Victoria Square, Portland

The roundabout at Victoria Square.

Victoria Square is a public square on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The square is situated at the entrance to Portland, within close proximity to Chesil Beach, Ocean Quay, and the small fishing village of Chiswell. The square developed during the 19th-century.

History

The view from Victoria Gardens down to the square.

During the middle of the 19th-century, the railway line from Weymouth was extended to Portland, with construction commencing in December 1860.^[1] With the erection of the branch terminus at the entrance to Portland, Captain Charles Augustus Manning sponsored the development of the area into a square. He had the Royal Victoria Hotel, and a terrace opposite, erected at his expense by 1865.^[2][3] With the square completed, the railway line and station opened on 16 October 1865.^[4]

Once Victoria Square was established, other businesses soon based themselves in the square, including the Portland Gas Works in 1863.^[5] A sawmill was erected next to the railway station, by the Portland Stone Company.^[6][7] A public house known as The Terminus Hotel was also built at the square, and was later renamed The Little Ship.^[8] In 1878 local builder John Patten erected Portland's first Masonic Hall at Victoria Square.^[9] During 1898 a new masonic hall was constructed within the square, opposite the original hall.^[10] In 1902, when Portland's railway line was extended to Easton village, the original Portland station would become a goods station.^[11]

The Royal Victoria Lodge as seen in 2011.

The Second World War bought many air raids to Portland due to the important naval base.^[12] As part of pre-invasion measures, a minefield was laid from the main A354 road to the top of Chesil Beach, behind and alongside the newer Masonic Hall.^[13] In addition to this, a tank trap was placed near the minefield. The trap comprised a set of square concrete blocks, with pyramid shaped tops. The structures have since been destroyed.^[14]

When Weymouth and Portland became an embarkation point of Allied Forces for D-Day in 1944, the Royal Victoria Lodge was used as a makeshift hospital.^[15] The Portland Gas Works was closed in 1959, and was replaced by a plant hire yard.^[16] With the commissioning of RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) in 1959, later expansion of the station during the 1970s meant that much of the grassland surrounding the north of Victoria Square was enclosed. The main guardroom/gatehouse was situated on the southern edge of the perimeter to HMS Osprey, just off Victoria Square. The base later closed in 1999, and the perimeter soon removed afterwards.^[17]

The Little Ship.

Portland's railway operated until it closed to passengers in 1952 and goods in 1965. In 1969, the square's railway station was demolished, and replaced by a roundabout.^[18] A commemorative stone and plaque was later placed near the square, giving a brief history of the railway.^[19] Between 1958 and 1965 a sea wall for Chiswell as completed, which helped protect Victoria Square. Despite the sea wall proving a worthy defence, incidents of widespread flooding were not a thing of the past. During December 1978 and February 1979, two major storms caused further devastation to Chiswell and Victoria Square. This resulted in further flood prevention measures being put in place throughout the 1980s.^[20]

In 1995 a refurbishment scheme saw the square enhanced with flower beds, paving and ornamental lighting, as well as the positioning on the roundabout of a large anchor from Portland Harbour. A commemorative stone was unveiled in 1996 by HRH The Duke of York once the work was completed.^[16] The northern area of the square is occupied by grassland. For the millennium, two ornamental pillars, made of Portland Stone, were planned to mark the entrance to Portland. They were erected on the grassland site, and officially 'opened' during June 2004. The pillars were designed to be used as safe nesting sites for seagulls.^[21]

Grade listed buildings

The Little Ship, a pub located at Victoria Square, became Grade II Listed in May 1993. The building, externally, is a complete example of a modest classical-style Victorian pub, holding a very important corner to this Square.^[22] The Royal Victoria Hotel also became Grade II Listed at the same time. Again it holds an important position on the corner of the Square, complementing The Little Ship opposite.^[23]

Portland Skate Park

The other section of Victoria Square's recreation ground, not to be transformed as a car park, would become a Skate Park, known simply as Portland Skate Park.^[24] Portland has the distinction of being home to the UK's first skate park, which was located at Tophill, on the grounds of Portland Market. It had been built around 1977, but was later removed after the landowner and local council had disagreements over taxation.^[25]

The Portland Skate Park at Victoria Square was first established around 2005, at a cost of £20,000. However in June 2009, the park was set to be removed after complaints of crumbling, rusty metal ramps, despite the facility being only three years old.^[26] Afterwards work commenced on a new £200,000 skate park for the same site. On 13 November 2010 the park was officially opened, with 150 young people from across Dorset attending the event.^[27]

References

Coordinates: 50°33′48″N 2°26′59″W / 50.5633°N 2.4498°W / 50.5633; -2.4498