly from the same design office".
- Grove County Infant School, with rear boundary wall - Grade II* listed since September 1978. A former school opened in September 1872 to serve the Grove community. Described by Historic England as a "richly detailed and confidently handled Romanesque Revival building" with a "very lively and carefully articulated design". The school closed in 2013 and was sold for development, with planning permission approved in 2016 for the alteration and conversion of the building to form five dwellings known as Church View.
- Boundary wall and gate piers from Vicarage to Alma Terrace - Grade II listed since September 1978. A continuation of the roadside boundary wall along Grove Road, believed to date from around 1875. The listing includes eight sets of gate piers and the boundary wall from the vicarage and around the corner to the front of Alma Terrace. Historic England noted that the listing contained "very substantial elements, playing a significant part in tying together this group of related buildings, and in defining the street".
- Alma Terrace (Nos. 1-12), with front railings - Grade II listed since September 1978. A terrace of houses, built in 1854, to accommodate prison wardens. Originally twelve large dwellings were constructed, however six were demolished in 1988 and the remaining six sympathetically restored and converted into twelve houses.
- Wash houses and connecting boundary wall to rear of Alma Terrace - Grade II listed since May 1993. Originally built as five wash houses but now in use as stores. They are linked together by a boundary wall. Historic England recorded that the former wash houses are "unusually grand" and "a reminder of the 19th century social scene", while having since been "well restored with the houses to which they belong".
- Boundary wall to west of HM Young Offenders Institution - Grade II listed since May 1993. A boundary wall of 1848, running along Grove Road and enclosing the west side of the prison. Described by Historic England as a "very lofty enclosing wall", which is a "significant visual element of this street" alongside other listed walls further north.
- HM Young Offenders Institution, north and east boundary walls - Grade II listed since May 1993. Largely dating from 1848 too, the north and eastern prison boundary walls are made up of three sections, beginning from the north-west corner. The original wall within the south-east area suffered major damage from air raids during World War II and these sections have since been replaced by late 20th century enclosings. Historic England describes the walls as "significant as part of the overall ensemble of Victorian prison buildings which they enclose".
- Governor's House (102 Grove Road), with front boundary wall - Grade II listed since May 1993. A detached house, built around 1848 as the residence for the prison's governor. Described by Historic England as an "important part of the group of prison buildings, with a visually significant position at the junction between Grove Road and The Grove".
- HM Young Offenders Institution gatehouse, with VR letter box - Grade II listed since September 1978. The original gatehouse of the prison, dated 1848 and featuring the Royal Arms. A surviving Victorian pillar box still remains in use on the left inside arch.
- Ventilator Shaft at NGR SY 7033 7237 - Grade II listed since September 1978. An octagonal ventilator associated with the prison's original sewer system. One of three in the area, this one is located on the clifftop, near the row of former coastguard cottages.
- Ventilator Shaft at NGR SY 7028 7217 - Grade II listed since September 1978. An octagonal ventilator associated with the prison's original sewer system. One of three in the area, this one is located in the Governor's Community Garden.
- Ventilator Shaft at NGR SY 7037 7216 - Grade II listed since September 1978. An octagonal ventilator associated with the prison's original sewer system. One of three in the area, this one is located on the clifftop, along the east side of HMP/YOI Portland.
- Boundary Stone at NGR SY 7035 7208 - Grade II listed since May 1993. A War Department/Admiralty boundary stone dating from the mid-19th century. It is one of many markers of its kind to be found on Portland, with this example being found on the clifftop south of the row of former coastguard cottages.
Within the prison and the Grove's surrounding area are also a number of other listed features. The Old Engine Shed, which became Grade II listed in January 2001, dates from the mid-19th century and was built to house locomotives operating in the Admiralty Quarries. The Grove Lime Kiln, a disused lime kiln dating from the 1890s, is located north of the prison in a former stone yard and became Grade II listed in January 2009. Aside from the gatehouse and boundary walls, the prison also contains several Grade II listed features: the east cell blocks, west cell blocks, E Hall and Overseer's Hut with inclines.
Other notable buildings
- Portland Fire Station - built to replace the Old Fire Station at Easton, the new station's opening ceremony was held on 2 November 1988.
- Church of Our Lady and St. Andrew - a former Roman Catholic church, built in 1868 and designed by Joseph Hansom. The church's last service was held in 2007 and the building was sold in 2010. It is now a private residence.
- Portland Borstal Officers Club - opened at the far end of Grove Road in 1964, replacing an earlier club established in 1921 and made up of wooden huts. In 2022-23, the building was transformed into Jailhouse Diner, which is operated by the charitable organisation Expia. It opened to the public on 26 May 2023.
- MOD Grove Point - built in 1901 as an Admiralty shore signal station which was primarily concerned with monitoring and controlling shipping entering and leaving Portland Harbour. It later became solely used as a coastguard lookout and went on to operate as the headquarters of the Portland Coastguard District from 1976. It had the role of a maritime rescue sub-centre (MRSC) (with radio but no visual watch) into the 1990s. The building, which has since been extended and modified, was then taken over by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and operated as MOD Grove Point, which is associated with a sea range used for underway ranging of surface vessels. Today the Maritime and Coastguard Agency operate a radio site (with generator house) adjacent to the former station building, while QinetiQ operates MOD Grove Point.
- Coastguard cottages - these red brick cottages were built by the Admiralty in 1903 as quarters for four men and their families. The coastguards stationed there operated the nearby signal station.
- Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar station - a World War II radar station constructed in 1941. Operated by the British Army, then the RAF, the M72 station had a short lifespan, closing by the end of 1942. The building is now used for agricultural purposes.
Public houses (past and present)
- The Clifton Hotel (50 Grove Road) - a purpose-built hotel/inn established in c. 1850. It was a particularly popular pub when HM Naval Base Portland was active as personnel, including of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (North) would regularly visit for lunch. The pub gained media attention in 2007 by reusing unwanted umbrella hats to keep smoking customers dry on days of poor weather. In 2017, planning permission was granted to convert the pub into apartments and the pub closed in June 2019.
- The Devonshire Inn - active since c. 1860s until mid-20th century, located along Lower Clifton Cottages, west of the Clifton Hotel.
- Eagle Tavern - active since c. 1860s until mid-20th century, located along Lower Clifton Cottages at 46 Grove Road.
- The Grove Inn - active since c. 1860s, located west of the prison and south of Victoria Road, and demolished in the late 20th century.
- The London Inn - active since c. 1860s until early 20th century, located along Lower Clifton Cottages, west of Clifton Hotel.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) BBC - Dorset Features - Portland pub's umbrella hats - November 2007 - website page
2) Dorset Echo - Visitor centre for Island - Harry Walton - June 2008 - website page
3) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
4) Dorset Life - The Dorset Magazine - Danger UXB – Portland’s World War 2 Unexploded Bomb - Roger Mutch - website page
5) Exploring Portland - Area North of Grove Road - Geoff Kirby - website page
6) Exploring Portland - Easton, North - Geoff Kirby - website page
7) Exploring Portland - Grove Road Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
8) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - various entries for Portland - website page
9) Isle of Portland Quarries - Geology of the Quarries - Dr. Ian West - website page
10) Long Term Partnering Agreement - MOD Loch Goil, MOD Loch Fyne & MOD Grove Point - website page
11) Ordnance Survey - various maps from the 19th and 20th centuries
12) Pastscape - various entries on database - website page
13) Portland Picture Archive - Grove Prison and Borstal - website page
1) Portland Picture Archive - World War 2 - Geoff Kirby - website page
15) Portland Prison Illustrated - D. R. G. Legg - Sprint Signs and Graphics, Weymouth - 2000 - pages 5, 27, 47 - book
16) Portland Year Book 1905 - Chronology of the Island of Portland 700 - 1905 AD - Paul Benyon - website page
17) Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland's Population - Paul Benyon - website page
18) Pyramid Passion - Portland United FC - website page
19) Taking Stock - Catholic Churches of England & Wales - Our Lady and St Andrew, Grove, Portland - website page
20) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
Gallery
These images can be enlarged by clicking on them. Some images have information attached to them, and to view this you can either enlarge the image or hover the mouse over each thumbnail.
On the map below the pointer is aligned to the centre point of The Grove village.