| Portland Harbour |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT PORTLAND HARBOUR | |
| buildings and structures in dorset | |
| ports and harbours of dorset | |
| ports and harbours of the english channel | |
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s at Castletown , Portland Harbour]] Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle Of Portland , off Dorset , on the south coast of England . It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid Reference : . The original harbour was formed by the protection offered by the south coast of England, Chesil Beach and the Isle Of Portland . This gave protection from the weather to ships from all directions except the east. King Henry VIII built Portland Castle to defend this anchorage. Construction of the modern harbour began in 1848 when the Royal Navy created a Breakwater to the south of the anchorage, made of blocks from local quarries on the Isle Of Portland . This was completed in 1872 and created a much larger harbour providing protection from south-eastly winds. The Verne Citadel fort, East Wear Battery , High Angle Battery and two forts on the breakwaters were also built. In 1906 , with the threat of Torpedo attack from the eastern side of the anchorage, two more breakwaters were added. A further barrier against Submarine attack from the south came in 1914 when HMS ''Hood'' was scuttled across the southern entrance to the 1848 breakwater. ]] The harbour is a popular location for Wind Surfing , Diving and Sailing , as Weymouth And Portland National Sailing Academy which will host sailing events in the 2012 Olympic Games , is located on the south-western shore of the harbour. In addition to ''Hood'' , there are other wrecks around the harbour:
The only Victoria Cross ever awarded for action in the United Kingdom was posthumously bestowed on Jack Foreman Mantle who died at his post on HMS ''Foylebank'' during a 1940 air raid on Portland Harbour. Mantle's grave can be found in the Portland Naval Cemetery. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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