Hampshire County Council Sport and Community Panel Item 6 18 June 1998 Calshot Heritage and Visitor Centre Report of the Director of Arts, Countryside & Community Contact: Brian Lamb 01703 892077 1 Summary The purpose of this report is to inform the panel of the steps being taken in conjunction with the Director of the County Museums Service to develop a Heritage Plan for the Calshot Site and to improve the visitor facilities at Calshot Activities Centre and Calshot Castle. It is felt appropriate that the rich history of the site should be more effectively promoted with its important defensive role when the Flying Boat Base - RAF Calshot - closed in March 1961. 2 Background 2.1 In October 1997 it was reported to members of the Recreation & Heritage Committee that it was then appropriate to commence preparation of a heritage plan for the Castle and the Centre. 2.2 Members are aware that on 1 April 1998 Hampshire County Council took over the management of Calshot Castle from English Heritage under a five year agreement subject to an annual review. 2.3 The Museums Director of the County Museums Service has inspected Calshot Castle and as a next step in conjunction with English Heritage he will ascertain how the presentations within the Castle can be enhanced and enlarged for the benefit of visitors. 2.4 Calshot Castle will be part of the County Council's Defence Heritage Marketing Strategy and will be included in its publications. 3 The Geography of Calshot Spit 3.1 Calshot Spit is a natural coastal landform, approximately 10,000 years old, formed at the mouth of Southampton Water. It was formed at the latter end of the last ice age as sea level rose, dragging shingle and glacially deposited material on to the coast which was then reworked via Longshore Drift. 3.2 The spit encloses a salt marsh which is designated as a Hampshire Nature Reserve, important as a feeding ground for migrating birds. The salt marsh is a highly depositional environment, and is steadily growing in extent. 4 History of the Site 4.1 Calshot Spit has a history stretching back almost five hundred years as a defence heritage site with its strategic location at the entrance to Southampton Water and central Solent location. 4.2 Between 1539-1540 Henry VIII commissioned the building of Calshot Castle as one of a number of fortifications along the English Coast. Some of the materials were from the monastery at Beaulieu which had been closed. 4.3 The Castle was continuously manned by units of the British Army for most of the period up to the commencement of the first World War. The defences were also enhanced in Victorian times by additional batteries of guns in the area now occupied by the Sunderland Hangar. 4.4 In March 1913 the first of a number of Royal Naval Air Stations was established on Calshot Spit and a unique wooden hangar was erected which still stands, with the name of the Sopwith Hangar. The first seaplane based at the station was the Sopwith Bat and the then Station Commander gave Sir Winston Churchill his first aeroplane flight in a Sopwith from Calshot. 4.5 During the first World War the Air Station was developed with the erection of other hangars including the present Schneider and Sunderland together with other buildings and a narrow gauge railway, where one of its steam engines is still in use on the Tallylyn Railway in Wales. 4.6 Between the Wars the Station, which had now become RAF Calshot continued as a major flying boat base for a number of squadrons, including the RAF High Speed Flight. It was in March 1928 that Fl. Lieut. Sam Kinkead, RAF, lost his life over the Solent whilst trying to break the World Air Speed Record. In 1929 and 1931 the Schneider Trophy Air Races for sea planes was based at Calshot with Britain winning the trophy on both occasions. Without the assistance of Lady Houston it is doubtful is the 1931 series of races would have taken place. 4.7 Shortly afterwards Air Craftsman Shaw (Col. T.E. Lawrence of Arabia) was posted to Calshot to work with the development of the air sea rescue launches which then became an important part of the work of the base. 4.8 During the second world war the Sunderland squadrons moved away, out of range of the Luftwaffe but still used Calshot for repairs. The site played a major part in the D-Day embarkation. At the end of the war the Sunderland squadrons returned but in 1948 they became part of the Berlin airlift flying from Hamberg to the Berlin Lakes. 4.9 In April, 1961 RAF Calshot closed and in 1964 Hampshire County Council negotiated a lease with the Crown Estates to use the site as an Activities Centre. The first course - a sailing one for Hampshire children- commenced on Monday 18th May 1964. 5 Visitors - The Present Position 5.1 At present there is little interpretation of Calshot Spit and visitors leave with little knowledge about the rich history which could be portrayed, unless they visit Calshot Castle where there are some displays. Young people who come on the Centre's Courses also miss similar opportunities. 5.2 It is thought that about 10,000 casual visitors come annually to the site. Car parking and visits to the Castle are charged and there is and opportunity to obtain food and refreshments. However, the visitor facilities are inadequate with the present reception area only having room for one member of staff and two members of the public at any time. 5.3 Visitors to the site are met be an array of signs and there is no management of a Heritage trail or any interpretation boards reflecting the history. There is a pedestrian route around the site but it is not indicated in a suitable way. 6 Visitor Strategy 6.1 It is thought that a rationalisation of the signs incorporating a house style, which will only require slight changes to the present signs will give a clear direction to casual visitors and course members. It will also include unobtrusive waymarkers for a Heritage trail and seating. 6.2 An interpretation scheme will be put in place involving a number of panels which will be placed around the Spit. Most of these will be linked to the major buildings and will explain the relevant history in an illustrated fashion. The story is a progressive one. A number will show local landmarks around the Solent. 6.3 Within the Sunderland Hangar in an enhanced and enlarged visitor centre there will be space for permanent displays and for the sale of guides, leaflets and other relevant publications and souvenirs. There will also be space for temporary displays from time to time within the Sunderland Hangar. 7 Visitor Centre and Centre Reception 7.1 The present reception area in Sunderland Hangar is inadequate for its present purposes with, as previously stated, sufficient room only for two members of public and one staff member. It is a temporary construction which can be moved and used as a lobby to the conference suite inside the Sunderland Hangar to reduce sound intrusion in the conference rooms. 7.2 The replacement Visitor Centre will be in the same position within the Sunderland Hangar but will be approximately five times as large which will allow for more staff and large groups of visitors to be inside the Reception Area, where there will be heating in the winter months when the Hangar is often at freezing point. 7.3 The layout of the public area inside the new visitor centre needs to be carefully planned if it is to achieve all of its roles. The area should; Provide personal security for members of staff handling cash and working alone Provide a central point for information about the Centre and the site. Be a reception area to receive course members booking into accommodation Be a bookings office for members of the public requiring resreational facilities. Include a well designed exhibition area Encourage visitors to use the bar/café refreshment facilities Allow visitors to sit down whilst waiting to be served Be well lit and welcoming Have access to those with physical disabilities It will also contain the controls for alarms, public address and lighting equipment and house the reception telephone, computers and a base. 7.4 In consultation with the County Architect a design in keeping with the impact which the Visitor Centre needs to make in sympathy with other internal designs has been drawn up. It is of more substantial materials than the present structure and it should make a contribution to the quality of the listed building. It will not involve any demolition of the main building and will only be seen from the inside. The Director of the County Museums Service will also be consulted about the link between interpretative material in the visitor centre and the experience of visiting Calshot Castle. 7.5 An appraisal of the cost has been carried out and the expenditure is expected to be about £11,000. The Committee is asked to approve this amount from the Minor Works programme of the Arts, Countryside & Community Department. 8 Other Landscaping Issues 8.1 It is also intended in due course to deal with other landscape issues to improve the environment by improving the landscape. In particular: Replacing the tall urban lamp posts with ones that are more in sympathy with the site but also ensuring that the safety of the users' especially children, is not put at risk. Shielding the three rubbish skips Placing shingle mounding in areas where shielding will be effective and acceptable Making repairs to the quay wall and slipway 9 RECOMMENDATION 9.1 That the Heritage Plan and visitor strategy for the Calshot site be accepted 9.2 That the Director of Arts, Countryside & Community working closely with the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services and the Director of the County Museums Service implement the purposed plan for an improved visitor centre and reception inside the Sunderland Hangar and associated improvements to external works. 9.3 That the Sport and Community Panel recommends to the Recreation & Heritage Committee the expenditure of £11,000 from minor works of Arts, Countryside & Community Department for the Visitor Centre Scheme.
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