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FORTUNESWELL
FORTUNESWELL IS THE MAIN COMMUNITY OF THE ‘UNDERHILL’ REGION OF PORTLAND. BUILT MAINLY IN THE 19th CENTURY TO HOUSE THE HUGE INFLUX OF WORKERS SUPPORTING THE PRISONS, THE ROYAL NAVAL DOCKYARD AND THE RAILWAYS, THE TRADITIONAL PORTLANDERS IN CHISWELL AND ON ‘TOPHILL’ HELD AN ANIMOSITY TOWARDS INHABITANTS OF FORTUNESWELL WHICH CAN STILL BE FOUND TODAY.
THESE PICTURES BROADLY TRACE A WALK SOUTH FROM CHISWELL UP INTO FORTUNESWELL MAIN SHOPPING STREET AS FAR AS THE FOOT OF THE HILL TO TOPHILL THEN BACK DOWN HIGH STREET TO CHISWELL
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A MODERN MAP OF THE AREA AND HERE FOR A VICTORIAN MAP.
RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AREA CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE.
GENERAL VIEWS OF FORTUNESWELL
LOOKING NORTH ABOUT 1905. NOTE THE TRACTION ENGINE HEADING FOR CASTLETOWN DOCKS.
GENERAL VIEW LOOKING NORTH
VIEW OF FORTUNESWELL LOOKING SOUTH FROM CHESIL BEACH.
VENTNOR ROAD HIGH ABOVE FORTUNESWELL. A RECENT VIEW IS BELOW.
TRAVELLING SOUTH FROM CHISWELL UP TO THE CHURCH AREA.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE A VICTORIAN MAP OF THIS AREA.
THE MAIN ROAD UP FROM CHISWELL. SEE BELOW FOR A MODERN VERSION OF THIS SCENE. THE CHURCH ON THE RIGHT IS NOW THE ROYAL MANOR THEATRE.
A MODERN VIEW OF THIS SCENE IS SHOWN BELOW
ST JOHN'S CHURCH HAS WALLS OF PORTLAND STONE ASHLAR, THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1839/40 TO THE DESIGNS OF EDWARD MONDEY, THE CHANCEL AND ORGAN CHAMBER WERE ADDED LATER IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THE VESTRY IS MODERN, THE SHOP ON THE LEFT WAS D. LAWRENCE THE BUTCHER AND GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR THEY ALSO HAD A BRANCH IN EASTON, PHONE NO 71
THE OPEN AREA BETWEEN THE HOUSES ON THE LEFT AND THE CHURCH WAS ONCE THE REGAL CINEMA. THIS WAS CONVERTED TO ‘RUMOURS NIGHTCLUB’ UNTIL IT BURNED DOWN.
THE REGAL CINEMA IN 1989.
LOOKING SOUTH FROM OUTSIDE THE CHURCH. PRINCE OF WALES PUBLIC HOUSE (NOW NEW STAR) ON THE LEFT. THE CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE FAMILY BUTCHER SHOP. BELOW IS A RECENT VIEW OF THIS SCENE.
TRAVELLING SOUTH FROM THE CHURCH TO THE TOP OF HIGH STREET.
MAN ON BOARD PORTLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL CART IN FORTUNESWELL
FORTUNESWELL SHOPS. INDIA & CHINA TEA COMPANY LATER THE CO-OP CURRENTLY COASTERS OFF LICENCE.
TRAVELLING FROM THE TOP OF HIGH STREET TO THE FOOT OF THE HILL UP TO TOPHILL.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE A VICTORIAN MAP OF THIS AREA.
ROUND HOUSE AT TOP OF HIGH STREET. OLD BAKERY, PICTURE DATED BETWEEN 1902/1910. FOR A MODERN VIEW OF THIS SCENE PLEASE BELOW
THE PORTLAND BRITISH LEGION NOW OCCUPIES THIS CORNER SITE. THIS AREA WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY WORLD WAR 2 BOMBING.
FORTUNESWELL (AREA KNOWN AS BEDLAM)
ROBERT CARR BRACKENBURY, A DESCENDANT OF SIR ROBERT BRACKENBURY (GOV OF THE TOWER OF LONDON IN THE TIME OF RICHARD III) CAME TO WEYMOUTH ON OCTOBER 30TH 1791.
R C BRACKENBURY CAME TO THE ISLAND AND TOOK A COTTAGE IN FORTUNESWELL. HERE HE LIVED FOR FOUR YEARS. IN THIS COTTAGE THE METHODISTS GATHERED TO HEAR HIM PREACH. IN A HOUSE NEARBY, GEORGE SMITH, WHO WAS A FRIEND OF THE BRACKENBURY'S, ALSO PREACHED.
AN ISLANDER WHO PASSED THE COTTAGE HEARD THE ENTHUSIASTIC SINGING AND SAID IT WAS "LIKE BEDLAM". FROM THEN ON THAT AREA WAS KNOWN LOCALLY AS "BEDLAM".
THE AREA WAS DESTROYED BY BOMBING ON SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST 1940.
LOOKING NORTH. THE HOUSES ON THE LEFT HAVE LONG GONE AND THIS AREA IS NOW A CAR-PARK. THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS A MODERN VIEW. ONE OF THE ANCIENT STONE POSTS STILL SURVIVES SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT OF THE POST BOX.
SIMMONDS THE CHEMIST AT TOP OF HIGH STREET FORTUNESWELL OPPOSITE THE SUN INN. THE BRITANNIA INN IS SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND. SEE BELOW FOR A MODERN PICTURE.
THE ROYAL PORTLAND ARMS WHERE KING GEORGE III ENJOYED EATING PORTLAND MUTTON.
CELEBRATING THE CORONATION JUNE 1911. GEORGE V CORONATION, THE BANNER SAYS FORTUNESWELL PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH.
BROTHERHOOD CARNIVAL ASCENDING FORTUNESWELL, W H THOMAS THE SADDLERS SHOP ON THE RIGHT
2ND DORSET REGIMENT DESCENDING FORTUNESWELL
ROYAL WELCH FUSILIERS ARRIVE FROM INDIA MARCH 1914. THEY LEFT PORTLAND AUGUST 1914. THE HEAD OF COLUMN IS ASCENDING VERNE HILL.
OLD HILL IS A VERY STEEP PATH CONNECTING FORTUNESWELL TO TOPHILL. THIS WAS ONCE A MAIN ROUTE OFF THE TOP OF PORTLAND. IT WAS ALONGSIDE THIS TRACK THAT DICKY HOSKINS HAD HIS (ALLEGED) PETS’ CEMETERY. HE WOULD TAKE MONEY FOR UNWANTED PORTLAND PETS PROMISING TO DISPOSE OF THEM AND BURY THEM. IN REALITY HE SOLD THE ANIMALS IN WEYMOUTH!
THE NEW ROAD OFF THE TOP OF PORTLAND. OLD HILL CAN BE SEEN ON THE RIGHT MARKED BY A STONE WALL. A MODERN VIEW OF THIS SCENE IS BELOW.
TRAVELLING DOWN HIGH STREET.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A VICTORIAN MAP OF THIS AREA.
AN OLD DERELICT HOUSE AT THE TOP OF HIGH STREET.
LOOKING UP HIGH STREET WITH WALTER JOSLIN’S DAIRY AND KILBURNIE HOUSE ON LEFT, SIMMONS THE CHEMIST AT THE TOP OF THE ROAD. THIS SAME MODERN VIEW IS SHOWN BELOW.
HALFWAY UP HIGH STREET WITH CLOVENS ROAD ON THE RIGHT AND A SHOP ON THE LEFT WHICH WAS A SHOE REPAIR SHOP INTO THE 1980s.
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