Once
upon a time,
before the town of Portsmouth was founded, this coastline was made
up of creeks, low-lying marsh and water. Over the centuries the coastline
has altered, but the town's position here on the south coast, its
proximity to the open sea, coupled with control of the harbour and
its entrance, have secured Portsmouth's place in history as one of
the world's great anchoranges and a rendevouz for British shipping
in times of war for over 800 years
Recent Acquistions : December 2006
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A letter from an unknown Portsmouth-born soldier describing the Battle of Colenso in 1900, during the Boer War. He writes: ‘About half a mile to the left front of this hill we saw a large Boer laager [camp] which the Naval guns instantly began to bombard. In a moment all was confusion amongst the enemy, and it looked to me as if they were trying to see who could shift the quickest. Whilst we were taking our hill, a brigade of infantry had crept up on the left and with fixed bayonets charged the Boer camp. They were caught properly on the hop, as they even had their dinners on fires…’
Donated by Ms Maria Cole
2006/1254
