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During the 1940s Paulsgrove (on the Southern
slope of Portsdown) was farm land, and was owned by the Cooper family who
lived in Paulsgrove House. The house was located on the A27 near the entrance to
Port Solent, and was demolished to make way for the M27 motorway during the
1970s.
The Coopers who owned all of Paulsgrove
including the chalk pit, had two private air raid shelters built in it. The
floor of the pit has been quarried out since then, so the shelter now sits 40
feet up the cliff face. However, I have managed to carry out a survey
of the shelters which are connected.
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With thanks to Andy Martin for his
help with the survey |
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Don't
attempt to enter these tunnels unless you fully
consider
the hazards involved.
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This is a graphical plan of the shelters (not to
scale). Below is a description of the features. All sizes are in feet.
The size column is length / depth, where length is the west / east
measurement, and depth is the north south
measurement.
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Location |
Size |
Height |
Description |
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a |
Entrance |
3 wide |
6 |
Brick doorway with a pre-cast concrete
lintel above it. Not original. Ventilation duct above the
lintel. |
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b |
The west shelter |
10 x 12 |
now 6, was 8 |
Flat unsupported unlined roof. Good
condition. Several niches cut in chalk. No lining. Floor
in-filled by 2 feet deep. |
| c |
Small opening |
2 x 2 |
2 |
Connects the 2 shelters. Probably not
original. Very rough cut. The 2 shelters were not
connected after construction, but a thin wall of chalk was
left to be removed in emergency. |
| d |
Connecting tunnel |
12 x 2 |
2 - 3 |
The quality of the cut of the tunnel
improves here. |
| e |
Opening |
3 x 3 |
3 |
This part of the tunnel is original. |
| f |
Small room |
6 x 6 |
5 |
Irregular shaped room. |
| g |
The east shelter |
see right |
now < 5 |
Flat unlined un-supported roof. Irregular
shape, 10 ft deep, 10 feet long at widest point. Many
niches. Floor level back filled by 2 feet. |
| h |
Entrance |
3.5 wide |
now < 4 |
Rough hole in chalk, no features. |
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Aerial
photo site location Panoramic
photo site location |
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Grid Ref SU636066
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Visit
this site - Portsdown Walk No2
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I
regularly receive emails from relatives of the Cooper family
enquiring about other family members. Below is a list of those who
would like to make contact with others from the Cooper family. If
you wish to get in touch or have your name added to the list then
please contact me and I will forward your email address to the
others. Addresses will not be published on this website.
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Carla Cooper
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granddaughter of John Cooper |
| Edward Cooper |
great grandson of George Cooper |
| Elizabeth Cooper |
granddaughter of George Cooper |
| Ferne Hudson |
granddaughter of George Cooper |
| Paul Cooper |
son Francis Charles Henry Cooper (brother of
George Cooper) |
| Sean Pollard |
son of Valerie Cooper |
| Marion Cooper |
daughter of George Cooper |
| David Richards |
great grandson of George Cooper |
| Theresa Cooper |
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Here are
some extracts from emails received about the Cooper Shelter. Any italicised comments in [] brackets are
mine
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NEW -
20-01-2008 |
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Lovely site here Bob. Anyway I'd just like to mention the two
brothers who managed the Paulsgrove Lime Company, way back in 1963;
they were Maurice and Nigel Cooper. I don't know if they were
related to the same family [Cooper] but I know they were
quite well spoken. I used to work there with a few other workmates.
We would have to fill Fisons bags with the Lime which came down from
a huge hopper. Sometimes the Lime wouldn't flow very well, so we had
a few holes around the bottom of the hopper, with a poker in each
hole, to loosen it up, and on many occasions it would squirt out at
you and go in your eyes if you weren't lucky.
David Jenson - January 2008 |
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NEW -
08-01-2008 |
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I was pleased to stumble across your great site
today. I am David Richards, great grandson of George Cooper. My
grandmother is Marion Cooper. Ferne Hudson is both my aunt and
godmother. I would love to be added to the list. I still have an old
photo of Paulsgrove House and Marion still has one in her drawing
room! Keep up the good work!
David Richards - January 2008 |
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NEW -
29-10-2006 |
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I am Edward Cooper, son Royston Cooper who was the
son of Albert George Cooper (Little George) who was the eldest son
of George Albert Cooper. I am compiling a family tree for my own and
the immediate family’s interest.
I’d like to point people towards the publication
“Paulsgrove House and the 17th-Century House Plans in Hampshire and
West Sussex” by E, Lewis that was published in the Post-Medieval
Archaeology Publication, Number 6 in 1970 post the demolition of the
house.
Regarding the family, I think I have been able to
trace the Coopers back directly (I think it’s accurate) 1833 to
George and Fanny Cooper of Portsea (Butchers), whilst Great-Grandma
Cooper (Lily May Victoria Newton) can be traced back to the middle
18th-Century.
Edward Cooper - October 2006 |
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NEW -
17-09-2006 |
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My name is Paul Cooper and would like to be added to
the Family Site. At present I am compiling a Family Tree for my Son
Jonathan and have managed to list most of the family that I can
remember and would like to be able to swap information with any one
of the family that is interested.
My father was Francis Charles Henry Cooper (Brother
of G A Cooper) DOB: 16th February 1896. Died: 17th July 1970 aged
74, (He ran the Shop in Highland Rd) and was married to Kathleen
Mary Cooper DOB: 24th October 1911. Died 20th December 2001 age 91
Paul T Cooper - September 2006 |
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My name is Sean Pollard and my mother, Valerie Cooper ( born 1935, sadly
died 1996 ) was one of George Cooper's nieces. She used to tell me how, as a
teenager she kept her horse called Misty at Paulsgrove House stables.
Apparently, uncle George would send his chauffer driven Rolls Royce to pick
her up from North End Avenue where she lived with her sister Jean, brother
Barry (both still alive and kicking and living in the area) and her
parents (my grandparents) Albert and Lily Cooper. Albert was involved in his brother
George's butchery business until his death in 1957 aged 56 I think. Lily died in 1983 aged 84.
Anyway, being a mere slip of a lad myself (42), I only have a very slight
memory of seeing Paulsgrove House from the main road some time before it
was demolished.
Thank
you once again for the website and I would love to hear from any of the Cooper
family who wish to make contact.
Sean Pollard - May 2006
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Your information on the web site is not correct because the "air raid shelters" were not built by George Albert Cooper, who was my grandfather. The original one was made hundreds of years ago and was believed to have been used by smugglers. It was then adapted by my grandparents in the last war as their air-raid shelter.
George Cooper also owned Farlington Marshes which he gifted to Portsmouth
Corporation (I think) in the 1960s. I remember going down there with my
aunt, who used to keep horses and cattle there in the 1960s
Ferne Hudson - April 2004
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I was born in Southsea and brought up in Cosham - now exiled to Brighton.
I was particularly interested in the history of the Paulsgrove Estate and Paulsgrove House. My grandfather was George Cooper and my father Gordon Cooper is his oldest surviving son (he still lives locally). Originally George Cooper lived at Wymering Farm where my father was brought up. The family moved to Paulsgrove House before WW2 and lived there until the late 1960s. I have many happy childhood memories of the house...what a tragedy it was demolished.
Before WW2 I believe my grandfather owned most of the land to the north of Portsea Island including the Race Course, Chalk Pits and Farlington Marshes. He many business interests including a number of butcher shops throughout Portsmouth - GA Cooper Ltd. George Cooper had 13 children and the sons (7) were at various times involved in the running of various parts of the business.
I was particularly interested in the 'Cooper Shelter' as I had heard a lot about the air raid shelter in the chalk pit but had no idea what or where it was.
One interesting story that might fit with your legends and mysteries is the tunnel that was supposed to connect Paulsgrove House with Portchester Castle. The tunnel was supposed to start in the cellar. Despite much searching...no entrance was ever was ever found. There was however, a bricked up wall in the cellar and nobody knew what was behind it!
Elizabeth Wilkinson -
October 2003
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My father was one of the Cooper family living in Paulsgrove house and
quite clearly remembers (as do some of his brothers & sisters) spending nights in the shelter.
He said that Harry Pounds spent EVERY night in his shelter without fail. [Harry
Pounds, owner of the famous Pounds scrapyards, had an air-raid shelter
built under what is now the car park of VT shipyard at Portchester. It is
believed that when the car park was built the shelter was so difficult to
demolish that it was left intact.]
S.A. Weir (nee Cooper) -
September 2002
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