WWII Remains at Lepe
During World War II, Lepe was used in the preparations for D-Day. 300 construction workers were camped here under heavy guard as They were employed to construct the blackberry/mulberry/blueberry harbours.
The structures in the water are known as Dolphins which formed part of the pier head used to load ships departing for Normandy.
In the foreground are Beach Hardening Mats which resemble huge bars of chocolate, and were held in place by a series of iron hooks. They were laid out to strengthen the beach enough to take the weight of the tanks and other vehicles being driven onto landing craft.
On the 6 June 1944 thousands of troops with their vehicles and supplies left Britain via locations such as Lepe Beach in the New Forest for the beaches of Normandy. This was D Day, the start of the great campaign to liberate Europe and to bring the Second World War to its end.
The D-Day invasion, code named Operation Overlord, is one of the most remarkable feats in military history, it had took over two years of planning, and was one of the best kept secrets of the war.
During the build up to D Day troops and supplies were marshalled along much of the Hampshire coast. Lepe and the surrounding area came under the control of the shore station HMS Mastodon, the headquarters of which were at Exbury House. Many hundreds of troops with their equipment, vehicles and ammunition were hidden along the narrow roads and in numerous closed camps hidden in the wooded areas accross the New Forest. Today at Lepe you can still see plenty of evidence of wartime activity.
Lepe is a small settlement on the Solent in the English county of Hampshire. It is located at the mouth of the Dark Water, and is the site of the Lepe Country Park, which runs from Stanswood Bay to the mouth of the Beaulieu River.
The Solent (the stretch of water here) is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.
The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight and has a very complex tidal pattern, which has greatly benefited Southampton's success as a port. Portsmouth lies on its shores. Spithead, an area off Gilkicker Point near Gosport, is known as the place where the Royal Navy is traditionally reviewed by the monarch of the day.
The area is of great ecological and landscape importance, particularly because of the coastal and estuarine habitats along the edge of the Solent. Much of its coastline is designated as a Special Area of Conservation. It is bordered by and forms a part of the character of a number of nationally important protected landscapes including the New Forest National Park, and the Isle of Wight AONB.
First recorded in 731 as Soluente, Solent is "an ancient pre-English name of uncertain origin and meaning."
the land across the Solent is The Isle of Wight which is known to the ancient Romans as Vectis, is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 3 to 5 mi (5 to 8 km) off the coast of Hampshire, separated from mainland United kingdom by a strait called the Solent. The island has several resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.
The Isle of Wight is roughly diamond-shaped and covers an area of 380 km2, nearly 150 sq.miles. Slightly more than half of the island, mainly in the west, is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The island has 258 km2 of farmland, 52 km2 of developed areas, and 57 miles of coastline. The landscape of the island is diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature". West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the chalk downland ridge, running across the whole island and ending in the Needles stacks—perhaps the most photographed place on the Isle of Wight. The south western quarter is commonly referred to as the Back of the Wight because it has a unique social and historical background. The highest point on the island is St Boniface Down, at 241 metres (791 ft), which is a marilyn.
documents.hants.gov.uk/ccbs/countryside/lepe/dday-booklet...
www.newforestww2.org/d-day-at-lepe-beach/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepe,_Hampshire
WWII Remains at Lepe
During World War II, Lepe was used in the preparations for D-Day. 300 construction workers were camped here under heavy guard as They were employed to construct the blackberry/mulberry/blueberry harbours.
The structures in the water are known as Dolphins which formed part of the pier head used to load ships departing for Normandy.
In the foreground are Beach Hardening Mats which resemble huge bars of chocolate, and were held in place by a series of iron hooks. They were laid out to strengthen the beach enough to take the weight of the tanks and other vehicles being driven onto landing craft.
On the 6 June 1944 thousands of troops with their vehicles and supplies left Britain via locations such as Lepe Beach in the New Forest for the beaches of Normandy. This was D Day, the start of the great campaign to liberate Europe and to bring the Second World War to its end.
The D-Day invasion, code named Operation Overlord, is one of the most remarkable feats in military history, it had took over two years of planning, and was one of the best kept secrets of the war.
During the build up to D Day troops and supplies were marshalled along much of the Hampshire coast. Lepe and the surrounding area came under the control of the shore station HMS Mastodon, the headquarters of which were at Exbury House. Many hundreds of troops with their equipment, vehicles and ammunition were hidden along the narrow roads and in numerous closed camps hidden in the wooded areas accross the New Forest. Today at Lepe you can still see plenty of evidence of wartime activity.
Lepe is a small settlement on the Solent in the English county of Hampshire. It is located at the mouth of the Dark Water, and is the site of the Lepe Country Park, which runs from Stanswood Bay to the mouth of the Beaulieu River.
The Solent (the stretch of water here) is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.
The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight and has a very complex tidal pattern, which has greatly benefited Southampton's success as a port. Portsmouth lies on its shores. Spithead, an area off Gilkicker Point near Gosport, is known as the place where the Royal Navy is traditionally reviewed by the monarch of the day.
The area is of great ecological and landscape importance, particularly because of the coastal and estuarine habitats along the edge of the Solent. Much of its coastline is designated as a Special Area of Conservation. It is bordered by and forms a part of the character of a number of nationally important protected landscapes including the New Forest National Park, and the Isle of Wight AONB.
First recorded in 731 as Soluente, Solent is "an ancient pre-English name of uncertain origin and meaning."
the land across the Solent is The Isle of Wight which is known to the ancient Romans as Vectis, is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 3 to 5 mi (5 to 8 km) off the coast of Hampshire, separated from mainland United kingdom by a strait called the Solent. The island has several resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.
The Isle of Wight is roughly diamond-shaped and covers an area of 380 km2, nearly 150 sq.miles. Slightly more than half of the island, mainly in the west, is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The island has 258 km2 of farmland, 52 km2 of developed areas, and 57 miles of coastline. The landscape of the island is diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature". West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the chalk downland ridge, running across the whole island and ending in the Needles stacks—perhaps the most photographed place on the Isle of Wight. The south western quarter is commonly referred to as the Back of the Wight because it has a unique social and historical background. The highest point on the island is St Boniface Down, at 241 metres (791 ft), which is a marilyn.
documents.hants.gov.uk/ccbs/countryside/lepe/dday-booklet...
www.newforestww2.org/d-day-at-lepe-beach/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepe,_Hampshire