35-490: 50°48′27″N 1°12′35″W / 50.80759°N 1.20974°W / 50.80759; -1.20974 The Hovercraft Museum , in Lee-on-the-Solent , Hampshire , England is a museum run by a registered charity dedicated to hovercraft . The museum has a collection of over 60 hovercraft of various designs. Situated at Solent Airport Daedalus by the large slipway from where many hovercraft have been tested,
70-546: A Tesco Superstore, a Subway, and that of The Alver Valley Garden Centre. In 2011, Channel 4 filmed the Tony Robinson 's God's And Monster's programme at Little Woodham 17th Century Village. In 2018, the same location was used for the BBC's Doctor Who episode The Witchfinders . In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 105. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished and merged with Alverstoke . It
105-465: A cinema, ballroom and restaurant, as well as a viewing platform at the tower's peak. The complex was demolished in 1971 by Gosport Borough Council, with its land now used for the promenade, remembrance gardens and a car park. On 1 April 1930 Lee on the Solent became a civil parish , it was formed from Crofton and Rowner . On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished and merged with Alverstoke . In 1931
140-437: A civil airfield. Aircraft, helicopters, microlight and motorgliders are operated at what is now the principal HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter base on the south coast. The airfield is operated by Regional & City Airports Management (RCA) on behalf of the owners, Fareham Borough Council. More information about the airfield is available on the website of Daedalus Aviation & Heritage Group. A planning application
175-522: A fly-on-the-wall Dispatches documentary Keep them out in 2004 dealing with both sides of the argument. In early May 2006, 20 unexploded Canadian pipe mines were found under HMS Daedalus during site clearance prior to disposal by the Ministry of Defence. 60 feet (20 metres) long, they were left over from 265, packed with a total of 2,400 lb of gelignite , planted in World War II to make
210-633: A gym, six squash courts (two glass-backed), six tennis courts and a sports therapist. Lee's pubs include The Old Ship, The Bun Penny, The Wyvern and The Inn by the Sea. Some pubs have been demolished to make way for housing and retirement developments, including the Belle Vue Hotel and The Swordfish, which was located on the border between Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head, Fareham . In 2020, Hampshire County Council announced plans to close Lee library. Lee-on-the-Solent, like many towns and cities along
245-620: Is a seaside district of the borough of Gosport in Hampshire , England, about five miles (8 km) west of Portsmouth . The area is located on the coast of the Solent . It is primarily a residential area, with an upsurge of mostly local visitors in summer, but was also the former home to the Royal Naval Air Station HMS Daedalus (renamed as HMS Ariel from 1959 to 1965). The district gained its name in
280-583: Is available for research by prior arrangement. A number of hovercraft manufacturers have deposited their complete archives with the museum for safekeeping, thus swelling this important repository of information. The museum also contains a large collection of original manufacturers' hovercraft models including the world's first working hovercraft model built by Christopher Cockerell . The museum reopened in January 2016 after being closed for essential structural building work over nearly two years. Shortly afterwards
315-683: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission 's Lee-on-Solent Memorial . This was erected to commemorate the 1,926 men of the Fleet Air Arm who died in various parts of the world in World War II and have no known grave. Lee-on-the-Solent is the home to the Hovercraft Museum which houses the world's largest collection of rare hovercraft including some of the earliest and largest. It can be found on
350-528: The 12th century, however it was extensively modified in 1874. The church was expanded in 1968 and then rebuilt in 1992 after a fire. The 19th century Palmerston Forts of Fort Rowner , Fort Brockhurst , and Fort Grange , lie to the east and south. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Henry I held court in the parish in 1114 before boarding to travel to his estates in Normandy. As
385-411: The 19th century, during attempts to develop the area into a seaside resort. The area had been referenced long before this, referred to as Lee and numerous variations, including Lebritan. Early impetus for the district's development came from Charles Edmund Newton Robinson , who persuaded his father, John Charles Robinson, art curator and collector, to fund the buying of land. Over the period 1884 to 1894
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#1732798482851420-702: The Brune family until the death of Charles Brune in 1769, when the family became extinct in the male line. By his will his estates eventually devolved onto his grand-nephew the Rev. Charles Prideaux-Brune of Prideaux Place , Padstow , Cornwall , and it remained in the possession of the Prideaux-Brune family into the 20th century. The medieval church of Saint Mary the Virgin is the oldest church in Gosport, dating from
455-565: The Mauduit family, and in 1240–1 Elias de la Falaise was holding land in Rowner. He died in 1254, and his brother William died in possession of the manor in the same year. Before 1277 the property had escheated to the Crown by the felony of William de la Falaise, grandson of William, and was granted in that year to Sir William le Brune, chamberlain to the king. The manor then stayed solidly in
490-408: The airfield unusable in the event of an enemy invasion. The subsequent removal, thought to be the largest of its kind in peacetime Britain , led to the evacuation of some 900 homes staggered over a five-week period. The district still has a shopping centre, with a selection of independent shops and restaurants and is a popular destination for jet-skiers and kite surfers. A bypass was built around
525-653: The backdrop of the Isle of Wight . On the seafront on Marine Parade East is the club house of the Lee on the Solent Sailing Club (LOSSC). At the signal station, where the racing starts and finishes, is a smaller galley that can provide light snacks and soft drinks for the people involved in racing or training at the weekend. It is a RYA accredited Sailing School and is open to visitors and day sailors alike. Boats can be hired. On Marine Parade West main sea front stands
560-503: The borough of Gosport , on the south coast of Hampshire , England. As Roman burial shrouds were found in the grounds of the church, it would seem to indicate there was a presence in the area at the time. However, it is more generally accepted that a small hamlet was established between 700 and 900AD. The spelling of the place name differs slightly from its mention in The Anglo Saxon Charter and Domesday Book . At
595-464: The district was established with the setting out of Marine Parade, a pier, railway connection along with a number of impressive red brick villas. The railway service was discontinued in the 1930s and the pier, unrepaired after breaching in aid of coastal defence in World War II , was demolished in 1958. Lee-on-the-Solent has had a long association with aviation. Seaplane trials took place at Lee-on-the-Solent as early as 1915. A base for seaplane training
630-599: The former base which forms a large area of the resort. At once, the Daedalus Action Group was formed under the chairmanship of John Beavis to oppose the scheme with the support of a large number of local residents. After a U-turn in government policy, the Home Office decided in February 2004 to abandon the asylum centre plan and the action group celebrated with a rally on the seafront. Channel 4 produced
665-683: The government announced that the Daedalus airfield would host an enterprise zone named the Solent Enterprise Zone. The CEMAST (Centre of Excellence in Engineering & Manufacturing Advanced Skills Training) campus on the airfield is now open to students. The centre caters for full and part-time students undertaking apprenticeship programmes for companies such as BAE systems and Virgin Atlantic. In July 2015 parkrun came to
700-425: The main road along the seafront and hosts an open day every summer. From 2024 it is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Further towards Gosport is the area known as Browndown. It is a former army firing range and could be considered an interesting walk in summer. There are many old relics to explore, and it is not unknown to find large jellyfish washed up on the shore. Browndown army camp
735-472: The museum collection includes SR.N5 and SR.N6 hovercraft. The collection also contains the last remaining SR.N4 craft, the world's largest civil hovercraft, which has been laid up in Lee-on-the-Solent since cross-Channel services ceased on 1 October 2000. The museum houses the world's largest library of documents, publications, film, video, photographs and drawings on hovercraft, all of which
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#1732798482851770-473: The ownership of the local council and Housing Associations, but were largely demolished in the early part of the 21st century during the £145, 000, 000 Rowner Renewal Scheme, which provided hundreds of more modern homes and commercial dwellings. Rowner has one of the largest BMX courses in the south of England, allowing the Gosport BMX Club, to compete in, and host national events such as the HSBC UK National BMX Series. Commercial premises in Rowner include
805-525: The parish had a population of 2715. New developments in the 1980s and 1990s increased the population. In c. 2000-2007 1,050 new homes were built at the Cherque farm area of Lee, and further development will take place over the next few years. Elsewhere along Marine Parade, the seafront has lost many of the original villas and hotels to developers. The Royal Naval Air Station HMS Daedalus closed in 1996 but Daedalus Airfield itself remains active as
840-467: The promenade section of Lee on the Solent. The inaugural run had a total of 430 finishers, with around 25 marshals and support people. In the first year there were just over 3,300 runners and 15,000 completed runs. Last year's inaugural of 430 was topped in April of this year with a running attendance of 485. On the last day of July 2018, a 'possibly deactivated' bomb was discovered '250 metres south west of
875-594: The remaining SR.N4 craft came under threat of scrapping when the site owners, the Homes and Communities Agency , proposed the redevelopment of the land. The museum trust started a petition calling for one of the craft to be preserved. In October 2023 the Hovercraft Museum achieved Arts Council England Accreditation, joining more than 1700 museums also taking part in the scheme. Lee-on-the-Solent Lee-on-the-Solent , often referred to as Lee-on-Solent ,
910-522: The salute from 820 sailors, who were on parade with the Band of the Royal Marines . On the 6th December 1966, a new housing estate complete with a thousand new flats, maisonettes and houses was opened as accommodation for service personnel and their families, along with a shopping precinct, that earned this side of Rowner the nickname, "The Concrete Jungle". These properties eventually passed into
945-689: The same building. Many of the buildings in the High Street pre-date this. The High Street has seen a resurgence in recent years due to a number of popular events in the High Street organised by the Lee Business Association, such as Summer in Lee, Lee Victory Festival and Christmas in Lee light switch on. A short walk from the High Street in Lee is the Lee-on-the-Solent Tennis Club. It has a small bar,
980-569: The slip way in Lee-on-Solent'. By August 1, the beach was taped off and The Royal Navy had been called in, alongside the Solent Coastguard, to try to defuse the bomb. The views out to sea from the seafront at Marine Parade are forever changing. From a vantage point on the grassy banks, it is possible to see shipping movements of large container ships and cruisers into Southampton and Portsmouth, sailing boats, ferries and of course
1015-565: The south coast, has a milder climate than the rest of the UK, though it is slightly cooler than the nearby City of Portsmouth. The record high temperature is 31.7 °C (89 °F) in August 2003 and the record low is −9.2 °C (15 °F) in January 1987 Lee-on-the-Solent has a Met Office weather station situated at the MRSC base. Rowner Rowner is a small settlement which forms part of
1050-472: The start of the 20th century the village of Rowner, only consisted of a small number of old cottages scattered over a long narrow strip of land, the southern and eastern portions of which had been bought by the War Office for the land defences of Portsmouth . Arriving by helicopter on 19th May 2000, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II , visited the engineering training centre at HMS Sultan in Rowner, taking
1085-483: The time of Domesday Book of 1086 the manor of Rowner was held by William Mauduit. The family of Mauduit seems to have been of considerable importance at this time as the possessor of large estates in Hampshire, and its members were among the chamberlains of Henry I and Henry II . Bonn's edition of Anglo-Saxon Chronicle confirms that King Henry I, visited Rowner in 1114. In the 13th century Rowner passed out of
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1120-663: The time of the Cherque Farm development to link up the B3385 and the B3333 and forms a bypass to Lee-on-the-Solent. The train has long since gone from the seafront, clearing the seafront for walking, leisure and parking. The seafront is interrupted by the former railway station buildings, the war memorial and the seafront bus stop/parking area opposite the end of Pier Street. This is where the Lee Tower used to stand. In August 2011
1155-626: Was approved in February 2008 for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Driving Test Centre with Motorcycle Manoeuvring Area (MPTC) from the Driving Standards Agency, inside a part of the Daedalus site. The Daedalus site has had housing developments built in recent years, with more re-development planned. In 2003, the community of Lee-on-the-Solent received nationwide attention for probably the first time in its 120-year existence. The government had proposed to house asylum-seekers at
1190-404: Was established in 1917 on the former RNAS Lee-on-Solent , later HMS Daedalus , site. The new church of St Faith's was built in 1933. In 1935 the Lee Tower complex was built on the seafront next to the old pier and railway station. It was designed by architects Yates, Cook & Derbyshire, and comprised a white V-shaped Art Deco building with a 120-foot (37 m) tower. The complex housed
1225-506: Was the setting for the ITV television series Bad Lads Army . Browndown army camp is also used as a summer activity camp for young cadets from all over the country. Beyond Browndown eastwards, is the more affluent district and village of Alverstoke and seafront known as Stokes Bay . The High Street is unique as it is home to over 70 independent shops and businesses, the oldest of which is The Book Shop established in 1933 and still operates in
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