Southwick Hill

Elevated residential area with panoramic views and wartime heritage

The higher ground on the north-western edge of Cosham, climbing towards Portsdown Hill and the area around Fort Southwick. Southwick Hill Road winds uphill from central Cosham past a mix of interwar and postwar housing, with the properties becoming larger and more spacious as the ground rises. The views from the upper parts of Southwick Hill are superb, looking south across the rooftops of Cosham to the harbour and beyond. Fort Southwick, a Palmerston fort built in the 1860s to defend Portsmouth from a landward attack, sits at the top of the hill. During the Second World War, the fort served as the headquarters of the Allied Naval Commander for the D-Day invasion, and it was from here that the signal was sent to launch the naval operations on 6 June 1944. The area has a quieter, more suburban feel than central Cosham, with wider streets, larger gardens and more green space. The chalk grassland of Portsdown Hill is accessible on foot from the top of the residential streets.